Postpartum period
From Free net encyclopedia
The postpartum period is the period consisting of the months or weeks immediately after childbirth or delivery.
It is a time when the woman adjusts, both physically and psychologically, to the process of childbearing. It last for about six weeks or until the body has completed its adjustment and has returned to a nearly prepregnant state. Some health professionals refer to the postpartum period as the “fourth trimester”. Though the time span of the postpartum period does not necessarily cover three months, the term of “fourth trimester” suggests continuity and the importance of the first several months after birth for the mother.
In some East Asian cultures (such as Chinese and Vietnamese), there is the tradition of doing the month. Elders in family (or health professionals, recently) would help the women with this kind of adjustments.
The postpartum period is influenced by what preceded it. During pregnancy, the woman’s body gradually adjusted to physical changes, but now it is forced to respond quickly. The method of delivery and circumstances surrounding the delivery affect the speed with which the woman’s body readjusts during the postpartum period.
The postpartum period involves a great deal of adjustment and adaptation. The baby has to be cared for; the mother has to recover from childbirth; the mother has to learn how to take care of the baby; the mother needs to learn to feel good about herself as a mother; and the father needs to learn how to take care of his recovering wife. In spite of this, a period of "baby blues", a form of depression, is very common in new mothers.
In some cases, this adjustment is not made easily, and hormonal disturbances may lead to postnatal depression or even puerperal psychosis.