The Ultimate Body Care Guide After Giving Birth
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’.
That 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 to your needs and 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 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 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 possible, maintaining an optimal balance of complex carbohydrates, protein, fibers, fat, and plenty of fluids to give your baby nutritious breast milk, facilitate the recovery of your metabolism, and prevent constipation, an additional pain. Have your meals as often as your doctor recommends, and do not drink coffee and alcohol.
Early on, especially if you underwent a C-section, you cannot do 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: 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 feelings 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 step back and focus on one thing at a time. And do not forget to confide in people you trust and support you.
Get Back in Shape
It’s only natural you’ll feel like you’re at your lowest appearance. You might have gained a couple of pounds. Your limbs grew plump, your breasts got swollen, your neck disappeared, and you developed love handles. 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 months.
Giving birth takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Changes in your life, family dynamic, and body could be overwhelming, but you have to remember that you have a life apart from yours you must care for. Taking care of your body is also embracing this new responsibility.
