KIMS Cuddles offers postnatal classes in Hyderabad, for the new mothers

27 December, 2022

Tips for dealing with postpartum vaginal discharge

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Lochia, or the vaginal discharge that a woman’s body produces following childbirth, is expected to last for a few days to weeks after delivery. After birth, the rapid flow of blood and mucus begins. For the first 2-3 days after birth, the bleeding will be severe and contain blood clots. However, after a few days, the flow will gradually decrease to spotting before stopping entirely. When the uterus recovers after a few weeks, the flow colour can change from dark red to brown, then yellowish-white. It’s an unavoidable and inevitable occurrence, and the only thing you can do is wait for it to end. It continues to decrease in volume before entirely ending. Here are a few essential tips to keep you prepared for this postpartum vaginal discharge. Pile up with sanitary napkins and replace them regularly. You’ll need big pads with a lot of absorption potential in the first few days. Maintaining strict sanitation and keeping your private parts washed will help you prevent more postpartum infections. To keep away the infections, avoid having tampons or menstrual cups. Empty the bladder regularly, even if you don’t have the urge. This will relieve you. Medications that thin the blood, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, should be avoided. Seek your doctor’s suggestion for any other medicines during lochia. Increase your iron content in your food and get enough rest. It would help to avoid heavy exercises and strenuous athletic movements. Your body is tired, and you must acknowledge what it needs. Your body will have to get rid of the excess blood and tissues if you give birth vaginally or by c-section. The rate and length of bleeding following a c-section would be the same as with natural childbirth. However, if the blood discharge is bright red within the first week of delivery and the lochia discharge increases rather than decreasing over time, you should see your doctor. *Information shared here is for general purpose. Please take doctors’ advice before making any decision.

26 November, 2022

What to expect from postnatal care for you and your newborn

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A bundle of happiness just enters into your lives, and it is a blissful experience to welcome new family members. After the long mystical journey of pregnancy, feeling your baby in your hands is the beautiful moment of life. With all the changes that your body has gone through mentally and physically, getting back to normal is a time-consuming process. Both your baby and you require immense attention post-delivery. Meanwhile, adjusting to everyday life after baby birth has its own challenges. Knowing a few details about the postnatal period care will help you better in coping up with the new changes. Here are a few things to expect from postnatal care for your newborn and you for a healthy and happy recovery and growth! Adjusting to motherhood With all the changes and emotions you witness, the major one to entitle is motherhood. Especially for the first time moms, handling those little bundles of happiness is the whole new magic. As your baby needs to be fed and changed often, you may experience sleepless nights and tiring long days. It can be frustrating and irksome. But do not worry, it will eventually fall into a routine. Understanding the baby needs Although the baby’s sleep for most of the time in initial days, they still communicate their needs. However, we never really know when they will go hungry or when they will wake up. It might be very alarming and laborious to understand the cycle. Set a routine and do not hesitate to seek support from your family to attend the baby needs. Immediate signs to recognise for newborn There are certainly some signs which are hazardous to your baby’s health and requires immediate care. Notice your newborn every few minutes and hours. A small change might lead to a larger complication.Do not wait to consult a doctor if the baby exhibits any of the following signs, day or night: Moderate or high fever or feels cold than usual. Difficulty in breathing Bleeding at any part of the body Yellow palms and soles of feet’ Not feeding or diarrhoea. Coping with body changes Apart from the regular round-the-clock routine, it is important to understand and listen to your body needs as well. Mother’s body undergoes a lot of changes and requires enough coping time to adjust to the changes. From the stretch marks to skin glow, your body tends to exhibit a lot of changes. Mothers’ mental health Soon after giving birth, nearly 80 per cent of all the mothers experience a depressing emotional phase. Dropping of high levels of hormones can be one of the major reasons for the sudden change. Alongside, sleep deprivation and life transition of becoming a parent can overwhelm in the early days. Usually, these symptoms subside within a few weeks. If not, seeking medical health is highly necessary. Tips to make postpartum recovery easy Choose your hospital carefully who would regard your prenatal and postnatal care with all professional and immediate response. Know your body and stay hydrated. Do not overtire yourself without the factor of rest at all. Right nutrition plays a key role. Not just to your baby, take some healthy snack every time you feed your newborn. Remember to help yourself and reflect on what you are doing and how you are feeling. Take time for yourself to recharge your tired batteries; you require it the most. Record your thoughts and changes and share them with your family and friends. Any additional emotional and physical changes after birth will slowly improve. Don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor regarding any concerns!!*Information shared here is for general purpose. Please take doctors’ advice before taking any decision.

