Postpartum Care—Obesity

Obesity means having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much. The weight may come from muscle, bone, fat, and/or body water. Both terms mean that a person’s weight is greater than what’s considered healthy for his or her height.

Obesity happens over time when you eat more calories than you use. The balance between calories-in and calories-out differs for each person. Factors that might affect your weight include your genetic makeup, overeating, eating high-fat foods, and not being physically active.

Obesity increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and some cancers. If you have obesity, losing even 5 to 10 percent of your weight can delay or prevent some of these diseases. For example, that means losing 10 to 20 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

• Body mass index (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Health risks of obesity (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Obesity (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) (Medical Encyclopedia)

Also called: Post-pregnancy health

Taking home a new baby is one of the happiest times in a woman’s life. But it also presents both physical and emotional challenges.

• Get as much rest as possible. You may find that all you can do is eat, sleep, and care for your baby. And that is perfectly okay. You will have spotting or bleeding, like a menstrual period, off and on for up to six weeks.
• You might also have swelling in your legs and feet, feel constipated, have menstrual-like cramping. Even if you are not breastfeeding, you can have milk leaking from your nipples, and your breasts might feel full, tender, or uncomfortable.
• Follow your doctor’s instructions on how much activity, like climbing stairs or walking, you can do for the next few weeks.
• Doctors usually recommend that you abstain from sexual intercourse for four to six weeks after birth.

In addition to physical changes, you may feel sad or have the “baby blues.” If you are extremely sad or are unable to care for yourself or your baby, you might have a serious condition called postpartum depression.

Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health

• After vaginal delivery – in the hospital (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Losing weight after pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Vaginal delivery – discharge (Medical Encyclopedia)