Myths and Facts About Postpartum Mothers or New Mothers

Myths and Facts About Postpartum Mothers

From pregnancy to delivery, we are often bombarded with various information about pregnancy and childbirth. Some of them are not true, but have circulated in society and become myths. One of the myths that has developed is around the postpartum period. For mothers who are pregnant or have just given birth, it is very important to recognize the myths and facts surrounding the postpartum period.

The following are some postpartum myths and their medical facts:

New mothers will experience depression.
Almost all new mothers experience a mood that tends to be depressive in the early days of giving birth. This condition is called baby blues syndrome which is related to postpartum hormonal changes. Generally, baby blues syndrome only lasts a short time, namely around two weeks. Most mothers are able to get through it without difficulty as long as their family is supportive. Depression can occur if complaints persist or even get worse after four weeks. However, this condition only occurs in a small number of women who have just become mothers.
Breastfeeding makes you lose weight immediately.
Many say that mothers who breastfeed lose weight faster than those who don’t. Don’t be quick to believe this postpartum myth, because every woman’s body is different. Some mothers’ weight can drop drastically in just a few weeks or months after giving birth. Others tend to be slow and need extra effort to return to their pre-pregnancy weight. However, mothers do not need to immediately go on a diet after giving birth. In the early months, mothers actually need extra calories to support recovery and produce enough breast milk.
Not allowed to bathe or shampoo within a certain period of time.
There are many myths circulating that contact with water can cause colds, headaches and joint pain later in life. Finally, mothers who have just given birth are often prohibited from bathing or washing their hair for a certain period of time. Of course, this postpartum myth is very wrong, and even tends to be detrimental. Bathing and shampooing are necessary to make the body comfortable and clean. Apart from that, bathing and washing your hair aims to prevent skin infections and infections of surgical sutures or the birth canal.
Not allowed to leave the house before 40 days.
Mothers who have just given birth are often prohibited from leaving the house before the postpartum period is over. He said, this aims to ensure that his body truly recovers, especially after undergoing a caesarean section or a difficult normal delivery. However, in modern times like now it is often necessary to leave the house before 40 days. For example, for postpartum control mothers, or first-time control of newborn babies. Checking with a doctor or midwife is important to ensure that the condition of the mother and baby while at home is truly healthy and can adapt well.
Can’t get out of bed.
One of the myths of postpartum mothers in society is that after giving birth, mothers are required to lie continuously in bed. New mothers really need lots of rest. However, if you feel capable and comfortable enough, you should immediately move and walk. Daily activities that were usually carried out before pregnancy can be resumed gradually. This is important to avoid the risk of forming blood clots due to a less active body.
Not allowed to sleep in the morning and afternoon.
In other traditions, new mothers even have limited rest and are prohibited from sleeping in the morning or afternoon. It is said that sleeping in the morning or afternoon will cause the mother’s white blood cells to rise to the eyes and cause vision problems. This is one of the many wrong postpartum myths. In fact, after giving birth, mothers need adequate rest to recover. Moreover, mothers’ sleep at night is generally disturbed because they often breastfeed their babies.

Sleeping in the morning or taking a nap will not cause white blood cells to rise, vision problems, or other side effects. Mothers who have just given birth are actually advised to sleep whenever they can sleep (adjusting to their child’s sleep time), because mothers who take care of their own babies will be very, very sleep deprived (having to breastfeed the child every 2-3 hours, even at night). Imagine that adults should get at least 7-9 hours of sleep a day. Mothers who have just given birth will not be able to get this amount of sleep if they are not allowed to sleep in the morning and afternoon as well. Lack of sleep has many negative impacts on health, including causing fatigue, impaired concentration and memory, decreased endurance, disrupts mood and causes depression, and increases the risk of serious diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, etc.

