How Does Childbirth Change Women Physically?
The body changes in obvious ways during pregnancy, but it doesn’t just snap back into pre-baby form after childbirth. Women may notice a variety of physical changes postpartum.
Urinary Incontinence
Women who give birth vaginally may notice some leaking when laughing or exercising.
Sore Back
Some back pain is common after an epidural, and constantly bending over to pick up a tiny human can exacerbate things.
Fatigue
Growing and birthing a human is a tough gig, and nights of uninterrupted sleep follow since newborns typically eat every two to three hours and don’t know their days from their nights right away.
Bloat
Drugs used during the labor and delivery process can cause a woman’s feet to swell for a couple of weeks postpartum. Also, the uterus grows to be about the size of a watermelon during pregnancy and takes about six weeks to shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size.