21 October, 2021

Post Menopausal Bleeding

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What is post-menopausal bleeding? When the monthly periods stop for 12 months we call it menopause. Any bleeding that happens after that is called post-menopausal bleeding. Is it normal to have bleeding after menopause? It is never normal to have bleeding after menopause. Even if it is spotting, or slight smearing of blood on pad or happened only once or no pain it is still not normal and you should not ignore. Is it cancer? All women who have post-menopausal bleeding will not have cancer. Only less than 10% women might have cancer. Rest of 90% might have simple reasons for bleeding. What can be the reasons for the post-menopausal bleeding? Most common reason will be dryness of vagina also known as atrophy. Other reasons might include small growths or polyps, infection of cervix or vagina, or use of hormone replacement pills. Less commonly there can be cancer of uterus or cervix or vagina. What should I do when I notice post-menopausal bleeding? Whenever you notice post-menopausal bleeding make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible instead of postponing or observing for repetition. What will happen at doctor’s visit? When you visit the doctor will complaints of post-menopausal bleeding the doctor will take history of all your medical problems and check you which might involve internal check. If you are due for Pap smear or never had that done before Pap smear will be done which is twisting of soft brush at cervix – that is mouth of the uterus. You will be advised ultrasound scan to check for any growths inside the uterus or abnormal thickness of uterine lining and also to rule out ovarian cysts. You will be advised to have a biopsy of the lining of the uterus if it is looking thick. It is generally done in the outpatient department itself and you will not need anesthesia. It is well tolerated and a simple procedure. You might experience some crampy pain while biopsy is being taken. The reports will be available in a week and you will be called to discuss the reports. If biopsy is not tolerated or insufficient or if you are taking a pill for breast cancer you will need a camera test called hysteroscopy. A small camera is passed inside the uterus to check the lining. It can be done as outpatient or in operation theatre under anaesthesia. Even if you need anaesthesia it is a small procedure and you will be discharged on same day of the procedure. What are the treatment options? If biopsy and all examination reports are normal you will be reassured and no follow up will be needed unless the problem repeats. If there is uterine cancer identified you will need surgery to remove the uterus and ovaries. Remember the uterine cancers are detected early so there is very good cure possible. If vaginal dryness is the cause – you will be given hormone cream to help. If any infections identified you will be suggested appropriate antibiotics. If small polyps are the reason the polyps can be removed and sent for biopsy. If lining is thick but no cancer within then progesterone pills or coil will be suggested. Overall the treatment depends on the cause of the postmenopausal bleeding.

18 August, 2021

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH)

Authored By: Dr. K. Shilpi Reddy

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is heavy bleeding after giving birth. It’s a serious but rare condition. It usually happens on first day of giving birth, but it can happen anytime upto 12 weeks after having a baby. Research shows upto 5 in 100 women who have a baby can land up in PPH. Losing some blood is normal after giving birth. Women usually lose about 500 ml during vaginal birth or about 1,000 ml after a cesarean birth (also called c-section). In PPH, Blood loss is much more leading to a dangerous situation. PPH can cause a severe alteration in the vitals. If not treated immediately, this will cause to shock and death. WHAT CAUSES POSTPARTUM HEMORRHAGE? After delivery of baby, the uterus contracts pushing out the placenta. After the placenta is delivered, these contractions puts pressure on the bleeding vessels at the placental attachment site. If the uterus doesn’t contract strongly enough, these blood vessels bleed freely. Small pieces of the placenta attached can also lead to bleeding. Conditions that affect the uterus Uterine atony. This is the foremost common cause of PPH. It is the condition when the muscles in your uterus remains relaxed after birth. It usually happens if uterus is stretched or enlarged from giving birth to twins or a large baby. It also can happen if you’ve already had several children, you’re in labor for a long time or you have too much amniotic fluid (fluid that surrounds your baby). Uterine inversion. This is a rare condition when the uterus turns inside out after delivery of the baby with or without placenta. Uterine rupture. This is when the uterus tears during the process of labor. It happens rarely. It may happen in cases of scared uterus from previous surgeries on the uterus. Conditions that affect the placenta Placental abruption. Placenta separates partially or completely before birth. Placenta accreta, placenta increta or placenta percreta- Placenta do not separate after delivery as it has grown deep into the uterine wall. Placenta previa– Placenta lie over cervix in the lower segment of the uterus which do not contract after delivery. Retained placenta- Placenta is not delivered within 30-60minutes of delivery. Sometimes even after placental delivery, a small part can be left in the uterus leading to PPH. Conditions during labor and birth Having a c-section Getting general anesthesia. Usually needed only in cases of emergency c-section. It can cause uterine relaxation. Taking medicines to induce labor. Taking medicines to stop or prevent preterm labor. If you have preterm labor, your doctor may give you medicines called tocolytics to slow or stop contractions. Tearing (also called lacerations). This may happen if a part of vagina or cervix are cut or torn during birth. This can happen following birth of a large baby, your baby is born through the birth canal too quickly or you have an episiotomy that tears. Tearing also can happen if your doctor have to use forceps or a vacuum, to help move your baby through the birth canal during birth. A quick labor or prolong labor. Labor is different for every woman. Other conditions Clotting disorders, like von Willebrand disease or disseminated intravascular coagulation (also called DIC). -can increase your risk of forming a hematoma. Infection, like chorioamnionitis.-infection of the placenta and amniotic fluid. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (also called ICP). It can alter clotting mechanism. Obesity. Preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. These are conditions with high blood pressure in pregnant women. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PPH? Each woman may experience symptoms differently but most common are: uncontrolled bleeding decreased blood pressure increased heart rate decrease in the red blood cell count. swelling and pain in the vaginal and perineal area DIAGNOSIS Your doctor may use these tests to see if you have PPH or try to find the cause for PPH: Blood tests for clotting factors. Hematocrit – It checks the percent of your blood (called whole blood) that’s made up of red blood cells. Bleeding can cause a low hematocrit. Blood loss measurement – To evaluate the blood loss, your doctor may weigh or count the number of pads and sponges used to soak up the blood. Pelvic exam – For tears and haematomas. Physical exam – For your vitals. Ultrasound– to check for problems with the placenta or uterus. TREATMENT It depends on what’s causing your bleeding. The aim is to find and stop the cause of the bleeding as soon as possible. It may include: Getting fluids, medicine (like Pitocin) or having a blood transfusion – to maintain the blood volume lost in PPH. Examination of the uterus and other pelvic tissues, the vagina, and the vulva to look for areas that may need repair Bakri balloon or a Foley catheter to put pressure on the bleeding area inside the uterus. Surgery, like a hysterectomy or a laparotomy. It is the last resort when other treatments are not working. Laprotomy is needed to find out the cause of bleeding and hysterectomy is done when uterus fails to contract inspite of all measures or is torn beyond repair. Massaging the uterus by hand. Help to contract the uterus. Getting oxygen by mask Removing any remaining pieces of the placenta from the uterus. Embolization of the blood vessels of the uterus. It’s used in special cases and may prevent a hysterectomy. Taking extra iron supplements along with a prenatal vitamin. COMPLICATIONS Mild PPH can lead to anemia, but severe PPH can lead to serious consequences like shock or even Death.

