There are a lot of women that find themselves worrying about the perineal care they will receive when they are in the hospital after they had a baby. Perineal hygiene can be a very embarrassing topic for a lot of patients. Therefore, it is no wonder that so many women worry about how this area is going to be cared for if they are not able to do it on their own. That is why good CNA will always know how to properly care about such women.
Issues CNA might meet during peri care
It is very important to understand some of the issues that may arise once a woman has given birth to a baby. Once some of these issues are identified it will be a lot easier to determine how proper perineum care can decrease these issues, or at least make them more manageable. Here are some of the most common things you might see:
- Many women will have a decrease in the amount of strength they have in their pelvic floor muscles.
- There are some women that will report that their perineal was cut during the birth. Others are going to report that it was torn during the child birth.
- It is not uncommon for women to end up with hemorrhoids after they have had a baby.
- Most women will have a bloody discharge for numerous weeks after they have given birth.
Proper Peri Care
In most cases you will see that the focus of this care will be related to helping decrease the pain and swelling that has taken place in this area. Many times there will be stitches in the pereneal area and they will need to be cared for as well. During this time the nurse is going to apply cold packs to the area. He or she will also be administering pain medications if you need them. When the swelling is finally gone you will find that the nurse will apply heat to the area.
Anyone woman that has ever had a baby can tell you that it can often be difficult to get a bath right after the baby has been born. Because of this, sitz baths may be used in order to allow the patient to rest in warm water. For these types of baths a tub is placed into the toilet bowl. This makes the patient very comfortable.
When it comes to perineal hygiene you will find that some nurses are also going to give the woman a spray that can be applied to the area. This can be very effective at helping to decrease any pain that may be experienced. A foam may be applied to the area if the nurse, or the patient, is concerned that there could be some itching as the area heals.
As previously mentioned, part of effective perineum care will be related to taking care of hemorrhoids. The use of medicated pads can help reduce any pain that may be experienced. If you are willing to drink more water and eat foods with lot of fiber in them you may have better success when it comes to decreasing any pain.
The most important aspect of perineal care for women will be keeping the area clean. Any and all sanitary napkins should be changed on a regular basis. This will decrease the possibility of any infections. When the woman is finished going to the restroom it will always be very important the perineal area should be washed off with cool water. The area should be patted dry.
Always dry the area from the front to the back in order to decrease the chances of any infection. Every woman needs to be sure that she is washing her hands before and after using the restroom and changing any sanitary napkins.
Those women that receive stitches in the perneal area because of the labor will find that the stitches are going to dissolve within a few weeks. But, that does not mean that proper care should end.
In fact, it is always a good idea for this type of care to continue until the woman has seen her doctor again. Women should keep in mind that they are not to use douches, tampons or any locations on this area either until the doctor says that it is allowed.
Ask the patient to open his or her legs if they are able. If not, you will need to gently separate the legs.