Caring For Your Physical And Emotional Health After Pregnancy
Pregnancy and childbirth take a toll on a woman’s mind and body. For the past nine months, your body has gone through significant changes to accommodate the growing life inside you. Then you undergo a strenuous process to deliver the baby. As you might imagine, looking and feeling like yourself again takes time. The best way to make it through this journey is to ensure that you take care of yourself.
Visit The Doctor
Don’t get so caught up in parenting or finding a pediatrician for your newborn that you overlook the importance of visiting a doctor for yourself. Keep in mind that the first six to eight weeks after having a child are critical for the mother. So many things can happen after giving birth that women need regular evaluations to ensure everything is alright. Schedule and maintain your appointments for preventative measures and necessary treatment.
Follow Advice
You can’t expect to get better if you’re not going to follow the advice your doctor gives you. Whether it’s taking medication or making lifestyle changes, it’s for your benefit. For example, if your doctor advises you to take an extended leave from work to recover from a c-section, it’s best to do it – even if it affects your finances. Similarly, if they tell you to abstain from sex for two months, do what it takes.
Maintain Healthy Lifestyle Habits
During your pregnancy, you probably adopted healthy lifestyle practices like eating well-balanced meals, exercising, and getting plenty of rest. These same practices are essential to recovering after childbirth. Continue taking your prenatal vitamins, complete low-intensity exercises, and maintain the proper diet. While getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep may be easier said than done, try to get your newborn on a sleep schedule so you can get efficient rest.
Ask For Help
Life with a newborn is challenging. That’s why it’s important to have people you can count on to pitch in. If you’re overwhelmed, talk to your partner, relatives, and friends about your issues. Ask them to help you with the most pressing tasks like preparing meals, cleaning the house, or getting up in the middle of the night. A little assistance from those you care about can ease your stress while enhancing your physical and emotional health.
Practice Self-Care
Although your days seem to be consumed with what the baby needs, you can’t forget yourself. Doing so can lead to physical and emotional problems. Find time every day to practice self-care. Practice good hygiene, groom regularly, take a break, and do things that you enjoy. If you feel like it’s about time you pamper yourself with dental implants in tallahassee fl, then, by all means, go ahead.
Connect With Others
After having a baby, you feel like you don’t have time to spend with friends and family. While it can take time to adjust to your new lifestyle and responsibilities, too much isolation can lead to depression. So, find time and be intentional about connecting with others. You can join a mommy and me class to meet other moms. You can meet up with your best friends for a monthly brunch at your favorite restaurant. You could even ask your parents to babysit so you and your partner can go on a date or take a mini-vacation.
Give It Time
As anxious as you are for your mind and body to return to normal after having a baby, the reality is every woman is different. While some women bounce back in 6-8 weeks, others take years. Applying pressure to yourself only makes things worse. Just stay the course and allow yourself to heal in your own time.
Although it would be nice to “return to normal” once you deliver your baby, it doesn’t go that way. Your mind and body have been going through changes for nine months, and it takes time to recover from. The best way to get back to a healthy state of being is to follow the advice above and be patient.
