Taking a warm bath is pleasant and a necessary condition for hygiene. The bath helps relieve stress, relax, improve mood and relieve swelling. If earlier a warm bath was strictly forbidden for newly-made mothers, now doctors are not so categorical. So when can you take a bath after the baby is born?
Is it true that you can't swim after giving birth?
In society, the stereotype has strengthened that a woman who has given birth should not take a bath until the discharge from the birth canal stops, which is 6-8 weeks after the birth of the baby.
Most gynecologists, when answering this question, say that you can completely immerse yourself in water not before the lochia stops.
This opinion is based on the risk that pathogenic bacteria will penetrate the genital tract and provoke endometritis or other ailment. Many doctors insist that stitches and small tears in the vagina are favorable conditions for the development of infections. For this reason, young mothers were recommended to take only a shower and refuse a bath until 1.5-2 months have passed since the birth.
According to recent studies, the risk of infection from bathroom water is extremely low. But warm water really reduces swelling, relieves stress and pain when stitches are applied. And even when taking a bath, the surface of the genitals is better cleaned than under the shower.
If the birth was natural
For women who have given birth naturally, doctors do not impose restrictions on taking a bath - in their opinion, this will not harm women's health. Still, there is one important nuance: the complete closure of the cervix and the restoration of its barrier function occurs only 1.5-2 months after the birth of the child. This means taking a bath and bathing carefully for the first 40 days after giving birth. At this time, you should not make the water too hot and stay in it for a long time.
It also takes time for the body's defenses to recover, so a woman may feel dizzy and even faint from steam and temperature changes. So in each case it is necessary to take into account the state of health after childbirth.
If you did a cesarean
With a cesarean section, the uterus is only superficially affected, but there are no ruptures or any changes from the side of the vagina, and an open wound does not form at the birth site. When deciding whether to take a bath or not, the condition of the seam should be assessed - whether it is completely healed, whether a non-healing, weeping wound appears. If everything is in order with the seam after the cesarean, it heals normally, then you can swim in warm water, but only for a short time.
How to take a bath for a young mother?
When planning to take a bath for the first time after giving birth, a woman should consider a number of recommendations:
- The bathtub must be washed well so that pathogenic bacteria do not remain in it.
- Water should not be made very hot - optimally 36-37 degrees, and more than 40 degrees is unacceptable (because bleeding may occur due to blood flow to the pelvic organs).
- Do not add salt, foam, or any flavoring.
- Care should be taken when getting into the bath - if postpartum weakness and fatigue are still present, you may feel dizzy. It is better to ask for help from loved ones.
- The optimal bath time is 15-20 minutes, but it is better to start with 10 minutes. If everything is in order, you can swim longer next time.
- You can not lower your breast into water - this is fraught with a rush of milk and its stagnation.
- It is useful to add decoctions from the string, sage, chamomile, in which the child is bathed, to the bath. These are natural antiseptics that also speed up wound healing.
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What women say
- Women who have gone through childbirth also have different opinions on this matter. Some argue that they took a bath already in the first day after discharge and nothing terrible happened.
- Others say that it is necessary to insert a tampon before water procedures and then there is nothing to be afraid of. However, doctors assure that this personal hygiene product should also not be used for several months after giving birth.
- Still others say that they did not take a bath for a very long time after giving birth. The thing is, they simply did not have time for this.
Difficult childbirth, the presence of tears and stitches are not absolute contraindications for a warm relaxing bath. Nevertheless, when it can be taken after the birth of a child, it is necessary to consult a doctor so as not to inadvertently harm your health.
P.S. The ideal situation would be when, before taking water procedures, the mother will visit the gynecologist, who, after the examination, will give his permission.
