Speedy Recovery After Baby Birth
Once you have given birth to your baby, you will feel sore for the next few days, particularly if you are a first time mother or had a cesarean section delivery. Your back, shoulder and leg muscles may be in pain. 
If you were given epidural anesthesia, the place where the needle was injected may ache and this tender area should be taken care of. However, these pains and aches will go away after some days.
To treat your sore bottom, use ice. The hospital may give you specially made sanitary pads to which ice chips can cling, or tiny packets where chemical reactions occur, which get crunched and cold. You may put these inside your pants. Ice will reduce the swelling and soreness of your bottom and make the area numb.
Have a warm water bath after 24 hours (sitz bath) that will prevent infection and soothe you. You can also take oral medicines to control the pain. Though acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Ibuprofen (Motrin) will give satisfactory results, you may need Codeine or Percocet, which are narcotic pain medicines. Doctors often prescribe a stool softener as birth lacerations and episiotomies often extend till the rectum that makes new mothers anxious about their post-baby BMs.
If you have given vaginal birth, you will have swollen veins close to your rectum’s opening (Hemorrhoids) due to the act of pushing. Use ice, stool softeners and pads soaked in witch-hazel (marketed under the name of Tucks) to get relief. Go for sitz baths once the first 24 hours have passed.
If you feel pain while urinating, pour warm water on the region to get the urine diluted as it passes over by an anesthetic spray such as Dermoplast. You may even urinate into a sitz bath. Don’t worry about infection as urine is sterile.
You may bleed heavily (even more than your menstrual period) during the first few days. Don’t worry even if you find small clots as it’s a natural thing. Use large disposable pads when the bleeding is heavy and switch over to maxis. These pads will be supplied by the hospital along with a belt or mesh underwear that can be stretched to keep the pad in place. Bleeding will reduce within some days but you may pass a slight bloody discharge, brown to yellow in color (called lochia) for the next six to eight weeks.
First time mothers face mild afterbirth cramps. However, the pain increases with the more children you have given birth to.
These cramps cause the bleeding to decrease, and reduce your uterus back to the normal size. Cramps appear the most in case of nursing mothers. To treat these cramps, Ibuprofen scores over Acetaminophen.
It is a common post-birth occurrence for a new mother to have swollen foot. If you had a cesarean, it could be very painful and trouble you for a few weeks. This happens as the intravenous fluids have high levels of sodium. The normal fluid shifts after the operation is an additional reason. Within one or two weeks, the fluid will leave your tissues. You can feel that the edema is receding as you will have an urge to urinate often. Once the fluid gets into the blood vessels, the kidneys eliminate it from your body.
After the birth of your baby, you may feel exhausted. You may be having inadequate sleep. Even your newborn may keep you awake. Some disturbances in the surroundings can also disturb your sleep. If this is the case, ask your nurse to limit visitors and keep you away from surrounding disturbances. Switch off your cell phone and close your eyes when your baby is asleep.
