Caring For Your Health After Delivery

Hey mama, the first month of having a newborn at home can be quite overwhelming. You might feel like all of your time is focused on caring for your newborn. Take care of yourself too. If you feel guilty about self-care, know this: Taking care of yourself isn’t a luxury—it’s an essential part of being a good mom. Your baby needs you to be as healthy as you can be.

Here are some tips for caring for your health after delivery

Rest

The first few weeks after delivery are an important time for you to rest whenever you can. If possible, sleep or rest when your baby sleeps. It’s unlikely that your newborn will sleep 6 to 8 hours in a row, so make sure that when your baby sleeps, you sneak in some shut-eye as well. Even if you don’t sleep, don’t do anything too taxing. You may want to use this time to relax with your partner or other children, or just to unwind alone.

Limit visitors for the first 2 weeks so you can rest and get breastfeeding well established.

Do not lift anything heavier than your baby, especially if you have had a cesarean section. Limit stair climbing as much as possible for the first week after delivery.

Do not try to be a perfectionist

This is not the time when your house is going to be perfect. Keep your baby’s care simple. It is okay even if you didn’t bathe your baby every day. Just wiping off the baby’s hands, face, and diaper area will also do.

Don’t hesitate to accept help from family and friends during the postpartum period, as well as after this period. Your body needs to heal, and practical help around the home can help you get much-needed rest. Friends or family can prepare meals, run errands, or help care for other children in the home.

Eat healthy meals

Your body has undergone many changes during pregnancy and birth. You need time to recover. In addition to rest, you need to eat a healthy diet to help you do that.

Along with balanced meals, you should drink more fluids if you are breastfeeding. You may find that you become very thirsty while the baby is nursing. Water and milk are good choices. Try keeping a pitcher of water and even some healthy snacks beside your bed or breastfeeding chair.

A well-balanced intake includes:

• Protein from meat
• Eggs and cheese
• Plant-based proteins such as peanut butter and soy
• Grains

Including high fiber foods and adequate water intake may help with regular bowel movements. High fiber foods include:

• Fresh fruits
• Vegetables
• Bran and bran products
• Other whole grain products
• Fresh fruits

Dairy which includes low-fat milk products, such as cheeses and yogurt or lactose-free products, should be included in your daily diet. Keeping your intake of high fat and sugary foods and snacks low and smaller portions will help reduce your calorie intake for weight reduction.

Finish taking your prenatal vitamins and iron pills as prescribed. If you are breastfeeding, take them the entire time you are nursing. Your doctor can renew your prenatal vitamin prescription if you run out.

Recognise when you need professional help

Although you will be feeling some discomfort after giving birth, if something doesn’t seem right to you or your pain worsens, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible to be on the safe side.

Also, if you are feeling anxious most of the time, can’t sleep, or have been feeling “blue” for more than 2 weeks, call your doctor. Additional symptoms may include feelings of guilt and worthlessness, and loss of interest in daily activities. Some women with postpartum depression withdraw from their family, have no interest in their baby, and have thoughts of hurting their baby.

Postpartum depression requires medical treatment. Speak with your doctor if you have depression that lasts longer than two weeks after giving birth, or if you have thoughts of harming your baby. Postpartum depression can develop at any time after giving birth, even up to a year after delivery.