About regaining original weight

Regaining your originally weight may take some time and effort from your side. Most of the weight is lost within a few days of childbirth, as the excess water carried during pregnancy is flushed out as urine. Thereafter weight loss slows down, but if you continue to breastfeed your baby for more that six months, you will find that your weight in decreasing naturally. The entire process of being pregnant and childbirth is an emotional time. So it will help if you have someone to talk to about how you feel, your fears and apprehension etc. If you cannot find anyone to talk write it down, even this will help you feel better. Some maternity homes allow the new parents to go through the experience they had. Doing this helps to reduce the emotional impact for the parents.

The postpartum body

Exercising the vagina will help it regain its original shape quickly. Wounds to the uterus, perineum (the area between the vagina and anus) and vagina heal rapidly. After delivering the child, the levels of the hormone progesterone are restored to normal. Hence a number of problems related to pregnancy disappear. Heartburns vanish, varicose veins get better and constipation is reduced. Piles take a longer time to get better. During pregnancy, hormones soften the joints of the pelvis and spine, and these take time to return to normal. You can have trouble with your back for many months after delivery, so one should avoid lifting and carrying things that are very heavy. The stomach muscles that have been stretched to twice their length, regain their firmness in a few months.

What happens to the body after giving birth?

A woman's body undergoes tremendous change during pregnancy. As soon as the baby is out of womb, the body begins its physical healing process, so as to restore the body to its pre-pregnancy state. The uterus, which during pregnancy contains four-and-half liters of water, begins to reduce in size almost immediately after delivery. In about six weeks time, the uterus, reverts close to the pre-pregnancy weight of about 50g from a weight of 1000g. The lining within the uterus crumbles and is drained away as Lochia. This is the blood that is lost over a few weeks after delivery. Important organs like the heart, lung and circulatory system that were burdened during pregnancy get back to functioning normally. The vagina slowly returns to its former shape.

This gets you thinking, right?

Girls aged 15-19 are twice as likely to die from childbirthas women in their twenties; those under age 15 are five times as likely to die.

"Can a function so perilous that in spite of the best care, it kills thousands of women every year, that leaves at least a quarter of the women more or less invalided, and a majority with permanent anatomic changes of structure, that is always attended by severe pain and tearing of tissues, and that kills 3%-5% of children -- can such a function be called normal?"
-- Joseph, B. BeLee, obstetrician, quoted in Wendy Mitchinson, Giving Birth in Canada 1900-1950 (2002) Toronto Press, ISBN 0-8020-8471-0, a history of childbirth in Canada

"I believe, as a wage-earning woman, that if I make the great sacrifice of strength and health and even risk my life, to have a child, I should certainly not do so if, on some future occasion, the man can say that the child belongs to him by law and he will take it from me and I shall see it only three times a year! -- lsadora Duncan in her biography, My Life (1927)

World's Top Five Causes Of Disease Burden In Young People And Adults Ages 15-44Female: 1. Maternity 2. Sexually Transmitted Diseases 3. Tuberculosis 4. HIV Infection 5. Depression
Male: 1. HIV Infection 2. Tuberculosis 3. Motor Vehicle Injury 4. Homicide And Violence 5. War

Myth: Most women enjoy being pregnant.Fact: Some women do; some women don't, and for most, it's just not that simple. We tend not to hear as often from the women who don't. Lots of women who are happy about being pregnant and who want their babies dislike or even hate the physical pregnancy itself. And every abortion stands as testament to the fact that women are not merely containers carrying an incidental fetus that with just a little more effort and a small bit of inconvenience just could be carried to term and then given up for adoption.

wow, shocking facts

Maternal mortality is so high in the developing world (1 in 48) that it is customary for Tanzanian women about to give birth to bid farewell to their older children.-- Michele Landsberg, TORONTO STAR, Sat., Sept. 30, 2000,p. L1 "U.N. Executive Council Fights Inequality With Shocking Facts and Figures"

Pregnancy/childbirth was a leading cause of deathof American women of childbearing age at the turn of the century. It remains a leading cause of death of women in many countries in the world.

All pregnant women, by virtue of their pregnant status,face some level of maternal risk. Data suggest that around40% of all pregnant women have some complication. About 15% ... [have complications] that are potentially life-threatening.

Drastic Pregnancy Side Effects

More permanent side effects:
o future infertility
o permanent disability
o death.

Serious complications after giving birth

Less common (but serious) complications:
o peripartum cardiomyopathy
o cardiopulmonary arrest
o magnesium toxicity
o severe hypoxemia/acidosis
o massive embolism
o increased intracranial pressure, brainstem infarction
o molar pregnancy, gestational trophoblastic disease (like a pregnancy-induced cancer)
o malignant arrhythmia
o circulatory collapse
o placental abruption
o obstetric fistula

