5 Post-Pregnancy Body Changes Women Shouldn't Ignore

5 Post-Pregnancy Body Changes Women Shouldn't Ignore
Profile of a mature woman holding her lower back gingerly while sitting on her bed
Profile of a mature woman holding her lower back gingerly while sitting on her bed

Sadly, there's not a lot about the postpartum period that's all that awesome from a purely physical perspective. It's a time of intense recovery -- your body has just done the incredibly hard work of growing a baby, then ushering him or her into the world -- and things take a while to come together. Whether you had a C-section or vaginal delivery, you'll likely feel pretty darn shaky for a few days or weeks. You might lose your hair. You could grapple with issues like melasma and night sweats. And oh, the jumbo-size pads you'll wear!

Fortunately, most of those issues go away with a little time and rest. But for many mamas, there are lingering pains that don't -- pains experts say women tend to put up with for way too long.

"Anytime after you've delivered a baby, your body is postpartum," said Jessica McKinney, director of the Center for Pelvic and Women's Health with Marathon Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine in Massachusetts. Most of the following issues are things women should broach with their care providers at the (often all-too quick) standard six-week postpartum visit -- if not sooner. That said, "it's never, never too late to get help," she said. "I have moms who come and see me years later and say, 'I wish I'd known all of this right after [I had my baby].'"

Painful nipples
There's a lot of back-and-forth about whether nursing should ever cause pain ("breastfeeding is not supposed to hurt," La Leche League states). Most experts concede it's typical for women to experience pretty significant tenderness in the first few days after they've started nursing. However, anything more intense or that lasts significantly longer is a red flag.

"Your nipples have to callus, if you will, because they're very sensitive," said Dr. Mary Rosser, an OB-GYN with Montefiore Health System. "But women certainly shouldn't be in such pain that they're almost throwing up" -- which is something she has seen. "If you're starting to crack and bleed, you need to do something."

Talk to a lactation consultant, Rosser urged, who should be able to help on two fronts: First, he or she will make sure the reason for your pain isn't a bad latch, tongue tie or some other issue that needs resolution. And second, he or she can help with wound care, as well as strategies for managing the pain -- though it may not be possible to eliminate it entirely until the nipples have healed.

Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the anus, "and the most painful ones tend to be the ones that pop out in a vaginal delivery," Rosser said. "You know you have them if you see bright red bleeding." In her experience, a lot of women think they simply need to put up with the accompanying pain and itchiness, but Rosser said there's a lot that can be done: For starters, apply Witch Hazel pads, sit in a warm bath (or use a sitz bath), and keep the area clean and dry. She also recommends staying hydrated and eating a high fiber diet so any bowel movements don't require you to strain, which can amplify the pain.

And if the hemorrhoids don't go away by your first postpartum visit? Absolutely talk to your doctor about them, Rosser said. Having them surgically removed is an option, though she generally doesn't recommend that until women are done having kids as they can return in subsequent pregnancies and deliveries.

Back, hip and pelvic pain
"When we walk, we are either transferring our weight the right way through our joints, or the wrong way," McKinney said. With all of the physical changes that accompany pregnancy, that process can get pretty messed up, affecting the alignment of the joints and overall muscle function. "It really does legitimize this sense of yeah, you can develop these aches and pain of pregnancy and they have a reason for being there. Sometimes they're minor changes, and sometimes they need intervention," McKinney said. "Pain shouldn't be ignored."

Many women experience a lot of lingering pain in their hips, lower backs and pelvic girdle, she said. A physical therapist can help with exercises and also provide women with simple adjustments in how they walk and sit down, for example, that can go a long way in helping the body heal. "There's this thinking that pregnancy is a natural process and I don't argue that, but it's a pretty monumental physical undertaking, so we ought to give credit where credit is due and provide moms with the help they need to strengthen [themselves] and recover," she said.

Ab separation
Diastasis recti is the technical term for the post-pregnancy pooch a lot of women are left with, which develops when the muscles that stretch and thin to accommodate a growing baby separate. The problem persists in roughly 15 to 25 percent of women, McKinney estimated, though she said the scientific literature tracking the issue isn't particularly robust.

The problem with ab separation isn't just cosmetic; it can affect the whole body, as the deep abs are connected to the pelvis and the low back and play a role in everything from breathing to posture alignment. "It really [creates] a chink in your armor. It's an area where, if you don't have everything together and transmitting forces in the right way, it can wear women down," McKinney said -- and right at the time when you need your strength to lift babies, strollers, etc.

Incontinence... and gas
Incontinence is one of those things that often gets kind of laughed off, McKinney explained, because women are embarrassed or because they think it's expected. "But just because it's common, doesn't mean it's normal," she said. And it's important to note that incontinence can refer to leaking of the urinary tract and bowels, but it can also simply refer to trouble controlling gas.

"The more substantial the amounts of leakage a woman has, the more unlikely it is that the issue is going to resolve on its own," McKinney said. Again, exercises can help, so go see a physical therapist who specializes in these issues, McKinney said. In rare, severe cases, surgery might also be necessary.

Before You Go

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