Is it true that the prenatal vitamins helps the postpartum bleeding to slow down a bit???

While giving birth to a child is one of the most amazing experiences a woman can go through, it can also be one of the scariest and a time of much stress and confusion. This is primarily the result of the fact that her body is going through a tremendous amount of physical and emotional change during this period – leaving her confused and sometimes even disoriented. However, dealing with all the complications and rigors of the entire pregnancy all contribute to the entire experience and help a woman appreciate the more relaxed moments of the pregnancy cycle.

Postpartum bleeding, medically termed as lochia, is a common occurrence and is essentially the human body’s way of getting rid of the excess blood, mucus ad placental tissue that is no longer required after the delivery of the child. The entire period of lochia can last anywhere between two to six weeks. The initial blood loss during lochia is rather bright in color and – but the intensity of the color will usually die down as the amount of blood mixed in the waste reduces over the duration of lochia. While the bleeding will decrease in volume over the course of the entire process, there will be instances where the woman will notice a sudden burst – but this is simply natural and is not a sign of any complications. However, if you  experience bleeding in excess of what your heavy menstrual bleeding is like, it is best that you visit your doctor for a physical examination in order to make sure that everything is in order. Some of the other symptoms that a mother is likely to experience while suffering from postpartum bleeding includes significant weakness and frequent nausea attacks.

The right care of your body when going through lochia is essential in order for you to have no complications. If you regularly use tampons, it would be wise to switch on to sanitary pads for the time being until the entire lochia period has finished. This is primarily because of the fact that tampons have an increased potential of introducing new bacteria into the uterus – thereby causing an infection that may hamper the process of subinvolution – which is the shrinking of the uterus after the delivery. Prenatal vitamins are a good source of the essential vitamins required by your body, especially at this time when it is drained of all its energy. The vitamin intake will go some way into controlling the blood loss and be beneficial all round for your system.

Submitted by P T on March 24, 2010 at 12:49

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