Childbirth can be hard. Not only is the rapid change from pregnant to not pregnant quite taxing on your body, but the entire event can be taxing on your mind. Add in the potential for the much despised postnatal depression, and you can sometimes find your health tanking during this period. This is a shame because this is the time when a selfless attempt to care for your child is something that must happen and is non-negotiable.
To improve your personal postnatal care, we’d recommend these simple tips to get you started:
Eat Right
It’s tremendously important to care for your nutrition at this stage. Your body has truly been through the ringer over the last 9 months, and now is the time to help it slowly heal. This means eating foods high in nutritional value, such as leafy greens, proteins, complex carbohydrates and excellent supplementation.
It might sound ridiculously simple, but one of the most important things to consider at this time is your hydration levels. Staying hydrated can help us feel more aware and awake, and allow our bodies to regulate their functions well. Consider implementing a meal plan on Sundays and even cooking/freezing them if necessary.
It’s not uncommon for people to lose their appetites after childbirth and so making an effort to consume high quality, low satiating foods can help. By this, we mean salads, couscous, grains, and many other nutritionally dense items. If in doubt, consider seeing a nutritionist or even a Doctor of Nursing Practice/Neonatal nurse practitioner beforehand.
Have Your Own Time
Keep your own time. Let’s face it, becoming a new mother means you become quite a popular person. You’ll have people making a fuss over you for nine months straight. This is a wonderful thing to have happen, but it can get boring.
Sometimes, you just need to rest with your child. Having your own time might mean picking up a gentle hobby, and can be as simple as finding time to read more. With the right attitudes towards unwinding, you’ll often find yourself melting the stress you have carried thus far. This can be tremendously useful for anyone, but especially a new mother trying to make her way in this new situation.
Understand
Recovering is not always a linear route. You might find that you have some real down days, in which case consulting with a specialist is absolutely essential. However, you might feel on top of the world on other days, but this is not permanent. Remember to consider that This emotional turbulence is normal, but when it really gets out of whack you have every right to call for help.
Simply be understanding of your own personal situation here. You deserve to be. You’ve been through a lot. With the right person by your side, a love for your family, the right family practitioner working with you and the willingness to engage with all of this, you should find yourself willing and able to enjoy motherhood with your utmost possible health.
