Postnatal Complications – What Are They?

Introduction

Your baby has just arrived and you are enjoying every moment. However, it is important to watch out for postnatal complications as they can quickly change your joy into stress. Here are some of the most common complications:

Postnatal complications

Bleeding

·        Normal bleeding and spotting are common, but it can be hard to tell the difference. If you're not sure about your postpartum bleeding, it's best to talk with a doctor or midwife.

·        How do I know if my bleeding is normal? If your discharge is red or brown and looks like blood (and not just curdled milk), then you should call your obstetrician/midwife right away because there might be serious problems. Also, knowing how much blood loss is considered normal. During pregnancy, some women may experience slight spotting throughout their last trimester; however, after giving birth and during the first few days afterwards, most women will experience more significant bleeding.

High temperature

Panic not. A slight temperature is normal, and can even be a sign of your body recovering from birth. If it does go up (you feel hotter than usual or have chills), check for a fever with a thermometer—you should be around 37°C (98.6°F). If it's hot enough for you to break out in a sweat and feel sick, call your doctor or hospital straight away—that's definitely something worth paying attention to!

But if it's just slightly higher than normal but no more than 37°C (99°F), don't worry too much: just keep an eye on it as part of your daily monitoring routine. You'll also want to pay attention if any other symptoms go along with this rise in temperature: sweating heavily; feeling dizzy; vomiting; shaking uncontrollably; being uncharacteristically tired despite having plenty of sleep... These are all signs that you may need medical treatment that day or possibly overnight admission at the hospital so they can take care of you properly and monitor any potential issues arising from giving birth right away.

Lethargy

Lethargy is a very common postnatal complication that can occur after the baby is born. Lethargy indicates an overall feeling of fatigue or tiredness, which may be accompanied by yawning and rubbing the eyes.

If your baby has been diagnosed with lethargy, there are a few possibilities as to why this might be happening. The first is that your little one hasn't eaten enough and needs more calories in order to keep their energy levels up. If you've already tried breastfeeding or bottle feeding, then try offering smaller amounts at more frequent intervals to see if this helps bring about a change in behaviour or attitude. If there's no improvement within 12 hours of trying this method, then it's time for further investigation into other possible reasons behind their lack of energy (i.e., fever).

Another possibility would be that your child has an illness such as an ear infection, cold or flu virus which could also result in them being tired all day long without any real motivation on their part - though these illnesses aren't usually serious enough to cause lethargy on their own without any other symptoms present at the same time!

Urinary infection

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra. UTIs are common in women right after giving birth and can cause fever, burning sensation when urinating, frequent need to urinate and pain in the lower abdomen. The most common type of UTI is cystitis — inflammation of the lining of the bladder. If a woman has any symptoms of a UTI she should see her doctor who will prescribe antibiotics to treat it.

Postnatal depression

Postnatal depression is a serious condition that can affect your life and the lives of your family. If you have symptoms of postnatal depression, or if there's a history of it in your family, we recommend seeing a doctor as soon as possible.

You may see signs or symptoms such as:

·        Feeling low or depressed most days for at least 2 weeks

·        Having negative thoughts about yourself, other people, life in general or even death

·        Feeling like crying all the time - especially after doing something that normally makes you happy (like having fun with friends).

Deep vein thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the legs. It’s a common complication that can be life-threatening for new mothers, but luckily there are things you can do to prevent it.

·        Make sure you move around as much as possible after the birth. Standing up and walking around increases blood flow and reduces pressure in your lower legs, which helps prevent DVT from forming.

·        Talk with your doctor about getting compression stockings or using foam pads to reduce swelling in your legs during recovery.

·        Get plenty of rest; if you’re too tired to walk around, try taking a relaxing bath instead!

Look out for the above complications

It’s important to be aware of the above complications and their symptoms, so you can seek medical help if you notice any of them.

Conclusion

After childbirth, it is important to know what signs of postnatal complications are normal for you. Speak with an obstetrician or midwife if you have any concerns about your postnatal health. Nowadays, many obstetricians also offer Postnatal programs in which they provide proper guidance to a mother related to her issues and diet and exercises etc.