Postpartum: the unexpected tsunami (First wave, the physical onslaught)

[dropcap letter="L"] The 40 weeks of gestation and physical transformation of pregnancy culminate in childbirth, which is a sudden stop, a skid, and a bodily spin. In the following 40 days, it's time to quickly sort out the mess, returning the cardiovascular, respiratory, urinary, immunological, hormonal, and reproductive systems, as well as the skin and tissues, to their proper place. There are afterpains and lochia, pain in the perineal stitches or in the surgical wound of the C-section, urine leakage, constipation, hemorrhoids, difficulty walking and even sitting, weakness, and exhaustion. In parallel, milk production begins, going through a chaotic phase until it balances with the baby's demand. Cracks appear, nipple pain, and often mastitis or abscesses. In addition, there is a new (and unknown) little person in the family who doesn't differentiate day from night, eats every 3 hours, and needs 24/7 attention, making rest impossible. Physical hardship is the first wave of the tsunami that impacts a woman's life after childbirth. But it doesn't come alone. Afterward, the emotional wave hits, as powerful or more so than the first. "I knew that the first month is very intense and that you are exhausted but, no matter how much you expect it, the maelstrom overwhelms you: too much is happening at the same time," she commentsVirginia(Amsterdam, mother at 37). The same explainsNúria(Lleida, mother at 37), who felt "overwhelmed" with the arrival of her first child. "Everything caught me by surprise. Even the not sleeping part. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep for a while, but I wasn't aware of how that would make me feel," she recalls. Physical exhaustion is a common element in the narratives, along with pain and fear. But so is overcoming. "What surprised me most was the strength and power I myself had. I was completely exhausted, but I kept going," she explains.Saskia(Eindhoven, mother at 31). As points outMireia (Lleida, mother at 33), is surprised by "the very capacity to forget the pain and worries of childbirth when those of the postpartum arrive."PAIN IN THE POSTPARTUM, AN UNEXPECTED CHALLENGE"Nobody prepares you for the pain, especially after the first postpartum," explainsMercedes(Madrid, mother at 30, 32 and 35). "Nobody talked to me in depth about the stitches, about the pain they would cause, about how to get through the first few days with that stinging." Going through a C-section does not improve the situation. ForAlex(New York, mother at 37), the worst of the first two weeks was precisely "the physical pain" after a complicated postoperative period. "That moment when my body realized it had gone through surgery, when I tried to start breastfeeding, when they removed the catheter and I had trouble urinating, in addition to the pain related to breastfeeding when things don't go as they should…wow

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, ha anunciado este jueves un nuevo paquete de ayuda militar a Ucrania por valor de 800 millones de dólares (735 millones de euros) que incluirá, por primera vez, artillería pesada, en un momento en que Rusia ha reorganizado su estrategia y se prepara para una nueva ofensiva en el este del país.

En un comunicado, Biden ha explicado que el nuevo paquete de seguridad incluye "muchos de los sistemas de armamento altamente efectivos que ya hemos proporcionado y nuevas capacidades", como sistemas de artillería, proyectiles de artillería y vehículos blindados de transporte de personal.

"También estamos continuando con la asistencia en materia de helicópteros. Y hemos aprobado la transferencia de equipos adicionales a Ucrania a través de nuestros aliados de la OTAN", ha añadido el presidente estadounidense.

Biden ha detallado que el envío de armas y equipos "se acelerará", ya que Estados Unidos "sigue facilitando" otros envíos de asistencia de seguridad a Ucrania por parte de aliados y socios de todo el mundo.

"La unidad entre Estados Unidos y nuestros aliados y socios ha sido crucial para contrarrestar la agresión rusa en Ucrania, y seguiremos en estrecha coordinación para mantener una fuerte respuesta colectiva", ha remachado.

El mandatario ha asegurado que las fuerzas ucranianas "han utilizado las armas proporcionadas por Estados Unidos con una eficacia devastadora", y ha prometido que Washington "seguirá proporcionando a Ucrania las armas y el equipo para defenderse".

El anuncio se produce después de que el Pentágono informara de que el buque de asalto anfibio ruso 'Moskva' había sido "dañado significativamente" tras una explosión, si bien las autoridades ucranianas han asegurado que fue alcanzado por dos misiles de crucero 'Neptuno'.

El 'Moskva' es el buque insignia de la Flota del Mar Negro de Rusia y, según el Ministerio de Defensa ruso, la tripulación ha sido evacuada y se está investigando la causa del incendio.

El nuevo paquete de ayuda militar eleva a más de 3.200 millones de dólares (2.940 millones de euros) el total de la asistencia de seguridad de Estados Unidos a Ucrania.

