Any woman who has at least one child will confirm that giving birth is a magical experience that will impact your life forever. But just as your pregnancy is riddled with difficulties and a lot of uncomfortable situations, so will the period after period be. Postpartum depression is a term we’re all familiar with, but there are many other issues that new mothers are confronted with in the months following the birth of their baby.

The Most Common Issues and Their Remedies

But while the problems you can encounter during this time are many, there are also amazing ways to alleviate some of them that are organic and easy to do at home. Here are the five most widely-encountered postpartum issues that most women have to deal with, as well as some useful organic cures for each one.

1.      Melasma

Melasma is the medical name for dark circles. But while we’re all used to a bit of it under our eyes, after giving birth, you might experience it in other areas of the face as well. Dark spots might appear on your cheeks and around your mouth. Furthermore, lack of sleep can also lead to the aggravation of your undereye bags. They might deepen in color even more than before, which means that rejuvenating the area is crucial.

If you’ve been struggling with an accentuation of this condition after you’ve given birth, you might already be wondering what the best all natural eye cream is. There are plenty of them on the organic cosmetics market, but you can also mix your own at home.

The key ingredient is vitamin E, an irreplaceable source of brightness for your skin. By mixing the contents of five vitamin E oil capsules with half a cup of coconut oil and one teaspoon of primrose oil, then leaving the mixture in the refrigerator overnight, you will achieve an amazing DIY cream that can diminish the appearance of melasma on your face.

2.      Stretch Marks

During your pregnancy, you most likely noticed the appearance of stretch marks in areas such as your hips, abdomen, breasts, and thighs. The striations are usually reddish and are mainly caused by the skin stretching out to accommodate your baby. However, hormonal changes also contribute to their development, which is why they can be tricky to get rid of.

One amazing natural remedy for stretch marks of any kind, including those you are left with postpartum, is sugar. But how come this household name is effective against stretch marks? Well, the secret behind its success lies in the fact that it mimics the microdermabrasion that dermatologist usually perform on stretch marks.

This is the only known way to treat stretch marks successfully. Therefore a sugar scrub can help you obtain similar results. However, do keep in mind that your stretch marks will fade slower and overall less if you use only a homemade relief.

To make this ointment, just mix in equal parts sugar and olive oil depending on the size of the affected surface, apply locally, and rub gently. For the best possible results, you can pair your homemade sugar scrub with foods that are rich in vitamin A, such as carrots, kale, eggs, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Vitamin A is one of the retinoids which make the skin look plump and youthful, so by introducing them into your diet, you will raise the quality of your epidermis.

3.      Sore Nipples

Newly breastfeeding mothers are always confronted with nipple soreness. This happens due to the baby’s suckling, but also because of hormonal changes. Many doctors will prescribe you nipple creams and ointments for this issue, but you might not want your infant putting his or her mouth around them. Still, try to keep in mind that, as long as they are recommended by a trained medical professional, such solutions are one hundred percent baby-safe.

Nevertheless, it’s understandable to want to go the natural route. The good news is that you’ve got the best raw remedy to alleviate nipple soreness right at your disposal. Your breast milk can work wonders when applied locally to the affected area and left to air dry.

Another home fix for nipple pain or soreness is a good old-fashioned warm compress. Dip a clean washcloth in warm water and leave it on your chest for two or three minutes. Do this at least ten minutes before breastfeeding to achieve the best possible results.

4.      Constipation

Even though giving birth is beautiful, all the pressure from carrying the fetus and pushing it out leads to constipation, and sometimes even hemorrhoids, in postpartum women. And when you’ve just given birth, laxatives and other medical treatments for this condition can potentially be too aggressive on your recuperating body.

The best way to naturally alleviate constipation when you’re a new mother is by drinking lemon water. According to Reader’s Digest, citric acid stimulates your digestive system and is great for flushing toxins out of your body too. To get the full benefits, simply squeeze the juice of one lemon into a glass of water each morning.

On top of that, lemon water is beneficial for breastfeeding mothers. A few glasses of the stuff keep you hydrated, which improves the quality of your breast milk. But more than that, just how this drink is helping with your digestive health, so will it help with that of your baby as well.

5.      Acne

During pregnancy, your body produces a whole lot more progesterone to maintain your uterine lining healthy. While this is great news for the development of your baby, it will damage your skin. More progesterone means oilier skin with excessive sebum secretion, which leads to clogged pores, breakouts and even acne.

Unfortunately, pregnancy pimples stay with you even after you’ve given birth. And because most medicine for it is very rough, it’s highly unsafe to treat it in this way after you’ve given birth, and especially when you’re still breastfeeding. On top of that, your skin is more sensitive than ever during this time of your life due to intense hormonal changes, so you need to be careful what you put on it.

Luckily, there are plenty of natural remedies for acne. One of the best ones for sensitive, post-pregnancy skin is honey. You can use it by either applying a teaspoon of the stuff to the affected areas on your face and body or by mixing it in with oatmeal and making your own acne-fighting organic mask.

Other Problems That Might Appear

Unfortunately, not all of us are lucky enough to deal with postpartum issues that are treatable from the comfort of our homes using DIY organic remedies. Sometimes complications can appear after giving birth, such as:

• Profuse vaginal bleeding
• Kidney infections
• Uterine infections
• Mastitis

While normal amounts of bloody, placenta-laced discharged is normal after giving birth, the real issue appears when there’s too much blood coming out, or it has been going on for more than two weeks. In the same way, any sign of fever accompanied by swelling and tenderness means that you’ve developed an infection.

After giving birth, your body is considerably weakened, and your immune system is down, which means that it becomes an easy target for bacteria and nasty pathogens. Even if you take all the precautions in the world, you might still contract an infection in your breasts or uterus.

In case this happens, stop thinking about natural cures and visit your doctor immediately. You will need antibiotic treatment, which is something you should never try to administer without medical supervision, especially now that you’re most likely breastfeeding your little one as well.

Conclusion

Being a new mother is a beautiful journey that you embark on with your little one even before giving birth. But to be able to fully enjoy it means that you also must deal with any issue that might appear along the way. Adjusting to motherhood is a big change even without all the physical problems that might ensue after childbearing.

Most of these problems have natural remedies, but your physician is also qualified to help you overcome them. You need to choose the alternative you are most comfortable, but also consider the advantages and disadvantages that each of them involves. After all, now you need to keep your baby healthy as well, not just yourself.

Nonetheless, in case of a more serious issue, such as profuse bleeding or any kind of infection, you need to visit your doctor as soon as possible. If you are experiencing any flu-like symptoms, together with tenderness or swelling in the breast or abdomen, this will require an antibiotic treatment that only a doctor is fit to prescribe.

No matter what the case is, your priority for all the years to come needs to be keeping yourself healthy and happy so that you can do the same for your baby. And to do so, you need to be wise and always make informed decisions. Good luck, mama!