Question

1. Mary is a primipara who is breastfeeding. "Why am I experiencing so many painful cramps in my uterus? I thought this happens only in woman who have had babies before.

2. Marion is 1 day postpartum. "It seems like I am urinating all the time; do you think that I have a bladder infection?"

3. Alice, a primiparous, bottle-feeding woman, is concerned. She states, "My mother told me that I should be getting a drug to dry up my breasts like she got after birth. How will my breasts ever stop making milk and get back to normal?"

4. June is a primapara. "My friend who had a baby last year, said she had a flow for 6 weeks. Isn't that a long time to bleed after having a baby?"

5. Joan is a primpara, who is breastfeeding her baby. "My friend told me that I cannot gert pregnant as long as I contiue to breastfeed. This is great because I do not like to use birth control.

Answer 1

1. Painful cramps during breastfeeding is quite common. During each pregnancy the uterine muscle over - stretches.Hence, nipple stimulation during breastfeeding relases a hormone called oxytocin into the bloodstream . This hormone causes contraction and helps to get back normal uterus size.

2. During pregnancy oxytocin stretches uterine muscle and tissues which is in the pelvic floor.

After vaginal delivery, the pelvic floor remains stretched for sometime.

The combination of stretched pelvic floor and hormones causes weekened bladder lead to urinate multiple times.

3. Taking medications to prevent milk secreation is one among various options.

Without doing anything milk secretion may stop within 2 to 3 weeks.

First of all do not stimulate the breast as it induce milk secreation and the time duration varies person to person.

4. No, it is not a long time to bleed for 6 weeks after delivery.

Because, normal postpartum bleeding continues for 3 to 6 weeks as the uterus heals and return to its usual shape and size.

5. Yes, breastfeeding has been considered as one of the natural birth control measures, however, it works for the first 6 months of baby's life.