We have to adjust a lot during pregnancy. We need to get used to our bodies as they grow and adapt to carrying a child, as well as altering our entire lifestyle to make sure we can properly accommodate a child when our little ones arrive. However, few of us really know what to do in regard to self-care following giving birth. This is understandable.
Our minds automatically go into new parent mode and focus solely on our child – learning how to change nappies, setting up a nursery, managing a sleepless routine and more. But you do need to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself too. Your body will have recently been through a lot of trauma and you’re going to need some recuperation time to get back to yourself. Here are some tips that you can try out to help with this.
Sleep
Let’s start with sleep. Sleep is absolutely essential for rest and recovery, helping your body to get better from the experience of birth and also ensuring you are in the right mindset for looking after a newborn. Of course, this is much easier to achieve when you don’t have a newborn crying at all hours of the day and night, requiring feeds, needing to be changed and more. So, how can you balance this out? The truth is that many new parents are simply exhausted. But you can maximise the amount of sleep you get by trying to nap when the baby naps, rather than trying to get other chores done, as well as asking for help. Reach out to your support network and see if there’s anyone you can count on who can look after your baby while you get some shut eye.
Clothing
Our bodies change a lot during pregnancy and can change a lot following pregnancy too. You need to make sure that you have appropriate and comfortable clothing for all steps of the process, including following giving birth. Most new moms stick to maternity wear as their stomach slowly reduces now there isn’t a baby inside. You may also want to consider maternity bras if you are breastfeeding. If not, when you feel comfortable, you can return to your usual bras like the best push up bras. As you start to lose baby weight and grow smaller once more, you can slowly switch back out of maternity clothes and into clothes with a better fit.
Diet and Exercise
It can feel like you don’t get time to eat well or exercise when you’re looking after a little one. All your time will feel eaten up. But you do need to focus on these areas too. Try taking your baby for a brisk walk in their pram or stroller, as this will get you both out and about as well as contributing to the exercise your body needs to stay fit and strong. Consider delivered ready meals that are healthy, as this reduces food prep and cooking time, while still delivering nutrients to your recovering body.
As you can see, you need to care for yourself in order to properly care for your baby. Hopefully, some of the suggestions above can be incorporated into your new routine!
Read more for baby at Eighty Mph Mom!
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