Pregnancy itself is such an overwhelming phase with unforeseen challenges and joy. No matter how many pregnancy books you might have read and prepared yourself for the afterbirth phase, it will still seem like nobody ever told you about it. Recovery is a really important aspect of life after birth. Your body went through tons of changes before delivering the baby. Now that it has delivered the baby, it needs time to heal.
The baby eventually becomes the center of attention but even YOU need equal amount of care and attention. The baby and your home is going to take up your mental and physical strength. Being a new mother, don’t shut your eyes when it comes to your very own health and needs.
Now that you have taken prenatal care, it is time for proper postnatal care. Here are some of the things that you shouldn’t miss out on:
- Keep yourself active
Are you under the spell of the myth that you shouldn’t exercise for the first six months if you had a Caesarean section? Let’s just debunk this myth. If you had a normal delivery, you start with your work out sessions from day one. In case you had a Caesarean section, you can start after four days.
You can begin with pelvic floor muscle exercise and breathing exercise. However, do talk to your doctor about it before starting your exercise. Remaining active will not just help you get rid pregnancy pounds but also kill stress which is common in new mothers.
- Remain hydrated
When you are all too busy with your little angel, it seems very convenient to skip on drinking water. Your body not just needs water, it needs ALOT of water as it is in the healing phase after birth. Your body will also be losing water it retained during pregnancy which why you will urinate more frequently. Secondly, if you are breast feeding, you are again losing liquid which means you need to rehydrate after feeding.
To protect yourself from dehydrating or Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) , make sure you drink enough water. Now how much is enough? You have to drink half of your body weight in ounces. For example, if your weight happens to be 120 pounds, you have to make it a point to drink 60 ounces of water every day.
- Accept help from others
Let’s face it. You are a new mother with tons of responsibilities from household chores to your baby. It gets tough juggling between everything. Just accept the fact that you cannot be perfect at everything at all times. If there is laundry piling up, let it be. If there are dishes to do, it is okay. In case your loved ones offer help, just take it. And if that doesn’t happen, you can always hire a maid. If that is too much on your new budget, then get your hubby involved.
- Make your diet a priority
It is not just the baby who requires nourishment, you need it too. Don’t fall into the good old myth that says you require a lot of fat and ghee to breast feed your baby. You might not exercise right after your delivery which means you need to watch out on what you eat. Your body requires the right balance of food to heal right, balance hormones and produce milks.
No, you don’t have to go for high calorie food. Then what should you go for? Go for lots of proteins and dark leafy greens. Eggs and chicken will keep you energized. Leafy greens are something that brims with tons of nutrients. You can consume them either raw or cooked. Stews and hot soups are good option too.
- Bask in the sun
Have your little one crossed the point where it needed to be strictly inside? Then step outside. Sunshine plays a vital role in the overall health of a person. You will not only get your much needed vitamin D but also feel all refreshed.
At home, all you are involved in is household chores and your baby. Take a walk outside with the baby and feel renewed. If you can’t go outside, make it a point to sit in the sunny spot of your home every single day.
- Rest Rest Rest
If things are messy and out of place, let them be. You need to realize you have just undergone a big change. Your body needs rest. For a minimum of 10 days, just rest, sleep and feed. 10 days may be really less in some cases.
The point is to take as much rest as you can and give your body room for healing. Just stay in bed. For the first few days or even a month in some cases, that is all you have to do.
