Becoming a mother comes with huge physical changes. What happens after birth as you transition into your new life as a mother?
AFTERBIRTH PAIN
After you've given birth, your uterus is no longer stretched to accommodate a baby and can now begin shrinking back to pre-baby size – a process known as involution that takes four to six weeks. To do that, your uterus contracts, and this can feel like you're having period pains. Some women feel especially sharp contractions while they're breastfeeding, because the nipple stimulation during breastfeeding releases the hormone oxytocin, which both contracts breast tissue to release milk and contracts the uterus back to pre-pregnancy shape.
If you had a caesarean, you have an incision in
