Undeniably, pregnancy itself is a journey of various ups and downs. You might have read countless books and magazines to prepare yourself for the afterbirth phase, but everyone has a different experience. Some women face postpartum stress disorder, while others bounce back into their routine quickly. However, one thing is for sure- once the little bundle of joy enters into this world, your life will change forever. After all, embracing motherhood is a life-changing experience for every woman.
You have to look after a little human round the clock. In addition, you have to take care of yourself since your body went through a lot of changes during pregnancy and labor. Hence, don’t put your health at stake while caring for the baby. Just like you took prenatal care, it is time for proper postnatal care. Perhaps, you can seek help from others, focus on your nutrition, and take loads of rest.
If you are new to motherhood, let us help you get started with this article. Here we are highlighting five postnatal care tips for new moms.
1. Stay in touch with the doctor
No matter how much you prepare for labor, your body is weak post-delivery. Therefore, instead of pushing yourself to the limits, take time to rest, recover, and heal. In addition, stay in touch with the doctor for follow-ups on stitches and cuts since they are prone to infection. Likewise, if you experience shivering, fever, pain, or discomfort, immediately consult the doctor.
Many new mothers ignore these signs considering them to be a part of recovery. Unfortunately, persistent discomfort and pain happen because of birth injuries. Sometimes, your child can also suffer because of the health staffs’ ineptness. If you experience anything similar, find a lawyer and hold the practitioner accountable for medical negligence. They will ensure you receive medical support and rightful compensation for the injuries caused to you and your child during labor. Hence, stay self-aware to avoid any medical complexities.
2. Organize your mom duties
Undoubtedly, some days you won’t feel yourself. The late-night feeding, changing diapers, and organizing things all day might take a toll on your mental and physical health. Well, you can’t avoid this chaos, but you can try to manage everything. It would help to focus on one thing at a time to get everything in order. Perhaps, you could make a separate shelf for changing. Put in diapers, burp cloths, towels, changing sheets, and wipes together.
Next up, organize the baby’s feeding station. Place the bottles, pacifier, breast pump, and napkins in one place. These few arrangements will ensure you don’t waste time finding things, helping you get tasks done faster.
3. Focus on diet & nutrition
After giving birth, it is normal to get caught up with the baby and ignore other aspects of your health. After all, you have to take care of the baby’s needs first. Still, that doesn’t mean you should neglect yours. Exercise might not be your priority after delivery, but you can stay in good shape by managing your diet. Firstly, take your nutrients and vitamins every day. Maybe, you can ask the doctor to recommend you multi-vitamins to fulfill nutritional deficiencies in your body. Remember, this would be super healthy for the baby too.
Second, stay away from foods high in low-quality carbs and fats because they do nothing but add to all the baby fat. Instead, switch to fruits, meat, seafood, and leafy green vegetables. Also, add spices and herbs, especially turmeric, to your diet since it has healing properties. Lastly, you have to stay hydrated at all times. Try putting lemon or cucumber slices in your water to add variety and taste to the water.
4. Accept help from others
Parenting is a hard job, but that doesn’t mean you have to be hard on yourself. Forget about the things out of your control, and don’t hesitate to take help from others. Being a new mom, managing laundry, cooking dinner, and taking care of the baby at the same time can be pretty challenging. Hence, if your mother or sister is willing to come over, accept their help. Likewise, if your friend is willing to lend a hand, invite them over. Ask your partner to help you out with baby duties too. With a newborn baby, a few helping hands make things a lot easier.
However, if your loved ones are busy, look for a nanny if that fits under your budget. Household help can manage the home-related chores while you look after yourself and the baby. It will help you manage everything, eliminating the chances of PTSD.
5. Be mindful of baby blues
Postpartum blues are for real. At times, you will feel emotional, irritable, and self-conscious because of the hormonal changes. You might even experience feelings of hopelessness or sleep issues but remember, this is normal. New mommies go through a lot of change after giving birth to a baby. Your body changes, hair starts falling, and you gain weight, and accepting these changes takes time. Therefore, instead of drowning yourself in depression, give yourself time to heal.
After a couple of months, you will see everything getting back in shape, but in the meanwhile, don’t let these baby blues affect you. Focus on your routine, consume a healthy diet, and don’t stress about the baby fat.
Conclusion
The feeling of bringing a new life into this world is beyond words. However, the pain and discomfort after delivering the baby are also real. Therefore, you must give your body time to heal and recover after having the baby. You might get caught up with mother-related duties, but take out time and have healthy meals. Likewise, get regular checkups to ensure you are in the best shape to raise a healthy baby.