The statement that you should not sleep in the morning after giving birth is not correct. An increase in white blood cells indicates that a germ infection is occurring in the body. Postpartum mothers can experience infections, called puerpural infections, due to several complications resulting in an increase in white blood cells, but this is not influenced by the mother’s sleep time. White blood cells increase as the body’s defense response to infection by pathogenic microorganisms in the body.

Some conditions of puerperal infection include:
1. Endometritis: infection of the uterus.
2. Myometritis: infection of the uterine muscle.
3. Parametritis: infection of the tissue around the uterus.
There are risk factors that increase a woman’s chance of experiencing postpartum infections, such as anemia, obesity, bacterial infections in the vagina, sexually transmitted infections, prolonged labor, premature rupture of membranes, or postpartum bleeding. New mothers are not prohibited from sleeping in the morning considering that the period after giving birth is quite a tiring period. Mothers also need to get short breaks so that they always feel comfortable, can produce lots of breast milk and are fit enough to care for their baby.
Not allowed to have sex during the 40 day postpartum period.
The benchmark for forty days during the postpartum period is actually related to the discharge of lochia, namely residual blood and mucus from the vagina. As long as the lochia has not finished coming out and the stitching wound in the birth canal has not healed, intimate relations during the postpartum period can increase the risk of infection in the mother. In addition, the forty-day postpartum period is considered a recovery period when the woman’s reproductive organs return to their pre-pregnancy state. This period is also an important adaptation period. New mothers will often feel tired and their mood for sex decreases. However, generally the condition will return to normal over time.
You have to wear a stagen or corset so that your stomach returns to its original shape.
In Indonesia, wearing stages or corsets is quite popular. However, there is actually no scientific evidence that using stagen will return the stomach to its pre-pregnancy shape. On the other hand, inappropriate use of stagen can make the mother feel uncomfortable. Apart from that, some of the effects that may arise are pain, itching and reddish rashes on the skin, pressure on the uterus resulting in excessive bleeding, and complications in mothers who undergo caesarean section. Therefore, this is a postpartum myth that mothers no longer need to believe.
You should not eat fish, eggs or meat during the postpartum period.
The myth is that consuming fish, eggs and meat during the postpartum period is thought to trigger itching and the discharge of fishy blood after childbirth. In fact, these foods can help the mother’s body recover after giving birth. Because they contain protein so they can repair damaged cells. So, consuming various sources of protein is mandatory for mothers after giving birth, especially if the mother previously underwent a caesarean section or had stitches in the birth canal.

During postpartum and breastfeeding, mothers need food intake with balanced nutrition to speed up the recovery of their reproductive organs while optimizing breast milk production for their babies. In fact, there are no foods that are absolutely mandatory or prohibited for mothers in this condition.
The following diet is recommended for mothers during the postpartum and breastfeeding period:
1. Drink more, at least 2.5 liters a day.
2. Eat food that is perfectly cooked and clean, don’t get into the habit of snacking carelessly.
3. Eat more foods that contain carbohydrates, protein, calcium, fiber, fatty acids, iodine, good fats, iron and other balanced nutrients so that breast milk production runs smoothly and birth scars heal more quickly.
4. Eat moderate portions but more often and more regularly.
Apart from maintaining your diet, make sure the mother also gets plenty of rest, is disciplined in maintaining the cleanliness of the mother’s intimate organs and birth scars, breastfeeds the baby regularly, calms her mind, and does not carelessly consume medicines or herbs while breastfeeding. If the mother experiences certain problems during postpartum and breastfeeding, do not delay seeing the nearest doctor directly.
Don’t drink a lot.
There are some customs that prohibit mothers who have just given birth from drinking too much. The reason is, drinking a lot is thought to make the birth canal area wet, thus interfering with healing. This myth after giving birth is actually dangerous, because it risks making new mothers become dehydrated. In fact, consuming enough water is very necessary for new mothers to support breast milk production.

These are some of the myths and facts about childbirth that we need to know. Don’t immediately believe and act on all the information you receive and consult first with a midwife or obstetrician you trust.