Physical Symptom Severity of Women in the Early Postpartum Period

Abstract

Objective:This study was carried out to determine the severity of physical symptoms of women on the first postpartum day and postpartum fourth-sixth weeks.Methods:This descriptive and prospective study was conducted between the dates July 2017 and January 2018 in the obstetrics department of an education and research hospital in Ankara. The study was conducted with a total of 140 women volunteering to participate in the research. The data were collected by face-to-face with women on the first day of postpartum period and by phone on the fourth-sixth weeks. The data were collected with using “Descriptive Prosperities Data Collection Form” and “Postpartum Physical Symptom Severity Scale”.Results:The most common physical symptoms of women participating in the study were pain in the site of cesarean section or perineum (88.6-47.2%), insufficient sleep quality or insomnia (87.1-64.3%), back pain (49.2-45.0%) and constipation (38.6-33.6%) on first postpartum day and on the fourth-sixth weeks. The least common physical symptoms of women were urinary incontinence (3.5-4.2%), feeling cold (5.7-7.8%), and feeling cold in hands and/or feet (6.4-7.1%). The physical symptoms experienced by women who gave birth by cesarean section were more severe on postpartum first day and those who fed their baby with formula in addition to breast milk were more severe on the postpartum fourth-sixth weeks (p>0.05).Conclusion:It was found that women who had a cesarean delivery and fed their baby with formula in addition to breast milk experienced more severe physical symptoms. Therefore, nurses should provide counseling to support normal delivery and to support exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months.

Keywords

• postpartum period
• physical symptom
• birth