Experiencing certain discomforts after giving birth is considered normal and harmless, but there are certain signs that may raise the red flag when it comes to a new mom’s health and wellbeing. It’s important to know what to look out for, to prevent the preventable.
Although women have been having babies since the beginning of human history, postpartum health should never be taken for granted, for a new mom’s wellbeing, and even her life could be at stake. Life-threatening conditions that can happen after giving birth include infections, blood clots, postpartum depression, and postpartum hemorrhage to name a few.
A woman’s body goes through a lot of changes after giving birth and requires time to get back to normal. During this time, it’s not uncommon to feel various degrees of discomfort and soreness, apart from feeling tired and perhaps even cranky. While these are all completely normal, there may be other more serious issues that may be mistaken as normal. It’s always a good idea to trust your instincts if you feel that what you are experiencing isn’t normal, or could be endangering your life. Call or visit your doctor at once.
The importance of postnatal checkups
All women need postnatal care after giving birth, which is specific medical care for women who just had a baby. Go to all of your postpartum checkups, even when there is ‘nothing wrong’ with you. It is during these regular medical checkups that you can be assured that you’re recovering well from labor and birth. It’s also when your doctor can detect and treat any serious complications that may develop during this delicate period of your life.
Warning signs and telltale clues
In general, warning signs of serious health conditions include chest pain, trouble breathing, heavy bleeding, and extreme pain. If you have any of these signs or symptoms, call your provider right away. If you think your life is in danger, call emergency services (911) or go to the emergency room.
Call your doctor if you have any of these signs or symptoms:
- Indications of an infection
- A fever is higher than 100.4 F.
- Discharge, pain or redness that doesn’t go away or gets worse around a c-section incision (cut), episiotomy or perineal tear.
- Pain or burning when you urinate (pee)
- Pain in your lower back or side or needing to pee often. You may have a urinary tract infection (also called UTI), like a bladder infection called cystitis or a kidney infection called pyelonephritis.
- Red streaks on your breasts or lumps in your breast that are new and hurt. You may have a breast infection called mastitis.
- Severe pain in your lower belly indicating possible endometritis, which is an inflammation (redness or swelling) in the lining of the uterus.
- Foul-smelling vaginal discharge, another possible indication of endometritis or an infection called bacterial vaginosis (also called BV).
- Bleeding that’s heavier than your normal period or bleeding that gets worse over time. You may have postpartum hemorrhage (also called PPH), which is a serious condition that is rare but may happen up to 12 weeks after having a baby.
- Pain, swelling, redness, warmth or tenderness in your legs, especially in your calves. These may be indications of deep vein thrombosis (also called DVT), which happens when a blood clot forms deep in the body, usually in the lower leg or thigh.
- Chest pain, coughing or gasping for air. You may have a pulmonary embolism (also called PE). An embolism is a blood clot that moves from where it formed to another place in the body. When the clot moves to the lung, it’s PE, which is a medical emergency.
- A feeling of sadness or hopelessness for more than 10 days after giving birth. This may be linked to postpartum depression (also called PPD), a kind of depression some women get after having a baby. It is a medical condition that needs to be checked and treated.
Postpartum preeclampsia
Get medical attention at once if you feel any changes in your vision; or if you experience dizziness or severe headache; if you feel a sudden pain in the upper right belly or the shoulder; have trouble breathing; or if there is any swelling in the legs, hands or face. You may have postpartum preeclampsia. This is a serious condition that happens when a woman has high blood pressure and signs that some of her organs, like her kidneys and liver, may not be working normally after giving birth.
Sepsis
New moms should be aware of an extreme response to an infection called sepsis. Sepsis can be life-threatening. Call or visit your doctor if you have any of these signs or symptoms of sepsis after giving birth:
- Chills or feeling very cold
- Clammy or sweaty skin
- Rapid breathing or breathing faster than normal
- Increased heart rate
- Confusion
- Fever
- Having extreme pain or discomfort
