Ceiling Fan Usage After Delivery

Discussion in 'Pregnancy & Labor' started by Daffodil13, Jul 30, 2017.

  1. Daffodil13

    Daffodil13 Silver IL'ite

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    hi friends,

    I delivered baby boy on June 22. I basically can't sleep without fan or cooler. I am so used it. And I am from south India. According to some customs at my place both mother and baby are not allowed to stay with fan on for first 3 months so my mom is not allowing.
    I am feeling a lot of sweat esp during feeding time and also unable to sleep.

    Infact my mom told not to take much water. Asked to take less than a litre in a day but my gynec scolded and asked me to take 4 litres a day. So I am taking water.

    Are you ppl using fan during initial weeks after delivery. I mean for mother and baby? If not, does the fan really impact ? I am confused ...pls suggest
     
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  2. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Daffodil, congratulations!

    No fan or cooler for over a month.. that is tough. You need sleep, and for sleep you need a fan. Someone has to tell your mother that she is totally wrong about this one. Babies will not keep quiet if they are uncomfortable in any way due to a fan or cooler. They will let you know very clearly, very loudly, and in the middle of the night if needed.

    Of more concern is the drink less than liter of water in a day advice from your mom. Your gynec seems to be more on track.. if you aim to drink 4 liters, at least 2.5-3 will get inside, and that seems to be the average recommended. Instead of fixed amounts to drink, try to keep yourself well-hydrated. Drink some after each feeding. If urine is dark yellow or smelling strong, means you need to drink more water. Just remind yourself to drink water regularly. Have a bottle of water near you at all times.

    If your mother is helping with the care of the baby and looking after you, she means well.... be gentle but firm when you tell her that she is wrong. Maybe put it on the doctor: "Doctor said do this/that..".
     
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  3. sokanasanah

    sokanasanah IL Hall of Fame

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    OP, your mother doesn't know what she's talking about. It appears that she has ingested some silly folklore unexamined.

    Poor hydration places a lot of stress on the kidney. The effects are cumulative - meaning, although you may not see any immediate effects, it will affect your health over time (promoting the formation of kidney stones for example). It is not necessary to have a target volume for water. The optimum can vary from person to person and their level of activity. Drink water when you are thirsty and try to stay hydrated. As Rihana pointed out, the color of the urine is a reasonable indicator. Drink a couple of glasses of water when you wake up in the morning. The body loses water at night. We all wake up dehydrated. Poor hydration also accentuates the ill effects of heat.

    As for the fan, this is meaningless as well. It is not about the technology - it is about temperature and comfort. Good sleep is essential, both for you and the infant. If you feel uncomfortable, sweaty, etc., imagine the stress on the baby. Also keep in mind that the temperature baseline is not the same in all towns, houses and all seasons. December and June are not equal - even in Chennai. An old house with high ceilings and endless windows is not the same as a 'modern' apartment built to maximize square-footage for the builder, not airflow. A flat in the lower middle floors of a high-rise is not the same as a flat at the top with no tall buildings neighboring. The seaside is different from the interior. Even if the 'no fan rule' had some logic to it (I don't see any!), you cannot apply it blindly.

    Prioritize safety and comfort for you and your baby. The quality of your sleep, how well-rested and energetic you feel when you wake up should be the main criteria.

    PS: In chemistry, one has to rigorously specify the conditions for very reaction. If not, reactions are assumed to proceed under Standard (Laboratory) Temperature and Pressure. Even here, STP means different things depending on the definition you use and the agency specifying the definition! So, tell your mother that what applied to her generation, in the house she lived in, in the city she lived in, need not necessarily apply to you.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2017
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  4. Anisu

    Anisu Platinum IL'ite

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    OP,
    If the weather is too hot you may use the fan. Let it not be on high speed.

    Drinking water. Yes long ago there used to be restrictions on intake of water. But now doctors recommend minimum 3 litres of water. Please drink enough water . You may take hot water.
     
  5. poi098

    poi098 Bronze IL'ite

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    Congrats !!!! Hope you and your baby are doing super !!! What a feeling it must be to be a mommy!!

