Self-care After Delivery For New Mothers

Don’t Forget To Take Care Of Yourself!

After delivery, your body changes in many ways, both physically and emotionally. Along with this, you also began to adjust and learn to deal with these new changes in your life as a mother. Despite handling and caring for a new baby, you as a new mother should take care of yourself too. Self-care can help you to rebuild strength. Good self-care habits involve good nutrition, plenty of rest, and getting help during the initial days of raising a newborn.

Good Nutrition

Eating right after delivery helps in regaining your strength. Due to many changes that happened in your body during pregnancy and delivery, your body will take time to heal. Along with rest, good nutrition adds to the journey of recovery.

Many women gain a good amount of weight during pregnancy. This excess weight helps store the energy required during recovery after delivery and breastfeeding. Therefore, new mothers must indulge in a well-balanced diet after delivery to be active and able to self-care as well as care for the baby.

Doctors always advised that lactating mothers should eat whenever they feel hungry. Also, it is often noticed that new mothers tend to forget to eat because they are busy with various chores or just tired. In such cases, doctors help new mothers with a proper diet plan to support their nutritional requirements.

Nutrients gained from a balanced diet will help in recovery after delivery and breastfeeding. You can take better care of your baby when you are active and healthy.1 A healthy diet includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protein, and fibre. Along with a balanced diet, consuming plenty of water is also important. As breastfeeding can leave you dehydrated, staying hydrated is necessary. You must drink around 12 to 14 glasses of water a day.

Rest

Newborns have different clock times than adults. They require your attention more than often when they get hungry. Newborns demand feeding every two to three hours. Additionally, they will also need nappy changing and comforting. As an adult, you are used have eight hours of sleep. As a new parent, you will feel quite exhausted by this new set of clocks. To get a proper rest, you can follow these things:

• You should sleep when the baby sleeps. Although that sleep may be for a few minutes, it will add up in benefits later.
• You can co-sleep with your baby or settle their beds near your bed. This will save your energy at night feedings.
• In the initial days, you should only focus on feeding the baby and taking self-care. Let someone else take care of the rest of the responsibilities.
• When your friends and family visit you and your baby, you can excuse yourself for a feeding session or a nap.
• You should take gentle walks or light exercises outside your home as soon as you feel ready.

Exercise

The first instinct of a woman after delivery is to lose excess weight. Losing weight after pregnancy is a gradual process that helps in healing and prepares you for the breastfeeding journey. However, losing weight with a strict diet and vigorous exercise is not recommended immediately after delivery. You must discuss your weight loss plan with doctors before starting.

When you combine diet with exercise it helps you lose weight post-pregnancy. Breastfeeding women require an extra 500 calories/day to produce milk. Therefore, they are advised to eat a well-balanced diet. Furthermore, they can reduce their calorie intake after six weeks of pregnancy to aid in their weight loss.

Getting Help As New Parents

In the initial days, you will find it exhausting to manage all the things when you are new parents. You and your partner can handle most things related to your newborn and household chores. But it will leave you tired all the time. At such times, having a helping hand can take away some responsibilities. This way you can focus more on your baby and self-care rather than worrying about dishes and laundry.

This helping hand can be your parents, friends, or may a nurse. You must discuss this with the caretaker about the process. Having good communication with them ensures trust and avoids any misunderstanding. Your helpers can help you with many tasks such as laundry, cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping.

Here are some important tips for post-delivery care:

• Wait until after your first check-up appointment before resuming intercourse. Give your body time to heal, and wait for your healthcare provider's approval.
• Discuss birth control with your provider, as you can get pregnant again soon after birth, even if your period hasn't returned.
• Avoid douching or using tampons for the first few weeks after delivery. Use pads instead.
• Continue taking prenatal vitamins or switch to a multivitamin with iron if needed.
• Eat healthy meals, stay hydrated with eight glasses of fluid per day, and consider taking short walks for gentle exercise.
• Consult your healthcare provider for guidance on when to start a new exercise program and the level of activity that's safe for you.

During pregnancy and delivery, your body is stretched to its maximum capacity. Therefore, you must rest and self-care which you deserve. The key is to take everything slowly and calmly. Also, you should take all necessary help and medical advice in the process.

Conclusion

As we draw this exploration of post-delivery self-care to a close, it's clear that the journey of a new mother is as rewarding as it is challenging. The facets of nutrition, rest, exercise, support, and healthcare weave together to form a tapestry of care that is essential for both the mother and her newborn. This period is not just about recovery; it's a transformative phase where nurturing the self is as important as nurturing the new life. Through understanding and embracing these elements, new mothers can find a harmonious balance in their journey, ensuring they are well-equipped to embark on the beautiful path of motherhood with strength, health, and resilience.