Taking care of yourself after pregnancy
You’ve recently welcomed new life into this world, and find yourself completely consumed by caring for this tiny baby. As wonderful and amazing as it is, this whirlwind can make it extremely hard to even think about yourself and your needs, much less actually tend to them. This is incredibly common, and you’re not alone! Haven’t properly showered in what feels like weeks? Can’t remember the last time you ate a real meal? Yep, all very real and totally normal!
The truth is, your mind and body have been through a lot, and it’s just as important to take care of yourself, as it is to take care of the new baby - it might even be a good idea to take care of yourself first since you are the one responsible for this new life you’ve just brought into the world. If your tank is beyond empty and the dashboard is lit up with red sensor lights, that’s only going to make the postpartum journey more difficult for all involved. Taking care of, and nurturing yourself first means you will be able to give your new baby the best version of you! Ask for help when you need it, and keep a few things in mind along the way -
Eat more, not less
Right now your body is a virtual roller coaster, and your hormones are all over the place, working hard to produce what’s needed to sustain this new life, while also trying to level out to default settings pre-baby. Forgetting to eat, or restricting your diet in an effort to “bounce back” abnormally fast after baby, will only confuse your body and send hormones even further out of whack. Even when we haven’t just had a baby, restricting our diets can have a major impact on our hormones, so you can only imagine what can happen postpartum.
Try eating for your hormones, which means focusing on proteins, healthy fats, fiber and staying hydrated. Also, be mindful of processed foods and refined sugars, as we already know the role those can play in hormone health. Now, lots of new moms find themselves craving various foods, and we’ve all been told that cravings usually indicate that our body is lacking in something, right? Listen to your body, and lean into those cravings, BUT make an effort to feed those cravings with healthy options, like fresh fruit for sugar, greek yogurt and even dark chocolate. If you’re concerned about the grocery shopping, this is the perfect opportunity to start delegating tasks, and/or asking for help. There are tons of food delivery service available now, or you can simply ask your partner to take this off your plate for the time being.
Energy levels and hydration
It’s no secret that new moms are running on very little sleep, and that can make that morning cup of coffee all that more appealing. However, coffee can have adverse effects on your energy levels postpartum. This is because of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol, often known as the stress hormone, is released by the body upon waking up and is the body’s natural way to help wake you up. By drinking coffee as soon as you wake up, your body decides the cortisol is less necessary and produces less of this hormone, thus causing you to feel more tired long term.
The trick is to awaken and hydrate your body first thing in the morning by drinking at least one full glass of water before anything else. After you’ve had a little breakfast with plenty of protein for energy, feel free to enjoy a cup of coffee! Remember, you need even more water due to the breast milk that you are producing. Breastfeeding mothers need about 12 cups of water per day in addition to the fluids available in your food. Breast milk is how your baby stays hydrated so it is important for mother to stay hydrated as well. Try and create a routine of drinking a tall glass of water before or after each breastfeeding session.
In conclusion
You can’t pour from an empty cup, right? Make sure to take care of yourself first before you can take care of anyone else, but this is especially important now that you have a new little baby to care for. They are a blessing and a bundle of joy, but they are also pretty needy - in the best way possible! It’s natural to want to give them all of you, but this doesn’t have to mean we wear ourselves out until we have nothing left to give.
If you’re a new mom, or an expecting mom interested in more guidance along the postpartum journey, I’d love to connect with you! Feel free to reach out to me directly here or on social media, and you can even schedule a complimentary consultation HERE. You can also always check out the FREE Resource Library for quick info + inspo!
xoxo,
Lindsay