postpartum tips
Planning and preparing for postpartum is probably one of the most important things you can do for your future self and family once you become pregnant. I believe that with proper education and planning, postpartum can be beautiful. It’s a delicate time and should be respected. Being as prepared as you can be can make all the difference. As a birth doula, a mother and a health coach I know how tender this time can be and love to prepare future mothers for what they can expect for at least the first 3-6 months after having a baby. Topics I discuss with my clients and friends are how to get the most amount of sleep and rest possible with a newborn, the shift in identity that occurs after each child, safe-guarding your relationship if partnered, boundaries and nourishment for ideal healing and breastfeeding (if that’s your thing!) There will undoubtedly be bumps along the way, but with proper preparation, you can eliminate the unnecessary ones.
Nourish yourself Your body’s needs during postpartum are higher than at any other time in your life! Why? Your body is recovering from pregnancy AND birth. If you are breastfeeding, your baby is still dependent on you to sustain his/her life. The nutrients in breastmilk is directly correlated with what the mother is consuming. Like in pregnancy, the body will give whatever the baby needs nutritionally over. Oftentimes leading to a mothers depletion. How do we avoid postpartum depletion? Proper nutrition, hydration, supplementation when needed and rest. Make sure you set up some sort of meal delivery service for yourself as part of your registry if you are having a baby shower.
I love Dr Oscar Serrallach’s book The Postnatal Depeletion Cure https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Postnatal-Depletion-Cure-Audiobook/B07DGHMDW7?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp
Another important read is The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother
Educate yourself Caring for yourself postpartum is vital. Educate yourself on what you are actually healing from and how to optimize your efforts. There are specific health conditions that can affect a mother right after having a baby. A few of these conditions are blood clots, severe swelling and clogged milk ducts or mastitis. Many of these things can be caught and treated at home early on if you know to what to expect.
Self-care How trendy, right? Wrong. You are the center of your family, you must make time for yourself. Planning for this before it becomes a desperate need is key. Make a list of things you like to do, and make sure to do something at least a few times a month. Becoming a mother can feel all consuming, but your mental health and the health of your baby depends on your well-being. Note that hygiene is NOT self-care. You are worth it.
The only constant is change Postpartum, especially early postpartum, is a time to hunker down. It is intense. It is exhausting. It also does not last forever. Reminding yourself that the days are long but the years are short won’t make sense at first, but after a couple months you will understand what that means. Most mothers report starting to feel more like themselves after 6 months. That doesn’t mean it will be the same for you, but that is a good window of time to mentally prepare yourself for.
Know who your key helpers are. I love a list. Make a list of who you can depend on in the early postpartum to help you. Can you create a mock schedule of who is coming over to help walk the dog or take older children to school? Who can you depend on? Do you want to make an appointment to see your chiropractor in advance and ask someone to help watch the baby weeks out? These are the things I want you to think about at the end of your pregnancy. Figuring out who your helpers are BEFORE you give birth will help you avoid stress when you are exhausted and just need an extra set of hands.
Sleep and Rest Women need more sleep than men. Research proves that. It is also shown that at minimum, you need 6 hours of sleep per day. That is not optimal, it is just to keep you sane. Now in the early days, it is silly to expect all 6 hours to be consolidated, but can you think of ways to get close? Can you create a schedule with your partner? Can you figure out a time to nap during the day. Did you know that 20 minutes of rest during the day can truly re-energize you? Learn about the safe sleep 7. Even if you do not plan to bed-share. Every parent should know these safety rules just in case. Please research James McKenna and if curious read his book, Safe Infant Sleep.
Invest in services, not things I wish I had known this after I had my first baby. There are registry services now that you can sign up for during pregnancy that can help you create a cash fund so you can comfortably afford service. What kind of services am I talking about? Think birth and postpartum doulas, chiropractors, massage therapists, pelvic floor therapists, lactation consultants, therapists, meal deliveries, etc. I promise you don’t need all those onesies, what you need is support. Little Honey Money is a great resource.