Looking after yourself after birth

The female body is amazing. It is destined to do some wonderful things in creating a human being. It also undergoes a lot of changes during nine months of pregnancy. Remarkably, the female body adapts to accommodate pregnancy from producing eggs to labour.

After the remarkable work of growing another human being and giving birth, comes the postpartum period where we must adjust to various different things. This includes everything from baby blues to motherhood and physical changes such as postpartum bleeding, vaginal or c-section healing, mood swings, night sweat, and milk production.

We have to admit that we need to look after ourselves more during our postpartum period. Here are some things to be considered taken to support our after birth recovery process:

• Take time to recover from giving birth by not overdoing things. Concentrate on nourishing your body with good foods, drinking plenty of water (especially if you are breastfeeding), and of course getting enough rest.

• Wear comfortable and yet fully supporting shapewear during the postpartum period. High-waist recovery garments are perfect for your postpartum recovery, even after a c-section. Make sure you are looking for garments with moderate compression, this will support abdominal muscle separation, your back and uterus.

• A gentle walk each day can help your body and your mind feel better. You could start with 5 minutes walking around your home. If you had a caesarean delivery, you might need to consult your doctor for relevant exercises.

• Your body will start adjusting quickly after birth. Each pregnancy and birth will be different, but there are some common changes that happen to your body after your baby is born. One of them is bleeding. Finding a compressive garment is a great option to help alleviate body aches and pains.

• Your emotional and sexual relationship with your partner might feel different in the early weeks after your baby arrives. It’s OK to wait to have sex until you feel ready. A good thing is, new friendships can form after you have a baby. Many women join Mothers groups in the first couple of months.

The birth recovery process is different for all mums, but the key is to look after yourself better, both mentally and physically, after pregnancy and to not be afraid to seek help and get as much support as possible. The most important thing is time, give your body and soul the time it needs to recover.

Let us take a moment to give credit to our female bodies, be grateful, appreciate it, embrace and love it even more.

Article supplied by Pliē Australia.