Abstract
In this paper, I will describe a mother’s typical adjustment after giving birth and I will highlight the hormonal changes that affect both the first child mothers and experienced mothers. This paper aims to discuss how they feel and the complications that might occur to the new mothers especially when one carries a child that was conceived through a rape case scenario.
Postpartum
This is the time duration of about six weeks and it starts when a child is born. In another word, postnatal is the period that follows when a woman gives birth. This is the time when there are great hormonal changes due to the withdrawal of cytotoxin hormone and the induction of lactogenic hormone. During this period the uterus size starts returning to normal but there is post-partum vaginal discharge. The discharge contains tissue debris such as blood, placental tissue, and mucus. This is what gives women more stress.
Introduction
Several factors are associated with childbirth depending on the conditions and the effect of hormonal change. In the first case, a woman must be ready to adapt to hormonal changes and effects. When a woman is about to give birth the progesterone hormone is withdrawn and the cytotoxin hormone takes place to induce labor pain and contraction of endometrial muscles and this is followed by the lactogenic hormone. Due to this, there are some new exposure and experience to the mother such as post-partum vaginal discharge. Again women having birth for the first time might encounter more problems than experienced women. For example, if a child was conceived without the mother’s knowledge, especially in case of a rape (Roger, 2008).
Discussion
In the first case, the most typical adjustment to the mother concerns adaptation to postpartum stress. This difficulty or the stress is caused by the hormonal changes that occur after birth, the vaginal discharge that occurs after birth, the wound that is left after caesarian delivery, and other effects that follow after birth such as giving birth to deformed children. This adjustment differs accordingly depending on the experience of childbearing, the process of child delivery, and how the pregnancy was conceived together with the physical fitness of the newborn baby.
Women bearing a child for the first time have great problems because they encounter new things that they are not used to. For example, the new mother lacks comfort from before due to lack of sleep as she tries to breastfeed the newborn baby. Other factors include difficulties when breastfeeding the baby especially when the mother had caesarian delivery whereby she is nursing both the baby and the wound. The mother should adjust to such mishaps. Another adjustment that a woman should be ready to undergo is to overcome the remarkable hormonal changes that result due to birth. The woman should adjust to medical complications caused by either the mother or the newborn baby.
The woman should adjust to some of the most common problems such as uneasiness and nervousness that were caused by labor pain, out of control crying, exhaustion due to delayed birth orcs, lack of desire for food and sleep disturbances, poor concentration, and concentrated care to the newborn baby are some of the conditions that require adjustment. Again, a woman giving birth to a child that she did not want also increases the chances of getting more stress. This happens to a mother who gives birth to a child that was conceived through a rape case. All these effects need the woman to adjust accordingly and adapt to the new way of living with her child because when she sees the child she sees the image of her assaulter (Charles H. Zenoah, 2000).
If the mother would not adjust and accept the changes, there follow postpartum problems that cause severe effects such as depression and if these problems are not addressed they can result in postnatal psychosis. If a woman does not adjust to these problems she needs special attention from a specialist who would provide psychotherapy.
Conclusion
Childbearing is a deadly process and very demanding but after birth, the reward is very passionate to the mother if she adjusts accordingly. Mothers prefer giving the best to their newborns, therefore the parenting motif starts during pregnancy and what follows the postpartum. Therefore, women should be ready to adjust by being considerate and being able to distinguish the array of pre and postpartum effects and symptoms. This is because some mothers experience signs not only after the time of partition but also during pregnancy. Some of these conditions may lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. Therefore it is advisable to get help if one cannot adjust to the changes to make a massive difference in parenting life.
Reference
A journal on the care giving and help seeking by mothers of infants Public Health Nursing 17:4, 273–279.
Charles H. Zenoah (2000) Psychotherapy after postpartum, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Mary Meinzinger, Roger (2008) paralegal and childbearing, Miller, New York.
Pregnancy, postpartum effects and adjustment, 2008, Web.