The Ultimate Body Care Guide After Giving Birth

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They say no one can ever be an expert in giving birth. Being pregnant for the first time or having given birth several times, every mommy can agree that the process of pregnancy opens you to a bunch of surprises. You can’t anticipate what would happen each time you labor and deliver your ‘tiny me’ out.

Body Care Guide After Giving Birth

That being said, our body transforms in many ways as soon as an embryo forms in our womb until we’ve been stitched closed after delivery. These changes all prove to be stressors that could contribute to our postpartum symptoms. And yet, we have to bear all these while developing a bond with our newborn who’s out in the world.

It only makes sense that working moms are granted a 12-week postpartum leave. Adjusting to a life where you have to attend not only to your needs but also to your baby could be challenging at first, but give it a couple of weeks, and you’ll eventually get the hang of it. In the meantime, be mindful of the following tips to help you better gear up physically for a challenging motherhood journey ahead:

Strive for a Healthy Lifestyle

Carrying a small human body inside yours for nine months sure is physically exhausting. And while in the next several weeks, your baby jolts you awake in the wee hours of the evening with his cries leaving you with an irregular sleep pattern, still do strive to rest as much as you can. In other words, sleep while your baby is also sleeping.

Realistically speaking, you can’t get that hot pre-pregnancy body you had in a finger snap. In the meantime, eat as healthily as you can, maintaining an optimal balance of complex carbohydrates, protein, fibers, fat, and plenty of fluids to not only give your baby nutritious breast milk but also to facilitate the recovery of your metabolism and prevent constipation, an additional pain. Have your meals as many times as your doctor recommends, and do not drink coffee and alcohol.

Early on, especially if you underwent a C-section, you cannot do any intense exercises. Depending on when your doctor gives a signal, start by walking around your premises to encourage blood circulation and boost your mood. You know you’re ready to proceed with more strenuous physical activity only if the following signs have stopped presenting themselves: vaginal pain, bleeding, incontinence, feeling of pressure in your pelvic area, and abdominal pains.

How to Deal with Postpartum Depression

Whether we like it or not, we go through postpartum depression. And because regaining that body we had before giving birth is also hugely dependent on our mental condition, it is also wise to actively tackle these depressive symptoms in the healthiest ways possible. If you’ve been exhibiting symptoms like random crying, mood swings, insomnia, detachment from your tasks and loved ones, and feeling of worthlessness for more than two weeks after giving birth, it would be best to consult your doctor, who could prescribe you with antidepressants or refer you to a psychiatrist.

To care for yourself, you could practice being kinder to yourself. When things feel out of control, teach yourself to take a step back and focus on one thing at a time. And, do not forget to confide in people you trust and that support you.

Get Back in Shape

It’s only natural you’ll feel like you’re at your lowest in terms of appearance. You might have gained a couple of pounds. Your limbs grew plump, and your breasts got swollen, your neck disappeared, you developed love handles, and all that. So, before you start working out to get back to the lean shape you used to have, it’s essential to come to terms with the changes in your body that had to happen to protect you and your baby during those nine long months, that every mother loses those extra pounds at different speeds, and that you are capable of restoring your confident self regardless of your shape.

One thing to remember is breastfeeding can help you lose weight faster as the activity hastens your calorie burn. For fat, stretch marks, or loose skin that won’t budge even six months after giving birth, luckily, you can undergo a non-invasive treatment called CoolSculpting. This procedure freezes and consequently destroys your fat cells, which your body eliminates in a matter of months.

Giving birth takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Changes in your life, family dynamic, and your body could be overwhelming, but you have to keep in mind that you have a life apart from yours you have to care for. With this, taking care of your body is also embracing this new responsibility.