We’ve all heard the middle school adage “Knowledge is Power!”, but important life situations such as this, it rings very true. The “Power” you earn leads to confidence, comfort, and security in your birth and new baby experience. Take as many classes as you can to prepare yourself as much as possible. And have your partner join you; s/he may remember something you don’t in a moment of need that could save a stressful situation. If you plan to breastfeed, make sure you have taken a class. If you don’t know anything about babies, take a newborn care class. Or, if you simply need a refresher on the experience, take any class.
Have all your supplies ready. Nothing is worse than being in pain of some sort and having to be left alone with your newborn while your partner goes and gets you supplies. Make sure you have giant granny panties, pads and a nice nightgown. Stool softeners are a must for obvious reasons. The perinatal spray bottles are amazing for sore vaginas. We strongly encourage women to do basically nothing but bond with the baby and take care of their healing bodies for the first week.
Early on start thinking about how you will be supported postpartum. It’s important, not only for physical recovery, but emotionally as well. Our philosophy is that postpartum care is preventative care. When mother and baby are set off on the right foot from the beginning it sets the tone for the first year of the baby’s life.
Talk with your family about how you want things to go when you come home. Do you want lots of visitors right away, or wait a couple of days, or a couple of weeks? Can family come and stay, or only visit for short time periods? Be clear about this in advance of the birth or it can add stress once the baby is here. If conflict or stress seem to come along with family, consider hiring a postpartum doula. They support you without judgment, have lots of knowledge about breastfeeding and bottle feeding, infant care and your recovery physically and emotionally. They can help by doing the everyday chores like dishes, laundry, errands and sibling care so you and your partner can focus on bonding with your new baby and each other. This care can make your transition to motherhood seamless.
5 Tips For Self-Care Post Baby
Be kind to yourself. Things are new in so many ways. Your baby is adjusting to life outside the womb and you’re adjusting to taking care of and feeding this new being.
- Get support! This will allow you to do the basic things, like take a shower or rest if the baby is awake and you are tired.
- Give it two weeks. The first two weeks are not easy. You’re healing, you’re learning to feed your baby and listen to their cues. Figuring out those things takes time, on top of the very little sleep! After about two weeks your body starts to feel better, you typically start to get better at breastfeeding and a routine starts to form. And, probably most importantly, you learn how to function on less sleep.
- Sleep or rest when your baby is sleeping. Sleep and rest are important for so many reasons. Sleep deprivation affects the same parts of the brain as alcohol. Consider this when your baby is sleeping and you’re faced with doing chores or getting rest. The chores can wait, rest is more important.
- Find a tribe. Create a group of a few friends or even just one to share the trials and tribulations of motherhood with, and maybe a random glass of wine at a 3 o’clock play date.
Bonus tip! Treat yo’ self! Self care is so important at this stage in life. You are giving a lot to so many people and the old saying goes “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” It doesn’t have to be something big, but make it something just for you. I love kombucha, so I always buy myself one at the store. It’s only mine. I do not share it with my kids. This is a treat for me. Do things to fill your cup so you can fill others. And that is ok!
The top on-line Resources for New Moms
Maryland New Moms Facebook group
Kellymom.com
Evidencedbasedbirth.com
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