About Postpartum Care
Why is Postpartum Care Important?
Immediately after childbirth is the time when our body's metabolism, which had slowed down during pregnancy, becomes most active. Within a week after giving birth, hormonal changes trigger milk production, and the mother's body undergoes many changes to return to its original state. During this time, it is easy for problems to occur in the mother's body. Therefore, the mother needs rest, and an adjustment period is necessary for everyone, not just the mother, to ensure the health of both the mother and the baby.
Historically, women's health during pregnancy and childbirth focused mainly on physical aspects. However, as women's societal roles have expanded, the perception of "maternal health" has evolved to include "family health and social health." The concept of postpartum care has shifted from mere "rest" to comprehensive "management" to prevent and treat postpartum complications, recognizing "postpartum sequelae" as diseases.
Postpartum Join Pain
Postpartum pains include symptoms like joint pain, tingling, numbness, and abnormal sensations after childbirth.
After childbirth, the bones of the entire body open, the joints, including the pelvis, loosen, and blood circulation drops after postpartum bleeding, leading to anemia. The functions of the internal organs weaken, leaving the mother exhausted. If the body is not properly cared for during this time, the risk of suffering from postpartum wind syndrome (sanhu-pung) increases significantly. Especially in recent times, as the age of first-time mothers has increased, it is even more important to pay careful attention to postpartum care.
Postpartum Care Duration
Puerperium
The postpartum care period is commonly known to be three months (one hundred days), but the original postpartum period is defined as six to eight weeks after childbirth. The postpartum period refers to the time it takes for a woman's body, which changed during pregnancy, to return to its pre-pregnancy state. Even within the six to eight weeks, the "Samchilil" (3•7 days) is medically defined as the 3•7 (21) days after childbirth.
During this period, "lochia" is secreted as the uterine lining regenerates where the placenta detached after childbirth. This is a time when the uterus contracts and recovers, much like new life sprouting from the earth after winter in spring, marking a period of rebirth for the mother's body. It is especially important to practice proper postpartum care during this time.
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