When Can I Start Doing Household Work After Delivery?

When can I start doing household work after delivery is probably not the most favorite question of new moms.

But, life goes on and sometimes we need to get back on track as soon as possible.

That’s why need answers and instructions. It’s fun to take care of the baby only, but after a while, we have the urge to grab a mop and a sponge to do some cleaning.

We don’t do it because it’s fun; we do it because we feel responsible for keeping the house clean.

Giving birth is not easy at all, and postpartum recovery should be taken more seriously. If you’re not sure when can you start doing household work after delivery, this article will help you a lot.

Being a mom motivates you to keep your house spotless, but sometimes you have to be patient and let others take care of everything.

When Can I Start Doing Household Work After Delivery?

The direct answer to the question – when can I start doing household work after delivery – doesn’t exist.

It all depends on your postpartum recovery. It also depends did you gave birth naturally or you had a C-section.

Maybe you had an episiotomy and a lot of stitches. Maybe you have a bad case of hemorrhoids and it hurts to even walk.

Just like every pregnancy is unique, every postpartum recovery is unique. Of course, there are some recommendations, but I advise you to consult with your doctor.

Your doctor knows how your delivery went and you will have the right answer if you ask for a doctor’s opinion. But, this article is here to help you, so I will try to give you some instructions that are okay in most cases.

If you had a natural delivery, without any complications, and everything is going fine, you can start doing light household work after two weeks.

Keep in mind, only light household work is allowed after two weeks. So forget about spring cleaning, floor scrubbing, or something similar.

Washing some dishes or quickly vacuuming the floor will not harm you. It takes about six weeks for your body to get back to its original state.

According to some studies, those six weeks apply to the major changes that happen during pregnancy. The body needs 6-12 months to recover fully.

If you had a C-section, you shouldn’t clean after two weeks. In this case, wait as long as possible and wait for your doctor’s approval.

After all, C-section is a surgery, and it can have many complications if you’re not careful during postpartum recovery.

It can be hard to postpone some basic things when you feel good. But, just because you feel good, doesn’t mean your body is ready for work.

This article will help you to determine how long to wait before doing some basic activities after delivery. Doing household work is not the only thing to think about.

If you don’t want to cause some complications, you have to be careful and patient during your postpartum recovery.

When Can I Do Other  Activities After Delivery?

Now that you know the answer to – when can I start doing household work after delivery, it’s time to learn when you can do other things too.

Keep in mind that all these activities are connected to natural vaginal delivery.

Walking

Walking for a short period is something you can do right after delivery. Walking is also beneficial for your recovery. It will be hard to get up but take your time. Don’t walk for too long, just take a few steps.

Light walks will help your pelvic floor muscles to recover. Your uterus and abdominal organs will also benefit from light walking.

Taking Care Of Your Baby

You can nurse your baby right away, and you can stand up to pick up your baby right away.

Avoid straining, or getting up too fast. Of course, you don’t have to get up every time, but it won’t be harmful if you do.

Take your time to move around. Many moms want to take their baby seconds after delivery when it comes to nursing or breastfeeding. Skin-to-skin contact is important for the baby and it can promote breastfeeding too.

If you have problems with breastfeeding, you can always look into some lactation drinks.

It’s also good to create a breastfeeding and pumping schedule if you’re thinking about combining these two.

If you want to breastfeed exclusively, take some time to learn more about signs of ovulation while breastfeeding, if you want to control your conception.

Taking Care Of Your Hygiene

In the past, people believed in all sorts of things. Some women believed it was forbidden to shower after the delivery because it could cause excessive bleeding.

This is just a myth. It’s perfectly fine to take a shower a few hours after delivery. Just be careful not to fall, and don’t move around too fast.

You have to take a shower. All the blood, fluids, and other things came out of you, and it would be wrong to sit in your own filth.

Use gentle products for your body. Wash your private area only with water and recommended intimate wash.

Make sure that the water stream is not too strong. The water shouldn’t be too hot or too cold. It should be warm. Warm showers are also helpful if you have problems with breastfeeding. Warmness will help with lactation.

Make sure to take a shower, not a bath. Having a bath means spending some time in a lot of warm water. This could help you to relieve some pain, but it could also increase vaginal bleeding.

Warmness can dilate blood vessels, and it’s better to avoid long baths right after delivery. A short sitz-bath shouldn’t cause any problems, but make sure to check with your doctor.

Other things like brushing your teeth, and washing your face are allowed right after delivery. When it comes to shaving, exfoliating, and waxing, don’t rush it.

These activities require a lot of body movement, so it’s better to wait a week or two before doing them.

You can shave your armpits since they’re fast and easy to finish. Also, avoid strong cosmetic products around your private area.

Even if you don’t have stitches, everything is sore and tender. You don’t want to put something on yourself that could irritate you or burn you.

Going To The Bathroom

Going to the bathroom is also something you can and should do in the first few hours after delivery.

You probably won’t be alone. The first trip to the bathroom after giving birth could be uncomfortable and weird.

Peeing is less problematic, but it could give you a burning sensation. One thing that helps a lot is pouring water on your vaginal area while you’re peeing. If you have warm water that’s even better. This will prevent burning and irritation.

There are even special bottles and irrigators for this, but any kind of container or bottle will do the work for now.

When it comes to pooping, that can be a bit tricky, especially if your hemorrhoids decided to pop out during delivery.

Peeing will happen in the first few hours, but pooping can take a few days. Your internal organs are getting back to their original place.

You just gave birth, and everything in your abdomen is a bit disrupted. Your pelvic floor also went through a trauma and your muscles down there are weakened, so it’s not weird that pooping after delivery is often a difficult task.

