Coming to terms with your new role, while learning how to care for your baby, can be overwhelming for any woman. Like just about everything else in your life, your body faces significant changes in the weeks and months following your baby's birth. In this postpartum period, which begins immediately after delivery, your body will heal from childbirth, rebuild its strength and begin to regain its pre-pregnancy shape. The more you know about what to expect, the better prepared you'll be to cope with the physical and emotional changes that come post-pregnancy. Symptoms Women may experience a wide range of postpartum problems, some more serious than others and each with its own symptoms.
Postpartum hemorrhage is the third most common cause of maternal death in childbirth.
It usually happens because the uterus fails to properly contract after the placenta has been delivered, or because of tears in the uterus, cervix or vagina. Soon after the baby and placenta have been delivered, you will be monitored to make sure the uterus is contracting as it should. If bleeding is severe, your midwife or doctor may massage your uterus to help it contract, or you may be given a synthetic hormone called oxytocin to help stimulate contractions. He or she will likely perform a pelvic exam to find the cause of the hemorrhage, and your blood may be tested for infection and anemia. If the blood loss is excessive, a blood transfusion may be recommended.