After a baby is born, the focus always shifts to the baby. Let’s take a moment to step back and look at what mom has done. Her body grew and changed for months in order to grow and accommodate a new life. Whether she births vaginally or surgically and whether she breastfeeds or formula feeds, there will be a lot of healing left for mom to embark on as she cares for a new life outside of her own.
Mental Health
- Sleep deprivation makes emotional processing difficult, so be kind to this human. She is going through a lot. Her body’s energy has been zapped from the labor and delivery process and is now shifted into production of milk to sustain this external life. This is true even if she were to choose not to breastfeed – the body’s process is triggered with the delivery of a baby.
- Let her sleep.
- Reassure her that she deserves the rest and the sleep.
- You focus on mom, so mom can focus on baby.
- This blends in with physical health, but hygiene is an important part of feeling like a human being. If you notice mom is not taking care of herself, you may need to step in and tell her you are taking baby for some snuggles while she goes for a shower to take care of herself. Some new parents truly struggle to ask for the ability to do this simple task.
- Check in. Just simply ask her how she is doing. Sometimes everyone focuses on baby and mom gets neglected. Watch out for the 4-6th day when there is a sudden hormone shift that often causes new moms to become incredibly emotional. Emotions are hormones, after all.
- Check in with dads, too… Though that is better left for another post.
Physical Health
- There are a few areas that will be tender.
- Cesarean/incisional cuts or vaginal, labial, or anal tears.
- Vagina or labia may have general tenderness related to the intense pressures that they have endured, unrelated to any potential tears or cuts. Did you know that the rugae of the vagina can take 6-8 weeks to return after a vaginal delivery due to the swelling?
- Your breasts and nipples. Particularly the nipples if you are nursing your newborn — this should be temporary, however, as you and baby work on your collective latch. The breasts will become quite tender around the 48-72 hour mark when the “milk comes in.”
- Your back. With your abdomen devoid of functional muscle while your abs slowly shift back into space, your spine is left unsupported. Make sure that you use pillows to prop your baby and yourself up — no slouching! This is one of the only reasons why I would ever recommend a belly wrap — structure and support.
- Your pubic joint or your sacroiliac joint. As baby came through the birth canal, your pelvis actually opened and shifted. It takes quite a while for this to become sturdy again. Please see a pelvic floor physiotherapist if you are still experiencing pain after 6-8 weeks. Or see one anyway. They are great.
- Your uterus. Your uterus has the job of contracting down to its original size. As it does this, it closes off the many capillary and blood networks that formed along the inside of our uterus where the placenta had once been. The contractions can be painful and they do become stronger as baby nurses.
- Monitor your bleeding. You may feel on top of the world, full of energy and ready to run a marathon energy-wise, but your body needs you to take it easy. It has a lot of healing to do. Watch your blood flow. If you notice it going from light to heavy, it is time to slow it right down and take it easy.
Nutritional Health
- Water. Water. Water. Hydrate so much… But also be mindful that your bladder may not signal you as effectively that first little while now that it has found it has so much more room to grow now.
- Hydrating is important for helping with the hormone circulation, the production of milk, the sweating that is inherent with a postpartum body, and also helps keep those first few bowel movements hydrated as well. The last thing you want right now is to experience constipation!!
- Have many snacks around you. It took you 9 months to put this weight on and it can take you just as many to take it off if that is something you are hoping for. Just eat. Your body needs to replenish its nutrients.
- If you aren’t the mom, bring that new mom some food. Dinners are the best gift for a postpartum family.