By Gaylen Tuckett
Every new mum will tell you that the weeks postpartum are deeply emotionally and physically draining and overwhelming. A new mum’s self-care needs fall by the wayside because of having so much to do and learn – there is a new baby to take care of, learning how to be a mum, how to breastfeed, how to balance other children’s routines, etc. Yet self-care during this time is extremely important – how you look after yourself now will impact on how you parent… so how can you prepare?
Postpartum recovery isn’t something that is often spoken about until you have been there and you’re exchanging stories with a fellow mum. The goal of recovery is to be able to regenerate your energy levels to look after your newborn while battling life.
Here are some tips to help your postpartum recovery in the 40 days (6 weeks) after giving birth:
- Before giving birth, set up baskets for yourself and baby in your home near where you will be resting. Fill them with things you’ll be needing often in the early days. For baby – nappies, wipes, change of clothes, wraps and more nappies. For yourself – snacks, tissues, soothing products, water bottles.
- Place a basket in the bathroom filed with breast pads, cleansing bottle, pads – anything you’ll need for your recovery. You don’t want to be constantly getting up to search for these items right when you need them.
- Food. Fuel your body with lots of iron-rich foods like eggs (great for snacking), protein (meat, nuts and beans), Omega 3 (fish) and lots of fruit and veggies. Don’t forget to indulge in some treats as you did just create a human.
It’s very informative