How long is the postpartum recovery period

The clinically agreed basic postpartum recovery period is 42 days, which is what we often call the puerperium period. However, for each individual, the recovery time may range from 1 month to 1 year. There is no absolute standard answer.

This 42-day period is actually based on the recovery cycle of the uterus, which starts from the size of an egg before pregnancy, is stretched by the fetus until it can hold several kilograms of child, amniotic fluid, and placenta, and then shrinks little by little back to its original size after delivery. The whole process takes about 6 weeks. This is why hospitals generally schedule the first postpartum review at 42 days, mainly to check basic indicators such as uterine involution and wound healing. Many people think that recovery is complete if there is no problem with the 42-day reexamination. Some doctors from the obstetrics and gynecology and rehabilitation departments have pointed out that 42 days is only the minimum standard. Hidden injuries to the pelvic floor muscles and rectus abdominis muscles, as well as the drop in hormone levels, often require longer time, as short as three or four months, or as long as more than half a year to fully return to the pre-pregnancy state.

I saw a typical example last year when I accompanied a relative at home for a postpartum check-up. A 23-year-old girl gave birth to a 6.5-pound baby. During the 42-day check-up, there were no problems with the uterus and lochia, and she felt no discomfort. However, after a pelvic floor muscle assessment, it was found that the muscle strength was only level 2, and she leaked urine even if she coughed with the slightest exertion. After nearly 4 months of training with a rehabilitation practitioner, the condition gradually improved. It was more than 5 months after delivery that she was able to run and jump normally. There are also people with particularly good physiques. I met a girl in a group of mothers who ran marathons all year round. She did not stop moderate exercise during pregnancy. She went for a reexamination 30 days after giving birth and all the indicators were up to standard. There was not even a finger of separation in the rectus abdominis. She resumed low-intensity running training after the confinement and suffered no sequelae.

For mothers who had a caesarean section, recovery will be even slower. After all, it is an open surgery, and the superficial wound will appear to have healed in a week or two. However, the scar on the uterus and the tissue repair in the abdominal cavity often take about half a year to grow strong. After my colleague had a caesarean section the year before, the wound proliferated and became itchy and painful every day. It took a full 10 months before the discomfort was completely gone.

In fact, there is really no need to put pressure on yourself by sticking to the 42-day standard. Just like a cold, some people will be fine in two or three days, while others will take half a month. Giving birth to a child is such a huge physiological loss. You should adjust the rhythm according to your own physical condition. Don't insist on doing heavy work or strenuous exercise too early. There is no harm in taking care of it slowly.