Q How long should postpartum care usually last to be enough? I'm planning to return to work after just three weeks. Is that too short?
A Since it takes about six weeks for the uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy state, postpartum care is recommended for at least six weeks, and commonly around 100 days. Returning after three weeks may not allow enough recovery and can lead to postpartum wind illness and chronic fatigue.
Detailed Answer
It takes about six weeks for the uterus to involute back to its pre-pregnancy size after childbirth, and when you also consider the recovery of overall stamina and the joints and ligaments, the postpartum care period is commonly regarded as \"100 days after childbirth.\" Returning to daily life or work after just three weeks, while pushing yourself, can cause strain to accumulate in an under-recovered state, leaving postpartum wind illness, chronic fatigue, and joint pain to linger.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, postpartum recovery is seen as a period of refilling the depleted qi and blood, so ample rest and step-by-step recovery are emphasized. At Dongjedang, we go through a stage of emptying out blood stasis in the early postpartum period and a subsequent stage of refilling qi and blood, and we design the care period and return timing together with you, tailored to your delivery method, stamina, and whether you have postpartum wind illness.
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