Postpartum Care
The intensity of the birthing process can lead to some degree of bruising, swelling and discomfort, tissue trauma, and, in some cases, the need for perineum repair or suturing.
The likelihood of tearing during the birthing process is influenced by many complex factors including: long-term nutrition, hydration at the time of birth, the position of the baby, the speed of the birth, overall pelvic floor tone and health, and genetic factors related to tissue elasticity.
Some women are led to believe that her care provider plays a large role in her likelihood of tearing, and while there are certainly things that can be done to help support a mother’s perineum it is just one piece of the puzzle.
Feelings of physical discomfort can, in many cases, be relieved and healing aided with herbal and homeopathic remedies.
Some of these are:
According to Chinese Medicine, pregnancy is a heating condition, and birth journey can cause a rapid reduction in the internal heat of the mother.
Helping to warm the mother, with the use of warming herbal infusions, compresses and oils, will assist with her overall transition but particularly with her tissue repair.
Applying gentle heat to areas of need will protect the mother’s internal heat and increase circulation to the area of a soreness, swelling or laceration.
The additional circulation can best aid in the healing process. Applying ice is only recommended if the mother has extreme swelling or a hematoma (a blood blister that results from a broken blood vessel seeping under a layer of skin).