When it’s time to poop, avoid straining and sitting for too long. Postpartum constipation is very common, so try to drink a lot of water and eat a lot of fiber as soon as you start consuming foods and drinks.

Your first bowel movement could be painful and uncomfortable no matter what you do, but it’s something many women go through.

If you’re afraid or have been more than five days since your delivery, and you still haven’t pooped, you can consult your doctor.

Some breastfeeding-safe laxatives will help you. Another problematic situation with pooping for the first time is possible hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids can happen during pregnancy, but they can also pop out while you’re pushing the baby out. They can be big and painful, and some women find them more painful than stitches.

There are many ointments for this, and you can even ask your doctor for a prescription. It’s good to put something for hemorrhoid treatment in your hospital bag. Some home remedies for this condition are witch hazel pads, Vaseline, ice packs, and sitz-baths.

If you’re interested in natural remedies, you can always look into postpartum herbs that will speed up your postpartum recovery.

Taking A Bath

I’ve mentioned that bathing is not recommended right after delivery, but a day or two after giving birth is okay.

Sometimes your doctor will recommend a bath. It will help you to relax, and it will take away the pain for a while. Additionally, it will flush out everything, and you will feel cleaner.

Driving A Car

You can drive a car a few days after delivery, but not for too long. Driving a car doesn’t require a lot of movement or heavy lifting, but sitting for too long is not good.

So, if you need to go to the store or to visit a doctor, it’s perfectly fine to use your car.

Exercising, Household Work, Taking Care Of Kids

Light exercising, light household work, and caring for your older kids are allowed 10 to 15 days after delivery.

Just remember that I’m using the word – light. So, you can take light walks and stretch out your muscles.

You can do some easy chores around the house and make a quick breakfast for your kids. Of course, you can do other things that are similar to these.

However, avoid serious exercises, and don’t do anything for too long. Your body needs time to heal; nothing will happen if you don’t clean your house or make a fancy dinner.

Maybe you want to start exercising as soon as possible because you’re interested in weight loss. There is time for that too. You could harm yourself if you start exercising before it’s time. Don’t be the one that causes health problems for yourself.

Six Weeks Postpartum

Six weeks postpartum is a magic set of words since most people, doctors, and other healthcare experts recommend you wait for 6 weeks to get back to normal.

Your body takes a lot longer to recover completely, but this is the time you must wait before doing anything serious.

Six weeks after delivery, you can return to your normal life if your doctor didn’t tell you to wait longer. After six weeks, you can even start taking birth control.

Sometimes delivery can be complicated, and you need more time to recover. But if everything goes fine, you’re good to go after six weeks.

When Can I Start Doing Household Work After Delivery? – C-Section Edition

C-section is an abdominal surgery where a doctor delivers the baby by cutting your abdomen.

This is a major surgery, and although you don’t feel anything, C-section recovery is very difficult. Everything I’ve said about postpartum recovery after natural birth doesn’t apply to C-section recovery.

If you’re wondering – when can I start doing household work after delivery by C-section – the answer is after 30 days.

30 days after C-section delivery are the bare minimum you must wait before doing some house chores.

Many doctors advise women to wait 45 days before doing some work around the house.

If you had a C-section, the doctors would advise you to take short, slow walks to recover faster, but resting is the main part of your postpartum recovery.

You might be feeling fine, but you were cut open and everything is still sensitive. You have to keep your stitches safe, and you have to take care of your scar.

C-section scar pain is quite common and you have to be responsible during your postpartum recovery.

Many women experience sharp, stabbing pain after a C-section. All of this happens because of possible nerve damage and scar tissue. Your skin and your nerves need a few months to heal.

So, don’t rush with anything; rest for the first six weeks. C-section is easier for giving birth since you’re under anesthesia and don’t feel anything.

But it’s much harder to recover from it.

Most women need painkillers, and sometimes it’s even hard to hold your child, especially if it’s a heavier baby.

Housework after a C-section is something that should wait. Ask someone to help you if your house needs cleaning.

Postpartum Depression

Some women are struggling with their mental health after delivery, and that’s all right.

Postpartum depression is real, but you must see a professional to treat it. Doing house chores won’t help you.

It might distract you and make you feel busy, but that’s not the solution; you need to focus on getting professional help.

Your desire to move around and be useful is a positive thing, but it’s not something that will cure your postpartum depression. It takes many days, weeks, and months to deal with this condition. Just be persistent and don’t give up.

Don’t give up on finding the right doctor to help you. Try to think of this condition as something treatable, even if you feel like it will last forever.

Your mental health can affect your physical health too. Your mind controls the body. It’s essential to ask for help as soon as you notice that you’re always feeling down and sad.

If you feel guilty and misunderstood, you’re not alone. Don’t try to fix this on your own. Besides professional help, you need support from your loved ones.

Don’t be ashamed to reach out to anyone.

This is your life and you have to fight for your health. Having a baby changes you as a person, and while it’s a beautiful experience, it’s also very challenging.

Conclusion

If you’re a new mom, please don’t rush with the question – when can I start doing household work after delivery.

You have your whole life to clean. Your postpartum period is essential for your health. Many women who didn’t take time to recover had consequences later.

Your body is a miracle that created a miracle, but you have to give it time to rest and gain strength. It’s not a good idea to rush anything. Follow your doctor’s orders, and pay attention to your physical and mental health.

Be patient and you will endure this difficult period. Try to enjoy the moment with your little angel. Don’t burden yourself with things like house chores.

Your pregnancy wasn’t a small thing. You need time to heal from everything your body went through. Your health and your baby’s health are priorities.

Focus on your new family member; I am sure you will forget about cleaning your home.