Life After Childbirth: 10 Conditions To Watch For After Giving Birth

The idea of childbirth is both wondrous and terrifying. We’ve been doing it since the dawn of man and yet for some, there is still this nebulous feeling of staring into the unknown when thinking about creating life. Some argue that the only reason we’re here at all is for the sole purpose of having more kids; evolution and genetics would have us believe that anyway.

When my wife and myself had our first (and only….so far) child, we took classes we thought would prepare us for delivering our bundle of hopes and dreams into the world. Too quickly, we realized there were all sorts of things we hadn’t heard about; conditions and complications which affect a mother after she’s given birth. I believe we could have been much better prepared had we known what to expect. Should you or someone you be thinking about having a child or already be expecting one, you need to know this information.

Postpartum Infection

Childbirth takes a whole lot out of a woman. Massive amounts of energy can be spent and the stress it puts on the body physically is heavily demanding. It’s shouldn’t be a surprise to think after giving birth, the body might be at risk of contracting an infection; either in the bladder, kidneys or uterine lining.

Endometritis is an infection of the uterine lining and is most likely to affect women who’ve either had very long labors or received a C section while in delivery. The urinary tract is also susceptible to infection, especially if the patient received an epidural or used a catheter during labor. Symptoms of these two infections include abdominal swelling, vaginal pain or discharge, fatigue, and nausea.