Occasional complications of pregnancies

Occasional complications and side effects:

o hyperemesis gravidarum
o temporary and permanent injury to back
o severe scarring requiring later surgery (especially after additional pregnancies)
o dropped (prolapsed) uterus (especially after additional pregnancies, and other pelvic floor weaknesses -- 11% of women, including cystocele, rectocele, and enterocele)
o pre-eclampsia (edema and hypertension, the most common complication of pregnancy, associated with eclampsia, and affecting 7 - 10% of pregnancies)
o eclampsia (convulsions, coma during pregnancy or labor, high risk of death)
o gestational diabetes
o placenta previa
o anemia (which can be life-threatening)
o thrombocytopenic purpura
o severe cramping
o embolism (blood clots)
o medical disability requiring full bed rest (frequently ordered during part of many pregnancies varying from days to months for health of either mother or baby)
o diastasis recti, also torn abdominal muscles
o mitral valve stenosis (most common cardiac complication)
o serious infection and disease (e.g. increased risk of tuberculosis)
o hormonal imbalance
o ectopic pregnancy (risk of death)
o broken bones (ribcage, "tail bone")
o hemorrhage and
o numerous other complications of delivery
o refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease
o aggravation of pre-pregnancy diseases and conditions (e.g. epilepsy is present in .5% of pregnant women, and the pregnancy alters drug metabolism and treatment prospects all the while it increases the number and frequency of seizures)
o severe post-partum depression and psychosis
o research now indicates a possible link between ovarian cancer and female fertility treatments, including "egg harvesting" from infertile women and donors
o research also now indicates correlations between lower breast cancer survival rates and proximity in time to onset of cancer of last pregnancy research also indicates a correlation between having six or more pregnancies and a risk of coronary and cardiovascular disease

Permanent side effects

Normal, expectable, or frequent PERMANENT side effects of pregnancy:
o stretch marks (worse in younger women)
o loose skin
o permanent weight gain or redistribution
o abdominal and vaginal muscle weakness
o pelvic floor disorder (occurring in as many as 35% of middle-aged former child-bearers and 50% of elderly former child-bearers, associated with urinary and rectal incontinence, discomfort and reduced quality of life)
o changes to breasts
o varicose veins
o scarring from episiotomy or c-section
o other permanent aesthetic changes to the body (all of these are downplayed by women, because the culture values youth and beauty)
o increased proclivity for hemmorhoids
o loss of dental and bone calcium (cavities and osteoporosis)

normal side effects of pregnancy

Normal, frequent or expectable temporary side effects of pregnancy:
exhaustion (weariness common from first weeks)
altered appetite and senses of taste and smell
nausea and vomiting (50% of women, first trimester)
heartburn and indigestion
constipation
weight gain
dizziness and light-headedness
bloating, swelling, fluid retention
hemmorhoids
abdominal cramps
yeast infections
congested, bloody nose
acne and mild skin disorders
skin discoloration (chloasma, face and abdomen)
mild to severe backache and strain
increased headaches
difficulty sleeping, and discomfort while sleeping
increased urination and incontinence
bleeding gums
pica
breast pain and discharge
swelling of joints, leg cramps, joint pain
difficulty sitting, standing in later pregnancy
inability to take regular medications
shortness of breath
higher blood pressure
hair loss
tendency to anemia
curtailment of ability to participate in some sports and activities
infection including from serious and potentially fatal disease(pregnant women are immune suppressed compared with non-pregnant women, andare more susceptible to fungal and certain other diseases)
extreme pain on delivery
hormonal mood changes, including normal post-partum depression
continued post-partum exhaustion and recovery period (exacerbated if a c-section -- major surgery -- is required, sometimes taking up to a full year to fully recover)

Reducing vulvodynia symptoms

They are some things that an individual can do on their own to manage the symptoms associated with Vulvodynia.
First, the individual can keep the area clean by washing with plain water. Soaps and other chemicals can make the inflamed area worse, so it is best to stay away from those things for awhile. You may also want to apply a cold compress to the area; this will help to relieve the itching and redness.
Second, if you have a history of yeast infections, make sure that you treat those right away; Vulvodynia can be a direct result of a yeast infection, so you may be able to reduce those symptoms by treating the yeast infection.
Thirdly, do not wear any tight fitting clothes, this will restrict the area and make it more difficult to move around. The area does not need any added pressure that can be cause by ill fitted clothes. Also, you should wear cotton underwear. Again you don’t want to restrict the airflow to the area, give it space to breathe.
Finally, if your symptoms don’t seem to lessen, then you should seek out medical treatments. They are definite treatments available that can reduce the pain and discomfort that an individual experiences with this ailment.

Symptoms of Vulvodynia

Many times Vulvodynia goes undiagnosed because of the absence of visible signs. Also, many women are hesitant to discuss this aliment with their doctor. However, being aware of the symptoms and signs involved with this illness will enable an individual to receive better treatment.
The most common symptom is a painful and burning sensation of the area. The type and severity of this burning sensation will be different in every woman. In some women the pain is described as being one that is stinging, or raw. The pain can be in the local area of the vulva or it can be diffused and reach out to the surrounding areas of the body, including the vagina, buttocks and thighs. The pain can be so bad, that it makes normal tasks such as walking, sitting or biking extremely difficult. The area may appear red and inflamed and a rash can also be present in the area.
Some women also experience symptoms that center on the vagina. These include dryness of the area, vaginal secretions that burn, a painful menstruation cycle, and difficulty during sexual intercourse. They are also some women who will continuous experience vaginal infections as a result of Vulvodynia.
Other symptoms include, a feeling of depression, this is associated with a change in the way an individual will view her body now. An individual may also experience a bloating feeling and discomfort and a throbbing feeling in the vulva area. The area is very sensitive and can be sore and painful to the touch.