Your postpartum vaginal birth recovery timeline

How long does it take to recover after giving birth?

That’s a question you are inevitably going to ask yourself as a new mum, as you have been through an intense mental and physical process.

You may find you get advice from here, there and everywhere on healing after giving birth and how best to recover and feel yourself again. Sometimes it is useful, sometimes it can be a lot to take in.

Of course, everyone is different, but there are going to be some things that are common to most mothers in regards to healing after giving birth. Generally, you can help your recovery by eating healthily, doing some light exercise, and – if you’ve given up smoking - not taking it up again.

Also, there are specific things you can do in each of the first six weeks to help you. With that in mind, here is your postpartum recovery timeline, which gives you some idea of what to expect as you get back to yourself again. (Please note, this is advice for mums who have had a vaginal birth, rather than a c-section.)    

Postpartum recovery week 1

If you’ve had an episiotomy, or a vaginal tear while giving birth, then you will have stitches, which will eventually dissolve. You should bathe these every day to stop infection from developing and if they are becoming increasingly painful then you should tell your midwife or GP.

You will probably bleed quite heavily from your vagina at this time, so use super-absorbent sanitary towels to absorb the blood. Change your pad frequently and always be sure to wash your hands before and after the change.  Avoid using tampons until after your six-week postpartum check, as they can be an infection risk.

You may find you feel sad and/or emotional. This can be upsetting, as you want to feel happy with your new baby, but it’s perfectly normal and is due to the hormonal changes that have taken place. It’s often called the ‘baby blues’ and normally goes away in the first 14 days. Your midwife will ask you about how you are feeling and it’s important to speak about your emotions if they are concerning you.

You can start doing pelvic floor exercises as soon as possible after the birth. These help you to strengthen the muscles around your bladder, vagina and back passage, which will have been stretched during pregnancy and labour.

Postpartum recovery week 2

Vaginal bleeding should start to slow down in the second week but can continue for up to six weeks. If you are continuing to pass large clots and your vaginal bleeding shows no sign of lightening, do speak to your midwife or GP.

You probably still feel sore and tired at this time but may feel ready to try some light exercise – such as going for short walks.

If you’re breastfeeding you may notice your nipples feel sore and crack as they can get pinched against the hard palate in your baby’s mouth causing pain while breast feeding. This is often due to the baby not being correctly attached during a feed. Do speak to your midwife who will observe your baby feed and give you advice on the position and attachment of your baby to the breast. Often correcting this is all that’s needed to help the problem. Dabbing some expressed breast milk on cracked nipples can also be useful.

Remember this doesn’t happen to everyone. Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience that gives your baby the very best start in life, and many mums have no problems at all. But if you do have any problem remember there is plenty of help out there. You midwife will help you and can also give you details of local breastfeeding support groups.   

Postpartum recovery week 3

Hormonal changes after birth can lead to vaginal dryness, so it may still be some time before you want to have sex again – and you shouldn’t feel under any pressure. In fact, a recent survey showed that only around one third of women had resumed sex before 6 weeks.  If and when you are ready to have sex again, using a lubricant can help with dryness.

But at this point in your postpartum recovery it’s a good idea to think about contraception. When you start having sex again is entirely up to you, but it’s important to know that if you’re not breast feeding exclusively, you can get pregnant from as little as three weeks after giving birth, so contraception will be needed if you don’t wish to become pregnant.

Postpartum recovery week 4

By the fourth week, you’re well into your postpartum recovery timeline and may be feeling physically stronger and more able. Getting outside for a brisk walk in the fresh air with your baby and building on this as you gain more stamina is important for your physical recovery. Eating a healthy diet after the pregnancy is important, with plenty of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and protein from such sources as lean red meat, nuts, cheese and fish while avoiding unhealthy calorie- rich snacks like crisps, biscuits and fizzy drinks. Also, make sure you drink lots of water throughout the day.

However, the fourth week can also be when the lack of sleep that inevitably comes with a newborn really starts to kick in. To help get through it, try and fit in naps when your baby is asleep during the day and accept any help that is offered from family and friends so that you can take a rest.

Postpartum recovery week 5

If you are bottle feeding your baby, or are both breastfeeding and bottle feeding, the five week mark is when you may expect your first post-pregnancy period. But it may take up to a year for your periods to return if you are fully breastfeeding, with no formula offered, as the hormone that encourages your body to make breast milk can also delay your periods.

The baby blues should have subsided after the first couple of weeks. But if you’re still feeling teary and down or if you are experiencing more serious symptoms, like scary thoughts (such as harming your baby), difficulty bonding with your little one, and a lack of energy and interest in things, then you should think about contacting your GP, as they may be signs of postnatal depression^.

Postpartum recovery week 6

Six weeks after giving birth is the time when you are due your post-pregnancy check. This will be with your GP or another healthcare professional, such as a practice nurse. This is your opportunity to talk through any issues you have regarding your pregnancy and birth and for the doctor or nurse to review progress and see if there are any problems that need addressing.

It’s useful to jot down any problems you wish to discuss before the check-up so you  get the most out of your check-up:

Things to consider:

• Your mental health- if you are struggling with your mental health- do raise this with your GP so you can be supported to recover. Support can take many forms but could involve talking therapy, such as counselling, signposting you to relevant support groups, and in some cases, medication.
• Your physical health- is there any aspect of your physical health that is concerning you?

Examples include:

• Problems you had during the pregnancy or birth, for example, raised blood pressure, gestational diabetes, urinary infections
• Underlying health conditions and their management e.g. asthma, thyroid conditions
• Problems holding your urine, with leakage when you cough or laugh
• Episiotomy or vaginal tear not completely healed

• Diet and exercise- now is the time to look at your lifestyle to improve your overall health. Adopting a healthy diet and taking regular exercise is vital and your healthcare professional can give you advice
• Contraception- your choices
• Breastfeeding- any concerns

Your GP may offer to

• Check your blood pressure if it was raised during pregnancy,
• Examine your abdomen to check your womb has reduced back to normal
• Check any sutures you may have had following an episiotomy or tear
• Order blood tests, for example, if you have been anaemic or if you had gestational diabetes
• Set up an appointment for a cervical smear check-up if you missed one while you were pregnant