“The
beauty of being a mother is realizing the strengths that you didn’t know you
had; and dealing with such fears that you couldn’t imagine they existed.” (Linda Wooten)
Upon the birth of a child, soon the mother will enter into a stage usually known as "nifaas". This stage lasts for about 40 days and has a prominent effect on mothers.
Mothers
go through many physiological changes and when this stage ends; their body goes
back to its pre-pregnancy state.
Here are
some of the prominent physiological changes that appear:
A
Minor increase in body temperature:
The minor rise in temperature is quite common in many women
especially those who are giving birth for the first time. It usually happens
due to excessive muscular effort of the body while they are giving birth to the
child.
The temperature normally lasts for about 24hours or so and
if it exceeds the said tenure then there might be some internal problem which
needs to be timely resolved.
A bit slower heartbeat than normal:
It’s also something that happens after birth and may last
for about 2 to 3 days but if the heartbeat is much more rapid than the normal
one, then it might be result of a heart disease.
Problem in Defecating and Urinating:
Soreness following the birth or stitches on cuts can be the
major cause of this problem. They can make the process of urination quite
painful for the women.
Changes in Uterus (Womb):
After
giving birth, the Uterus (womb) reshapes itself and shrinks back to its normal
size & the actual place. This process can be a bit painful usually for
those who are having the second or subsequent birth.
Breastfeeding
is a great way to speed up the process of reshaping the uterus back to its
original shape and that can happen in about six weeks from the time of birth.
Vaginal
Discharge:
Another
prominent change that occurs after birth is the vaginal discharge. The color of
this discharge is dark red in the first week. In the second week it turns to
yellow and in the third it turns to white.
Your
stomach may not be firm:
The circumference
of your waist may not be firm after birth, the reason behind is that you still
have the weight that was put on while pregnancy. This weight can also result in
back pains and hemorrhoids.
Pain
after Caesarean Delivery:
