Pregnancy is a difficult period for the female body. First of all, the hormonal background changes, the mammary glands gradually swell, the uterus grows. It is worth noting that it can increase by about 500 times. During the postpartum period, the uterus gradually shrinks. Every woman's body is a unique mechanism. It takes a certain period of time for the uterus to shrink to its original size. There are many factors that can influence this process. In some cases, after childbirth, the uterus does not contract well. What are the reasons? How to deal with it?
Organ condition
After childbirth, the uterus is, in fact, a very large wound. Most of all, this organ is damaged precisely in the place where the placenta was fixed. Here is a large numberclogged vessels. In addition, on the inner walls of the reproductive organ there are pieces of the placenta and the fetal membrane, as well as large blood clots. With normal recovery in the first three days, the uterus is simply cleared. At this stage, extracellular proteolysis is of particular importance - dissolution with the help of proteolytic enzymes of pathogenic bacteria, as well as phagocytosis. These processes contribute to the development of a wound secret, which is also called lochia.
During the first day, the discharge is bloody. On the fourth day, lochia becomes serous-sanitary. After three weeks, they lighten up. After about a month and a half, the discharge almost completely stops. Restoration of tissues in the uterine cavity occurs within three weeks. The place where the placenta was attached takes much longer to heal. Recovery lasts until the end of the postpartum period. At this time, some changes take place in the female body. But what if the uterus does not contract after childbirth?
How long does it take for the uterus to contract?
Is it possible to determine if the uterus is contracting poorly after childbirth or is its recovery proceeding normally? First of all, you should pay special attention to the timing. Normally, uterine contraction occurs within 1.5-3 months. Most actively, the organ decreases in size during the first day. After the birth of the baby, the cervix of the uterus is about 11-12 centimeters in diameter. This allows you to enter a hand into the organ cavity to remove the remnants of the placenta. A day later, the channelis significantly reduced. As a result of this, only two fingers can be inserted into the uterine cavity, and after another day - one. The organ canal will close completely only by the end of the third week.
Does the weight of the uterus change?
The weight of the uterus is also decreasing. Immediately after birth, the body weighs about 1 kilogram. After a week, this figure decreases to 500 grams. And two later - up to 300 g. By the end of the postpartum period, the weight of the uterus is 50 grams. By this time, the organ is completely reduced to its original volumes. However, in some situations, after childbirth, the uterus does not contract well. This may be due to hypotension or atony. Both conditions are dangerous for women's he alth. Such phenomena can lead to bleeding or a number of more serious complications.
Poor uterus contraction after childbirth: causes
There are a lot of factors that influence the process of uterine contraction. This list includes:
- Heavy newborn baby weight.
- Difficulties that may arise during childbirth and during pregnancy.
- Number of fruits.
- Location of the placenta.
- The he alth status of the woman in labor and so on.
Poor uterus contraction after childbirth in those women who:
- The pregnancy was complicated, for example, accompanied by abnormalities such as nephropathy or hypertension.
- More than one fetus developed in the uterine cavity.
- The placenta was low attached.
- The fruit was quite large.
- Organismseverely emaciated.
- The labor activity was weak.
After childbirth, the uterus does not contract well in those who behave passively and practically do not move.
If the uterus doesn't contract at all…
There are situations when an organ does not contract at all. It can also be caused by many factors. The uterus does not contract if:
- During pregnancy or childbirth, it was bent.
- There was an injury to the birth canal.
- Polyhydramnios was noted during pregnancy.
- There is an inflammatory process not only of the appendages, but also of the uterus itself.
- There are benign tumors - fibromas.
- Impaired blood clotting.
In the presence of such pathologies, the uterus does not shrink after childbirth. What to do in such cases? Who to contact?
Doctor checkups
Almost immediately after giving birth, a young mother is placed on the lower abdomen with a large heating pad with ice. This allows you to stop bleeding for a while, as well as speed up the process of uterine contraction. Within a few days, doctors conduct regular examinations of women in labor. By palpation, the size and condition of the organ is determined. This allows you to determine the rate of contraction of the uterus. With such an examination, the doctor can reveal the low ability of the organ to decrease in size on its own. Its bottom with this phenomenon remains soft. If after childbirth the uterus contracts poorly, then the woman is left in the hospital. Discharge home will occur only after the doctor is convinced ofreduction of the organ in size.
Poor uterus contraction after childbirth: what to do?
If the doctor, after examining a woman, notes a very slow contraction of the uterus, then special drugs are prescribed for therapy. As a rule, it is "Oxytocin" or "Prostaglandin". Their active substances stimulate the contractile activity of the body. In addition, the gynecologist may prescribe an external massage to the woman in labor through the abdominal wall.
If the uterus has not contracted after childbirth, then it is worth putting the baby to the chest more often. Natural feeding of the baby stimulates this process. It is for this reason that many new mothers have their baby breastfed while still in the delivery room. In addition, doctors recommend moving as much as possible. If the birth was natural, then the woman can lie on her stomach. Experts even recommend sleeping on it. Due to this, the uterus contracts much faster.
A new mother should not forget about personal hygiene. After childbirth, a woman should wash herself with warm water twice a day. If there are external seams, then they must also be carefully processed. Usually, it is recommended to use a weak solution of potassium permanganate for this.
Urination and uterine contractions
Often, through the fault of a woman, the uterus does not contract well after childbirth. What to do in such cases? Regular urination affects the contractile activity of the organ. Many women in labor simply do not betray this value. In addition, many women in the process of urinationmay experience discomfort and pain that arise due to internal stitches. As a result, most women in labor try to go to the toilet as little as possible. It is not right. Urination speeds up the contraction of the uterus. Therefore, experts recommend emptying the bladder more often, despite the pain and discomfort.
If all else fails…
If the mother's uterus does not contract and the methods listed above do not help, then cleaning the organ cavity can solve the problem. There are many reasons for the development of such a phenomenon. In some cases, the uterus ceases to contract normally if more postpartum discharge has accumulated in its cavity - lochia. Also in the cavity of the organ there may be pieces of the placenta and blood clots. Often they clog the cervix.
Without cleaning the organ cavity, such accumulations can cause an inflammatory process. At the same time, it will develop not only in the uterus, but also outside it. If the cleaning did not help, then the consequences for the woman can be disastrous. To restore the uterus in size, doctors may prescribe surgery. In the worst case, surgery is performed and the organ is removed. Specialists resort to such measures in rare cases. He althy women who follow the recommendations of doctors feel good after the birth of a baby. Their uterus contracts well, and there are no problems.
Finally
NowDo you know why the uterus does not contract well after childbirth. To speed up this process, you should follow all the recommendations of experts. In special cases, the gynecologist may prescribe special medicines. Do not forget that the slow contraction of the uterus is a dangerous phenomenon for a woman in labor, which can cause serious disorders in a weakened body. In some cases, organ removal is required.
To avoid such a pathology in the future, doctors recommend that pregnant women not be lazy and not avoid small physical exertion. It is for this reason that expectant mothers should be outdoors more often. In addition, an evening walk can improve sleep. In addition, a pregnant woman can perform a special set of exercises and even swim.