    To answer your query , Yes, even I have heard that fan should not be used. The logic was that cold air goes into your ears and head - and you might become unwell. Its too tough to live without a fan or cooler or AC nowadays and we are so used to this comfort. I have a simple suggestion - Switch on the AC \ cooler \ fan at a nominal speed and wear a scarf to cover your and your baby's head and ears. Don't sit right under the fan, sit on the side of the room where the air flow is not direct. Also let your mom know that your comfort is most important at this stage than superstitions.

    Intake of water was restricted in the olden days because peeing was painful after delivery (Vag used to hurt while peeing). Nowadays most deliveries are C section. Please listen to your doctor and DRINK MORE WATER, drinking less than 1 litre is highly dangerous - you might become dehydrated. Dehydration will make you tired , lethargic and you won't be able to produce milk!! !! Dehyderation is very dangerous for you and your baby.
     
  6. poi098

    poi098 Bronze IL'ite

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    Just because Op's mom has certain beliefs - it doesn't mean she doesn't know what she is talking about. Both the points that her mom made sense in the olden days. (Ceiling fans products cold air which goes into the ears and head and can make people sick. Peeing after delivery is painful and stresses on Vagina - hence drinking less water was told). Just because today we have made a loophole for all these "superstitions" doesn't make older women nonsensical. I would request you not to insult anyone just because they have certain beliefs that us girls today find illogical.
     
  7. blackbeauty84

    blackbeauty84 IL Hall of Fame

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    Congratulations on new arrival.
    It's uncomfortable to sleep without fan or AC. Talk to your mom and keep the AC temperature between 26-28 so that it's not very cool.
    Stay hydrated and follow your doctor's advise. 1 liter is less than the minimum amount and my doctor too talked around 4 liters per day. Take your mom along when you visit doctor next time so that her concerns are cleared.
     
  8. sokanasanah

    sokanasanah IL Hall of Fame

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    I said the beliefs were silly, not OP's mum. I made an effort to point out that a practice from a certain time and place may not apply to all times and places. I did let my irritation show, but that is directed at the rigidity with which such rules with an ostensibly sensible basis are applied, not at OP's mum. I take it for granted that she is interested in the well-being of her daughter and grandchild. A resolute application of unexamined rules may mean that even as we try to do good, we achieve the opposite. Unquestioned beliefs often turn science into magic and magic into "science".

    There is no evidence that "cold air goes into the ears and head and makes people sick". Fans usually are not efficient enough to drop the ambient temperature by much. They achieve a cooling effect on the body through the evaporation of sweat. A cooler/AC is a different proposition. Some people find them comfortable, others do not.

    As for pain during urination, should the person who had the delivery decide or should it be an inflexible rule to refrain from drinking water? How much is too much? How does one decide? How does one know that the pain is related to the delivery and not an infection? If there is pain, consult a physician, ask whether cutting down on hydration is an option without consequences; keep an eye on the color of the urine which is a reasonable indicator of hydration. That's all I tried to say.

    OP is obviously not pleased with the situation. In such cases, the best approach is to find a to find a solution, preferably one that is medically valid, that applies to her, providing both safety and comfort.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2017
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  9. yellowmango

    yellowmango IL Hall of Fame

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    Op,congratulations!
    The worst thing you could do àt this time is dehydrate yourself.
    Women in olden times probably had less water because toilets were not attached to home or there were no toilets at home. Under those circumstances ,the effort it needed a new mom to go
    out to attend natures call was too much.

    Drinking less water may also lead to constipation which will put pressure in the already traumatised pelvic area.

    It does not make sense any longer.

    As for fan...unless you are living in some cold place,again, it does not make sense. Pregnancy or child birth does not change our skull structure. Air does not go into the head through the ears. If your mom is still skeptical .....tie a thin cotton cloth on your and baby's head covering the ears and switch on the fan.
     
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  10. DDream

    DDream Finest Post Winner

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    OP,
    Congrats. I can't agree with your mom. These kind of wrong beliefs still exist, especially with the amount of water to drink.

    It is most important to stay hydrated and sleep comfortable at this stage.

    Next time, take your mom with you while you visit doctor. Let doctor talk to your mom. Or just follow whatever rmakes you comfortable and healthy
     

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