Postpartum Health Checks You Might’ve Put Off (But Are Worth Doing)
Once you have a baby, all the attention goes on them, including your own most of the time. Between feeds, nappies, broken sleep and trying to keep the house from turning into a full disaster zone, it’s no surprise that anything remotely health related ends up getting pushed aside. That’s normal, but if it’s been a few months, or even a year or more and you’re still not feeling quite right postpartum, there are a few things worth checking in on. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong, but ignoring stuff just because you’re used to it isn’t always the best idea.
Tiredness
It’s expected to feel tired with a baby, you probably got told that constantly. And it’s hard to work out if you’re exhausted because of a medical reason when you’re getting woken up all through the night with a baby, but if you have any suspicions then it might be worth getting your iron and B12 checked. Postpartum depletion is more common than most people realise, especially if you’ve had more than one pregnancy close together or if you’re breastfeeding. Hair loss, foggy thinking, constant yawning by mid morning are all symptoms to look out for, none of these things mean you’re doing something wrong but they do mean your body might need a bit more than just coffee and powering through.
Muscles and joint pain
If your lower back is always aching or your hips click when you walk, it could be your body still adjusting months down the line. It’s not just about weight or fitness levels either, sometimes posture takes a hit from constant feeding positions or carrying kids around on one side all day. If basic things like standing up from the floor feel harder than they used to, it might be worth seeing a physio like Movement Laboratory who understands postpartum recovery as the abdominal muscles can separate in pregnancy and cause issues. You don’t need to live with it just because it doesn’t seem urgent.
Nutrition
It’s easy to end up living off toast crusts, snacks grabbed on the go or reheated leftovers from whatever the kids didn’t finish. But if you’re feeling run down, bloated, dizzy when you stand up or just permanently foggy, try looking at when and how you’re eating. Not in a diet kind of way, more like, are you actually eating enough at regular times and is there anything with protein or fibre going into you before mid-afternoon? Nobody is expecting gourmet meals, but it’s usually the basic things that help most. Eggs on toast, a handful of nuts, adding beans or lentils to something already on the stove, just little things to help even out the energy drops and stop the crash and snack routine later in the day.
Medical appointmentsGetting a GP check, booking a smear test or getting a blood test to check different hormones and nutrient levels are all so worth doing. If something has been bothering you it’s probably worth flagging it, that includes things like hearing changes, by the way. It’s common for women to notice more trouble hearing clearly especially in noisy places, but brush it off or blame it on tiredness- visit My Hearing Centers for advice on this.These things aren’t about turning it into a health overhaul, it’s just checking you’re not silently putting up with things you don’t have to.
