This Is Why You Should Rest After Giving Birth

When your placenta detaches from your uterus at birth, it leaves behind an open wound roughly the size of a plate! It is from this wound that you lose nearly a tenth of your total blood volume during and after birth.

Many cultures around the world encourage a period of “lying in” after the birth of a baby to give this wound (and the rest of the body) time to fully heal. If you are doing too much too soon after birth your body will let you know – you’ll pass more bright red blood from this wound.

If his wound was on the outside of your body would you rest? Even though it can’t be seen from the outside, this is the size of the area that is left to heal on the inside of your uterus immediately after childbirth. That’s before we consider other places on the body that are sore or tense or just plain exhausted.

Make a plan while you are still pregnant to allow time for postpartum healing. Postpartum is a time of recovery and rest is a crucial ingredient in the recipe for healing. Take it seriously. Postpartum recovery matters. 

Photo credit 📷 @earthmamaorganics