How to Take Care of Yourself Postpartum

The postpartum period begins after the delivery of your baby and ends when your body has nearly returned to its prepregnant state. This period often lasts from 6 to 8 weeks. Throughout this period, you move through many changes both emotionally and physically. You are learning to deal with a crazy number of changes as you enter motherhood, and it is vital that you take good care of yourself to rebuild your strength. In this article we are going to discuss how to take care of yourself postpartum as many mums often neglect themselves in caring for their newborn.

Rest

You will soon learn that babies have different time clocks than adults. You can expect your newborn to wake about every 3 hours and at times you and your partner may become overwhelmed by exhaustion. Therefore, in the first few weeks, let someone else take care of all other responsibilities other than feeding your baby and taking care of yourself. Try and sleep when the baby sleeps, whether this be a few minutes several times throughout the day, these minutes add up. Whilst it is nice to have visits from family and friends, don’t feel like you must entertain guests… learn to say no. We also encourage getting outside for a few minutes each day to clear your head.

Nutrition

Your body has just undergone a massive change during pregnancy and birth. You need time to recover whilst also consuming a healthy diet to help you do this. You probably won’t have time to whip up a healthy meal each time you’re hungry and sometimes you will be so busy that you forget to eat, therefore, we recommend batch cooking one day a week so that you have healthy ready-made meals or utilise a meal delivery service in your local area

Be Kind to Yourself

This is a big one and often the hardest. Your body has just undergone an extreme change. It took 9 months to create that beautiful bundle of joy. Don’t expect it to be back to your pre-pregnancy state in 9 days. Your life has also done a complete 180. You are now a mother. You come second. You are going to make mistakes. You are going to mess up. You are going to feel as though you can’t do it. Acknowledge these feelings and be kind to yourself. You deserve better than negative self-talk.

Self-Care

Allocate time for yourself every single week. This is important. You are still a unique human being who needs love and attention. Block out this time for yourself and fill it with self-care activities such as a long bath, face mask, getting your nails done, going to the beach, seeing your friends, whatever it is you enjoy… do it. The world will not come to a halt if you enjoy yourself for a couple of hours each week on our own. We promise. You also, shouldn’t feel guilty for it.

Look after yourself mamas. You are incredible.