After months of growing a little human – pushing your organs out of their usual position, stretching your muscles and skin, hormones going haywire – your body surely needs time to rest and recover. But how? You have a newborn to carry and feed almost round the clock, finishing domestic chores, and many more on the to-do list.
The mental load of ‘am I doing this right?’ to the physical exhaustion of producing milk and carrying children might just slow down your postpartum recovery. That’s why you’ll have to find minutes of total rest, regardless of your birth type. Whether Cesarean or normal delivery, you will need to find time for yourself. Here are baby steps on how to achieve that rest goal.
Find a strong support system
You can’t do it alone, mama. Acknowledge that you need help. Your husband must be in charge of diaper changes, burping the little baby, washing tiny clothes, while you take your time recovering from an arduous labor.
According to Doc Arbie, (OB-Gyne perinatal), “postpartum period can be very overwhelming to the new mom with all the changes in her body and now with a new baby.”
“As much as you are excited to take this new wonderful role, allow yourself to have adequate rest by having a healthy support system who will help in taking care of you and your newborn baby.
“Schedule your breastfeeding time at your waking hours during the day and store milk to give to the baby. Have someone to help prepare meals and help in managing the household,” she tells mamas in edamama Connect, where parents and experts meet to talk about health, motherhood, and more.
Tap your parents for a 2-hour breather, or don’t hesitate to ask your friends to send you hot meals. They definitely would be glad to help.
Monitor your physical health
While you may be preoccupied by your baby’s growth, you should also be mindful of changes in your body. Watch out for any signs of unusual bleeding that could lead to postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide.
According to the World Health Organization, about 14 million women experience PPH resulting in about 70,000 maternal deaths globally, every year.
“Even when women survive, they often need urgent surgical interventions to control the bleeding and may be left with life-long reproductive disability, WHO warned.
If this doesn’t motivate you enough to rest, think of finding rest for your children.
“In addition to the suffering and loss of women’s lives, when women die in childbirth, their babies also face a much greater risk of dying within one month compared to babies whose mothers survive,” WHO added.
Follow health mandates
The World Health Organization recommends a series of checkups after giving birth to check for any health danger signs such as: unusual bleeding, stinky vaginal discharge, fever, difficulty in breathing, edema or unusual swelling in body extremities, unusual headache, and pain in the breast.
WHO said “all mothers and babies need at least four postnatal check-ups in the first 6 weeks,” where the mom will be asked about various things concerning her physical, emotional, and mental state.
New mothers must be informed about her body’s recovery post-birth. This includes checking the gravity of postpartum hemorrhage, signs of eclampsia, low or high blood pressure, infection, and thromboembolism or blood clots.
Mental health matters
Postpartum depression affects at least 13 percent of women globally and this condition is considered a significant public health problem. Move more to protect your mental health. Remember that when you exercise, your body produces hormones that are good for you.
Breathing exercises can help you calm down and even strengthen your core after a hard labor. Try Diaphragmatic breathing, which toughens up your diaphragm and induces relaxation that can decrease stress levels and stabilize your blood pressure. Also avoid social media posts that may also trigger your anxiety.
Load up on Vitamin D and get some sunshine with your baby! This vitamin helps you have good levels of calcium and phosphorus. With the right amount, it will also protect you against respiratory diseases like COVID and other respiratory tract infections. Doctors also recommend sunbathing to prevent allergy attacks.
Hydrate
Not only does hydration help you produce more milk, it also keeps you alert and less cranky. In a study in China, a group of researchers found that dehydration leads to poor cognitive performances and bad mood. Water deprivation “had negative effects on vigor and esteem-related affect” and “impaired the cognitive performance, such as that related to short-term memory and attention.”
Gulping your recommended liquid intake also improves your concentration, lessens confusions and headaches. In fact, according to a study by the University of Connecticut, researchers claimed that dehydrated people were “more cranky and fatigued.”
Automate
Find ways to lessen domestic chores. Plan your meals in advance, consume juices made of vegetables and fruits for an easy energy boost, (grab a trusty blender), or munch on ready-to-eat healthy snacks like kasuy or kale chips.
You can also tap the wonders of technology in maintaining your home. Go get a cleaning robot to keep out the dust sans the additional house work. Or invest in a dishwasher to keep your sink squeaky clean.
Want to learn more tips? Join other mamas in Connect, where you can discuss all things parenting– from diaper rashes to labor fears and more.
