Recovering from childbirth is not an easy process. The period of pregnancy brings a lot of changes to a woman’s body. Even the process of delivery comes with its challenges that often affect a woman’s body. After delivering the baby, there is a lot a woman has to do to get her body back in shape, at least, to reduce the discomfort that came with the delivery. But the discomfort is not just physical but also emotional as well. You will experience a lot of mood swings, even though the child in your arms is your bundle of joy. These feelings are not unusual as they only last for a while.
That is why today, we would be looking at some of the things you can do after childbirth to help your body recover well.
1. Eat Well
One thing you should remember to do is to eat properly. Keep in mind that you are breastfeeding and you can only produce enough breastmilk if you eat well. So, even if you are not in the mood for eating, do it for your baby. Also, at this point, your body needs to heal from what it passed through during childbirth, meaning you need foods that are rich in vitamins and a range of nutrients. This would help repair your body and restore lost nutrients as well.
You can work with a dietician to come up with the best diet for you. But some of the things you should eat include fruits and vegetables, and protein. Also, drink more water to keep your body hydrated and to facilitate the production of breast milk.
2. Rest Well
The period following child birth should be used for resting. That is why many companies offer three to six months of maternity leave, for the new mother to get proper rest. Even if you call yourself a workaholic or run your own business, you should try to rest during this period. You can employ a nanny to take care of some of the tasks at home or have your husband do it for you. Your body is already stressed and you do not want to stress it some more. Make sure you get adequate sleep, although this might be almost impossible as the baby would not allow you to sleep fully. What you can do is to go to sleep while the baby is sleeping.
Delivering a baby is very stressful, and the process can deprive you of sleep. It is crucial to get enough sleep and rest especially the first few weeks after delivery. Try to catch some sleep or rest when your baby sleeps. You should limit visitors for the first 2 weeks so you can rest and sleep as often as possible.
3. Exercise
This might not have been in your plan while you were pregnant, but you would need to do some exercise to help repair your body and get it back in shape, following the impact of pregnancy and child birth. Working out would help you lose some of the weight you gained while pregnant. The good thing is, you do not have to hit the gym to work out. You can do simple activities like walking and strolling with your baby. You can also try aerobic exercises like running but this should be done with great care the first few times.
Another type of exercise you should try is Kegel exercises. These exercises would help tighten your pelvic floor muscles, which would have been weakened during child birth. Kegel exercises help with the postpartum delivery recovery process.
4. Breastfeed Your Baby
Breastfeeding your baby not only benefits your baby but you as well as it reduces the milk in your breasts, preventing it from swelling, which is usually painful. If you do not want to breastfeed, then you should get a breast pump, which you can use to express milk from your breast.
5. Stay in touch With Your Doctor
Staying in touch with your doctor is an important thing to do after childbirth. It helps ensure that everything is going fine, and healing as expected. Your OB/GYN can also check in with you to find out about your mental health and offer guidance. If you had C-section, ensure that your appointment to remove your stitches is not missed, because leaving them in for too long can make scars look worse. Finally, let your doctor know if you experience any symptoms that concern you, like fever, pain or tenderness around an incision.
Bottom Line
The first weeks to months after having a newborn baby at home can be overwhelming and strenuous. You should not just focus on caring for your newborn, and forget to take care of yourself. These healthy things to do after childbirth are what you must follow.
Collins Nwokolo is a human physiologist, writer and health enthusiast. He loves writing helpful articles on health and fitness, which he enjoys sharing with everyone.
