Whether your baby was born vaginally or by Caesarean, the woman's body will need to physically recover, as it does for all women who have given birth. Many women can tend to ignore their own physical needs, becoming consumed in dealing with their emotional loss, and the necessary arrangements surrounding the death of their baby.
If you are physically unwell, it is probably wise to delay any funeral service until you feel you can cope. Try to set aside time from visitors, sleep if you can, or rest if you feel you can't sleep. Remember to eat regularly, even if they are only small healthy snacks and take pain relief medication, as you need it. Learn to set your limits and ask your friends and family to respect these while you recover.
Your physical recovery will be a constant reminder of your baby, a baby that is no longer with you. Seeing yourself bleed, looking at your stitches, having your milk come in, can all be sad and painful signs, but for some women they can also be a positive recognition of their role as their baby's mother. A way of acknowledging that you have given birth.
Uterus
Bleeding
Health concerns
Contraception
Stitches
Caesarean
Milk coming in
Uterus
After the birth, the uterus mildly contracts and shrinks to return to its original size. Sometimes the contractions of the uterus for the first couple of days after the birth can be quite strong (referred to as 'afterpains'). You may need to use heat packs, or take a mild pain killer to help with these.
The height of the top of your uterus (or fundus) will be checked by your caregiver, (if you are seeing them), to make sure it is returning to its normal size. This process is called 'involution' and takes around 2 weeks for the uterus to become small enough so it can be no longer be felt above the top of pubic bone, and about 6 weeks for it to return its former size.
Bleeding