How long does it take to recover after giving birth before you can go to work

In fact, there is no one-size-fits-all standard answer. Judging from clinical standards and the actual experience of most mothers, mothers who have had a natural birth can return to work after the puerperium if there are no abnormalities in the 42-day postpartum check-up and their physical strength can keep up. Mothers who have had a caesarean section need longer time to heal because of abdominal and uterine wounds. It is generally recommended to wait for at least 2 to 3 months before going to work. If they are in positions that require heavy physical labor, standing and walking for a long time, it will be postponed for another 1 to 2 months.

This is not an empty statement. Two friends around me who gave birth to babies in the same year happened to be in completely different situations, and the contrast was particularly obvious. One is an Internet content operator. She had a normal delivery. She continued to practice yoga and brisk walking during pregnancy. Her physical condition was already good. During the 42-day review, the uterine involution and pelvic floor muscle evaluation were all normal. She didn’t have to worry about the baby being carried by the elderly on both sides. She has a restless personality. I couldn't help but think and worry when I was at home. I went back to work within two weeks of the puerperium. Except for the trouble of wearing a breast pump to express milk every day at the beginning, there was nothing wrong with me. Now my baby is two and a half years old, and I don't have any of the confinement problems like low back pain or urinary leakage that everyone mentioned. Another friend had a caesarean section and was anemic during pregnancy. The wound fat also liquefied after the operation. It only took a month to change the dressing. When she was 3 months old, she could still feel the pain from the wound when she bent down to pick up a package. She is a primary school teacher and has to stand in class every day and run exercises with her baby. She delayed going back to work until almost 5 months ago, and she is recovering well now.

There are quite a lot of quarrels about this issue on the Internet now. Some people say that you must sit for a hundred days before going out to work, otherwise your whole body will hurt when you get old. Others say that as long as you are not feeling unwell, you should go back as soon as possible, otherwise you will never be able to make up for the disconnect in the workplace. In fact, both opinions have their own truths. The core criterion is never how many days others say, but your own physical feelings and the review results of a regular hospital. If the 42-day reexamination still shows that the lochia has not been cleared, the pelvic floor muscles are severely relaxed, and there is even an obvious tendency of postpartum depression, then no matter how much the company urges you and the conditions at home are average, don't insist on going back to work, otherwise you will suffer from uterine prolapse and chronic low back pain for the rest of your life. On the other hand, if you recover very well, but stay at home and you are emotionally drained due to the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and the trivial matters of raising a baby, then there is no need to wait for a hundred days before going out. Proper social interaction and rhythmic work can actually help you alleviate your postpartum emotional problems.

By the way, there is another detail that is easily overlooked. Even if you have just gone back to work after your reexamination, don’t do heavy lifting or stay up late. A while ago, I saw a mother in a postpartum recovery group who went back to work 40 days after giving birth. She happened to be on duty for three consecutive days during a company promotion, and she started leaking urine that day. She went to the hospital for almost half a year of pelvic floor muscle repair before she got better. To put it bluntly, the body that has just recovered is like a newly patched asphalt road. It looks smooth and solid, but in fact it has not completely solidified. It will definitely be easily crushed by a big truck right away. It is safest to take your time.