Postpartum Flashcards
What is the postpartum period?
The period after childbirth
This includes the acute phase (first 6-12 hours), subacute phase (24 hours to 2-6 weeks), and delayed phase (6 weeks to 6 months postpartum and beyond).
What are the three stages of postpartum?
- Acute phase
- Subacute phase
- Delayed phase
Describe the acute phase of postpartum
First 6-12 hours post birth.
Most likely to experience conditions like eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage and certain medical emergencies during this time.
Describe the subacute phase of postpartum
24 hours after birth, lasting 2-6 weeks. Body is still changing, but less likely to experience a medical emergency.
Describe the delayed phase of postpartum
About 6 weeks postpartum until 6 months and beyond. Changes during this phase are gradual and mainly consist of muscles/tissues returning to pre-pregnancy state.
How does pregnancy and postpartum affect the cardiovascular system?
Pregnancy may have long-term
beneficial impacts: Ventricular blood volume, cardiac output and systemic resistance do not return to pre-pregnancy levels by one year postpartum.
How does pregnancy and postpartum affect hormone levels?
The rapid change in sex hormones can lead to low mood and feelings of anxiety.
(Baby blues)
What are common physical and emotional symptoms during the postpartum period?
Symptoms include low mood, anxiety, and pelvic floor dysfunction
Stress urinary incontinence is a common form of pelvic floor dysfunction affecting ~1/3 of postpartum women.
What is stress urinary incontinence?
Common postpartum health condition.
A form of pelvic floor dysfunction, with involuntary leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing
or during impact activities.
Affects ~1/3 of postpartum women.
In non-pregnant rugby players, ~40% of athletes experienced stress urinary incontinence. Most perceived this to have a negative impact on their performance. The risk more than doubled if the player had previously given birth.
What is the World Health Organization’s recommendation regarding breastfeeding?
Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.
What are some challenges postpartum athletes face?
- Coordinating breastfeeding and training schedules
- Discomfort with exercise
- Low energy availability
- Challenge training and recovery
Exercise does NOT adversely impact breastmilk quality or quantity.
True or False: Exercise adversely impacts breastmilk quality or quantity.
False.
What is the impact of lactation on calcium levels?
Calcium losses during lactation are significant, estimated to be double that of pregnancy.
How does postpartum affect bone mineral density?
Data suggests a decline in maternal bone mineral density between 3-10% during pregnancy and lactation.
Breastfeeding should stop if a significant decrease in BMD.
Typically recovers after cessation of lactation
What are the recommended dietary sources of calcium and vitamin D for postpartum athletes?
- Calcium: dairy products, almonds
- Vitamin D: fatty fish, egg yolks, fortified milk
What effect does postpartum exercise have on sleep quality?
Short, poor-quality sleep has been associated with an increased risk of diabetes, hyertension, cardiovascular
disease, and depression.
Exercise improves sleep quality.
When should women begin exercise after childbirth? How much exercise is ideal?
Right after birth, starting gradually, build back up to strengthening exercises 2/week.
Aiming for 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week.
Starting pelvic floor exercises as soon as possible, continuing daily.
How is exercise after childbirth beneficial?
Reduces depression, helps control weight, and improves fitness/ mood/ sleep/ muscle tone.
What has research found about the link between exercise and postpartum mental health?
Returning to moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) within the first 12 weeks postpartum has a nearly 40% reduction in the odds of developing depression.
How do postpartum pelvic floor exercises affect stress urinary incontinence?
Found to decrease by 37%
What are the effects of exercise during early lactation on BMD during the first year postpartum?
BMD decreased at 20 weeks postpartum after exercise intervention and later increased at a year postpartum without further exercise.
What is the impact of exercise intervention on sleep?
Exercise intervention found to increase sleep efficiency and quality after childbirth.
What is the relationship between the timing of pregnancy and athletic performance?
The ability to return and surpass previous performance levels is influenced by the age at which pregnancy occurs relative to peak performance age.
Peak performance at 31.7 years
How does exercise performance post childbirth relate to intention?
Participants who intended to return to equivalent performance levels had no statistical decrease in performance in 1-3 yrs post (compared to prepregnancy).
~56% improved performances postpregnancy
