I wish more doctors explained it like this to their patients. Even if you had a complication-free delivery & are feeling awesome a week or two after having a baby, it is so important to rest your body before jumping back in to physical activity! The average placenta leaves an 8+ inch wound on the inside of the uterus after detaching - that’s about the size of a paper dinner plate. Your body needs 4-6 weeks to let that wound fully recover, or you increase the risk of infection or hemorrhaging.

Unfortunately, this kind of rest isn’t realistic for so many moms - lack of support, inadequate maternity leave, home dynamics, etc - but if you are lucky enough to have the luxury of taking it easy for a few weeks, please consider this.

NOTE: I am not a medical professional in any capacity. I just found this article very powerful and felt it was worth sharing. I didn’t really “get it” until reading this.

Full article:

https://www.workingmother.com/picture-dinner-plate-is-going-viral-for-illustrating-why-maternity-leave-is-so-very-crucial