Postpartum Care (Vaginal Birth) When The Baby Will Be Adopted or Placed in Foster Care: Care Instructions
Overview
After you give birth, your body will slowly heal in the next few weeks. Take good care of yourself by eating well and getting enough rest as your body recovers.
You may feel many different emotions during this time. Changes in your hormones can shift your mood quickly. You may find that it helps to talk to family, friends, or a counsellor about your feelings.
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse advice line (811 in most provinces and territories) if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.
How can you care for yourself at home?
Taking care of your body
- Use pads instead of tampons for vaginal bleeding. Bleeding may last 2 to 4 weeks or longer.
- Ask your doctor or midwife if you can take an over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve), to ease cramps. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
- Ease soreness of hemorrhoids and the area between your vagina and rectum with ice compresses or witch hazel pads.
- Ease constipation by drinking lots of fluid and eating high-fibre foods. Ask your doctor or midwife about over-the-counter stool softeners.
- Cleanse yourself with a gentle squeeze of warm water from a bottle instead of wiping with toilet paper.
- Sit in several centimetres of warm water (sitz bath) several times a day.
- Talk to your doctor or midwife about how to ease discomfort from your milk coming in. It can take days to a few weeks for your milk to dry up.
- Wait until you are healed (about 4 to 6 weeks) before you have sex. Ask your doctor or midwife when it is okay for you to have sex.
Taking care of your emotional health
- You may feel many different emotions about placing a child for adoption or having a child placed in foster care. It may help to talk with someone you trust, such as a counsellor, a social worker, a family member, or a friend.
- Rest whenever you can. Being tired makes it harder to handle your emotions.
When should you call for help?
Share this information with your partner, family, or a friend. They can help you watch for warning signs.
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You have thoughts of harming yourself or another person.
- You passed out (lost consciousness).
- You have chest pain, are short of breath, or cough up blood.
- You have a seizure.
Call your doctor, midwife, or nurse advice line now or seek immediate medical care if:
- You have signs of hemorrhage (too much bleeding), such as:
- Heavy vaginal bleeding. This means that you are soaking through one or more pads in an hour. Or you pass blood clots bigger than an egg.
- Feeling dizzy or light-headed, or you feel like you may faint.
- Feeling so tired or weak that you cannot do your usual activities.
- A fast or irregular heartbeat.
- New or worse belly pain.
- You have signs of infection, such as:
- A fever.
- Vaginal discharge that smells bad.
- New or worse belly pain.
- You have symptoms of a blood clot in your leg (called a deep vein thrombosis), such as:
- Pain in the calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.
- Redness and swelling in your leg or groin.
- You have signs of preeclampsia, such as:
- Sudden swelling of your face, hands, or feet.
- New vision problems (such as dimness, blurring, or seeing spots).
- A severe headache.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor, midwife, or nurse advice line if:
- Your vaginal bleeding isn't decreasing.
- You feel sad, anxious, or hopeless for more than a few days.
- You are having problems with your breasts.
Adaptation Date: 12/13/2023
Adapted By: Alberta Health Services
Adaptation Reviewed By: Alberta Health Services
