Restoring belly massage after childbirth

The core function of being massaged on the abdomen by a nurse after delivery (clinically called "fundal compression") is to help the uterus contract and expel intrauterine hemorrhage and lochia. Not all mothers must press it. The pain varies from person to person. Regular operations will not damage the body. There are also mature alternatives to choose from.。

I accompanied my best friend to give birth to a baby last year. She gave birth to a chubby boy weighing 7 and a half pounds. She had just finished sewing the side incision and collapsed on the bed. She didn't even have the strength to raise her hands. Then I saw a nurse wearing gloves coming over. As soon as she put her hand on her belly, she jumped up half a height with a squeal, spilling half the bowl of brown sugar and eggs in her husband's hand. She shouted "I don't want to press, I don't want to press, can I not press?", and the whole corridor of the delivery room could be heard.

In fact, in the early years, obstetrics performed routine fundal compressions, but there was nothing that could be done - the uterus just after giving birth is like a balloon that has been held up for ten months. If the muscle fiber contraction cannot keep up after it is suddenly emptied, it is easy for blood to accumulate in the uterine cavity. In severe cases, it can cause postpartum hemorrhage, which is one of the most dangerous complications in obstetrics. In the past, there were few methods to assist in promoting uterine contractions, and the most efficient way was the nurse's manual massage. Especially during the two periods of high bleeding, 2 hours after vaginal delivery and 6 hours after cesarean section, the nurse would touch the fundus of the uterus every half an hour. If the fundus was hard to the touch, and the position of the fundus was about a finger below the umbilical cord, the amount of lochia was normal, and they would not touch you more. Only if it felt soft and soft like steamed buns, and there was little lochia discharge, would compression be needed to help squeeze out the accumulated blood.

There has been a lot of quarrel on the Internet in the past two years. Many people say that "abroad massage is not done at all in foreign countries, but domestic hospitals are just messing around." In fact, this is the difference between the two diagnosis and treatment ideas: the traditional clinical school is more risk-oriented, especially for labor that lasts more than 12 hours, multiple pregnancies, and huge babies. For pregnant women with high risk of uterine asthenia and polyhydramnios, active compression can quickly eliminate the risk of hemorrhage and minimize the probability of postpartum hemorrhage. This is why most public tertiary obstetrics departments still routinely evaluate compression. After all, safety always comes first. The comfort medical school that is gradually becoming more and more popular now places more emphasis on the mother's experience. As long as the uterine contractions are assessed to be up to standard, intravenous oxytocin infusion, low-frequency uterine massager, early baby sucking can be used to stimulate uterine contractions, or even traditional Chinese medicine acupoint pressure, abdominal hot compress and other methods can be used instead. There is no need to bear the pain of pressing. Nowadays, many private hospitals and public special-needs obstetrics departments have done this for a long time, and the effect is not bad.

A while ago, I had dinner with the head nurse of the obstetrics department, who I have known for almost ten years. She has been working in obstetrics for 22 years and has handled as many as eight thousand mothers under her care. She told me that it is no longer the era of "pressing as soon as you come up". The training in their department now requires that if you can't help it, don't press. If you really want to press, you should make it clear to the mother in advance and teach you how to use Lamaze. Breathe in. Don't tighten your stomach. The more it tightens, the more painful it will be. If the pain is severe, you can hold a pressure ball. If you really can't bear it, you can adjust the intensity. "Many pregnant women shrink into the quilt as soon as they see us walking towards the bed. In fact, it is really unnecessary. It is good if two or three out of ten people need pressure. Most people have good contractions and we can leave after we touch them."

There are also many people who worry that pressing the belly will damage the internal organs and cause uterine prolapse. They are simply overthinking this. Regular fundal compressions press the fundus of the uterus below the belly button, and the intensity is gradual. Experienced nurses are very accurate in their movements and cannot touch other internal organs at all. On the contrary, if the uterine contractions are not good and blood accumulates in the uterine cavity, affecting the involution of the uterus, it will really increase the risk of uterine prolapse.

If you are really afraid of pain, you can tell your doctor in advance when you are about to give birth that you have low pain tolerance. As long as you are not a high-risk group for postpartum hemorrhage, the doctor will usually prioritize other uterine contraction programs for you. Don’t panic when it’s your turn to press. Breathe in accordance with the nurse’s rhythm. Don’t tighten your stomach like a stone. It can really relieve most of the pain. If you can’t stand the pain, just say so. There’s no need to carry it.

Talking back to my best friend, it was assessed that her uterine contractions were okay, so I pressed it twice, and then used a low-frequency massager, and the baby was hung on the body and sucked frequently. The lochia was discharged very smoothly. When I was discharged from the hospital, the B-ultrasound of the uterine cavity was clean, and there were no problems. In fact, there is really no need to worry about this matter in advance. It is neither a sin that must be suffered nor a scourge. Everyone's situation is different, and the recovery method that suits them is the best.