How long does postpartum last? It is said that only quarantine lasts, although in reality, the postpartum lasts one year and the famous quarantine is only the beginning of it. But it is precisely those first forty days when we should be more careful, because our body begins to recover little by little from all that wonderful process that has just passed.
Sometimes, some women rush to resume their activities on a regular basis without waiting for those first forty days of postpartum to end, especially if they feel they are already physically and emotionally capable of doing so.
But a mother reminds us that it is not only important to take things slowly, but to be aware of the great change that occurred within us, and It helps us understand the importance of rest after childbirth through a simple but clear photograph.
Through her Facebook page called Labor of love, Laura Fry is a mother who shares information about childbirth, and who recently shared an image that has gone viral.
In it, a cardboard plate appears, with a measuring tape on it. At first glance, it might seem like an image of someone who wanted to know the extent of it, and although it is certainly an important fact of what Laura shares, it is not the main objective of the image.
It is the message that accompanies the photograph, which has made the image shared more than 14,000 times on Facebook, because it reminds us of the importance of taking things easy during quarantine:
22 centimeters or 8.6 inches. That is the exact diameter of this paper plate, better known as the fine porcelain in our house. It is also the average diameter of a placenta. After a baby is born, mothers are told to rest for four to six weeks. And there are good reasons for that!
One of those reasons is that after a baby is born, mothers are left with a wound inside their uterus, where the placenta was held. That wound will take at least four to six weeks to heal. During that time, you are still susceptible to becoming infected or having a hemorrhage.
Even if the delivery is vaginal and uncomplicated, and they feel good, women still need to take care of themselves and not try too hard during those first weeks after birth. To those mothers: rest! To your husbands, couples, parents, family, friends: let them rest! Help as much as you can and don't let them try too hard!
As one phrase says: "one week in bed, one near the bed, and 2 weeks at home."
At the end of her message she added a note clarifying that she is not a medical professional, but that she shares that as common sense advice for that respect quarantine and moms rest during that important period after delivery.
So take it easy, the body is wise and strong but also you need rest, especially after having a baby. The postpartum is to recover and slowly begin to know our new body and our new life.