Wowis a good onomatopoeia to describe the start of lactation, which is not always as fluid as one expects.Mireiathus recalls the experience: "with the milk coming in, my breasts became hard, reddened, and very, very hot. I didn't know what was happening, I thought everything was going as it should, but a midwife friend revealed that this was not normal. My breasts were producing more milk than my son was suckling, congesting the milk ducts and causing quite intense pain." ASaskia, who experienced the same thing, would have liked to "know how the breast and lactation work during the first few days" to try to avoid those complications. Despite the effort and sacrifice involved, breastfeeding is a deeply emotional and unique experience for many women. In the case ofMireia, "time passed, milk production regulated, and everything improved. Finally, I could enjoy breastfeeding, looking with the eyes of a mother in love as my little one fed, surrounded by an enormous feeling of love and a great instinct of protection." And she adds: "pregnant with my second, I will bet on breastfeeding again." ForMercedes, "the woman's body is magical. Being able to feed a baby you've carried inside for 9 months is something only women can experience. It's like a unique power." That innate but until then unknown capacity of her own body was what most surprisedAlex"my breasts becoming a source of nourishment for my son, synchronizing with him, with the milk I am creating matching his demand… It seems very surreal to me even though it has happened to all women who have been mothers before me."FEAR OF CHILDBIRTH ECLIPSES POSTPARTUM"In childbirth preparation classes, I remember how one mother burst into tears saying that nobody explains the hardest part of the puerperium: the stitches, the hemorrhoids, the exhaustion," she recallsMercedes. In this regard,Alexpoints out: "I believe that many women are not prepared for what happens after childbirth, and that makes it a very difficult time and transition for them." Since it is an inevitably turbulent time, why do many women get caught off guard?Rosa Alzuria –mthundershealthcare at the ICS (Institut Català de la Salut) and associate professor of Nursing at the UdL (Universitat de Lleida)– assures that pregnant women are given all possible information "because information is power and knowing what and how can help activate resources beforehand." But, after more than a decade accompanying pregnant and postpartum women, she has come to a conclusion: "pregnant women are absorbed by childbirth. I believe that the fear of pain and of everything going well eclipses the postpartum period. The information is available to them, but I believe it is not their priority." They confirm it. "I think I did receive enough information," explainsVirginia– "what happens is that I didn't register it in my head. My main obsession was childbirth, I focused more on it. I think this happens to many women. It's as if the fear of childbirth nullified our ability to process information about the postpartum period."Teresa(Madrid, mother at 36) verbalizes the same thing: "In the childbirth preparation class they explain it to you, but my concern was the birth and everything else would come later." And she adds: "people told me it was hard, but maybe I needed them to tell me more clearly or in a way that would grab my attention more." Would knowing more about it have changed anything?Anna(Balaguer, mother at 29, 31 and 36) believes so: "having more information makes the process more bearable, because knowing what you are facing and visualizing it always helps to do it; not better, but with the certainty that you are doing it well, without doubts."*

*Insecurity and other postpartum emotions, protagonists of Postpartum: The Unexpected Tsunami (Second Wave, The Emotional Onslaught)

FROM MOTHER TO MOTHER (I) Aeven though right now what worries you most is childbirth, that's the easy part. Read, inform yourself, ask people... It's a tough stage with little sleep, ask for help and lean on the people around you.Teresa Give yourself time, don't exhaust your body too much during the first few weeks. It needs time

El presidente de la República, Gabriel Boric, se refirió este lunes a la conmemoración de los 50 años del golpe de Estado, que se cumplirá el próximo 11 de septiembre, y a la polémica que se ha generado en torno a la fecha.

En ese contexto, el Mandatario hizo un llamado a “no empatar las responsabilidades” y a “no falsear la historia”.

“No es aceptable que se falsee la historia, que se relativicen o se justifiquen violaciones a los derechos humanos, o que se empaten las responsabilidades entre quienes fueron víctimas y victimarios”, dijo Boric en un acto en el Palacio de La Moneda.

El jefe de Estado también se refirió a la propuesta de algunos sectores de la oposición de firmar una declaración conjunta con el oficialismo, en la que se condene el golpe de Estado y se valore la democracia.

Al respecto, Boric señaló que “no es el momento de buscar acuerdos mínimos, sino de avanzar en la construcción de una memoria compartida que nos permita mirar el futuro con esperanza”.

“No se trata de imponer una verdad oficial, sino de reconocer los hechos tal como ocurrieron, de condenar las violaciones a los derechos humanos y de valorar la democracia como el único camino para resolver nuestras diferencias”, agregó.

El Presidente Boric también hizo un llamado a la unidad y a la reflexión, y a “no caer en la tentación de la polarización y la división”.

“Chile es un país que ha sabido levantarse de sus tragedias, y estoy seguro de que esta vez no será la excepción”, concluyó.

Saskia Take the time and support you need to enjoy your baby and your family. Allow yourself the recovery you need and deserve to be the best mother possible from the start. Alex It's going to be a tough, visceral experience, and you're going to realize what the word tiredness truly means. Let yourself be helped. All of this will pass, believe me, and then you will meet the true love of your life. Núria