05 July, 2021

Know how post-pregnancy belly wrap helps you.

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The phase of pregnancy and giving birth to your baby are the most precious moments of your life. Your body has taken all the burden of growing a new being inside of you. And it has gone through tremendous changes throughout your pregnancy. Getting back to normal will take certain amounts of time post-delivery. Your body will require your attention and care during the process. One of the most important and overly challenging parts of the transformation process is the belly and stomach stretch. They stretch predominantly to accommodate the space for your baby. Post the delivery process, all the cells along the abdominal wall try to shrink back. But the push and the ordeal is not easy for your body to handle. A little push from your end might help the cells garner energy. No wonder belly wrapping is seen and followed for ages to support the mother’s body after delivery. How does belly wrap work? Wrapping a material (typically fabric) around your midsection is described as belly wrapping. The material is generally firmly wrapped around your abdomen or stomach to give support and maintain it in place. This might be beneficial since your body will continue to change after you give birth, and having someone to support you can help your body heal correctly. Today, belly wrapping can range from conventional fabric lengths to postpartum girdles constructed from various materials (can be picked based on the material). Belly wrapping in C-sections Many believe that belly wrapping cannot be performed or used in C-section deliveries. As the cesarian involve cuts in the abdomen, many assume that belly wrap will cause pain or harm. But, belly wrapping, on the other hand, helps to ensure that your incision heals properly. Women who have had a C-section may experience a longer and more painful recovery than those who have had a vaginal delivery. However, having belly wrap will help you fasten the process and ensure a safe recovery. What to avoid during belly wrapping? While post-pregnancy belly wrapping is followed from ancient times, some common misconceptions are held against it. You must check out the following list and avoid them during your belly wrap plan. Do not wear them too tight The grandmothers in the family and your relatives might suggest you have your belly wrap as tight as possible. Belly binding helps your body heal by gently holding your abdomen in place and providing support for your core and pelvic floor. You need not make it tight and discomfort yourself during your recovery phase. Notice the difficulty breathing If you are wrapping your belly and facing some breathing issues, then it is the effect of your tight binding. You might overlook the tight-binding as you might feel like jello for the first few days. But, difficult breathing is a sign which signals you to loosen the grip. Notice your body signals and follow accordingly before any damage occurs. Recovery following delivery is a long process, but there are certain things you can do to aid your body along the way. While there are certain safety precautions to take, postpartum belly binding is a fantastic way to help your body heal. It’s also simple to include into your everyday routine, whether you’re recovering in the hospital or at home!!

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