If you’ve ever given birth to a baby or been close to someone who has, then you will know that the recovery process is not easy. A woman posted a photo depicting the placenta’s size on the Labor of Love Facebook page to explain how long it takes to recover after childbirth. The photo has now gone viral and has opened up a conversation about the need for better maternity leave in America.
It Takes Longer To Recover After Childbirth Than We Realize
The viral photo is one of a paper plate with a ruler across it to show the plate’s diameter. It turns out that a standard paper plate is the size of the average placenta. When women give birth, the placenta leaves a wound where it is attached to the uterus. Laura Fry, the woman who posted the photo, explains that this wound takes four to six weeks to heal fully. (1)

“After a baby is born, mothers are told to take it easy for at least 4-6 weeks. There are good reasons for that! One of those reasons is that after the baby is born, mothers are left with a wound on the inside of their uterus where the placenta was attached. That wound will take at least 4-6 weeks to completely heal.” she wrote. (1)
During the healing time, women are susceptible to infection and bleeding. It is critical that they rest and not push themselves too hard. Otherwise, the recovery process could take even longer. What’s worse, they could have some challenging, longer-term health complications. (1)
Why It Takes So Long To Recover From Childbirth
The postpartum period is considered to be the first six weeks after giving birth. However, many experts believe full recovery after childbirth can be up to six months. (2) They say that the female body will go through three distinct phases (2):
Phase 1- 6- 12 hours: The initial/acute phase.
This is a period of rapid change and can have any number of complications, including:
- Postpartum hemorrhage
- Uterine inversion
- Amniotic fluid embolism
- Eclampsia
Phase 2- 2-6 weeks: The Subacute postpartum period.
The body undergoes major changes, both physically and emotionally. Changes are less rapid and usually identifiable by the woman herself. This is also when postpartum depression can begin to set in.