Postpartum Prep
We spend 9 months getting ready for the baby and birth, but too often forget about those first few weeks postpartum. We really should spend many of those 9 months preparing & planning for postpartum and the care and rest we will need/deserve. Postpartum can be so many things. But what it should be is restful, healing, slow, warm, nourished, and safe. My goal with this blog is to give you as many tools as possible to help you achieve that.
Things to focus on:
Warmth, keep your body warm as it heals
Rest, this is the time to go slow, lay down and sleep a lot
Nourishing, easy-to-digest foods, lots of healthy fats
Warm food & drinks
Emotional space to heal
Retreat, it’s okay to hide away for a time, protect your peace
Support, make sure you are cared for well
Quiet, get rid of outside voices so you can get to know yourself & child
After you have your baby you will have a dinner plate size wound in your uterus from where your placenta was attached. You also just lost a lot of blood that your body has to remake, your hormones are all wacky, and you’re now creating milk for a baby. Your body has been through a lot (you just GREW A HUMAN for the last 9 months) and you equally need and deserve rest. If you don’t take this time to rest and bound and heal, you’ll feel the effects of it for years to come. I recommend staying in your bed (laying down) for the first 5-7 days, sitting up in bed or a comfy chair for the next 5-7 days, and then close to your bed, on the couch or in a comfy chair while starting to move a bit more for the next 5-7 days. After this 3ish week mark, you can begin to do more paying close attention to what your body is asking for. You will be much more tired and need to rest often. That’s 100% okay because this is the time to rest! Go slow and let others care for you.
I hear people way too often say “well I don’t have community or someone to help me postpartum” I hear you! I moved to a new state 10 weeks before I gave birth. But I knew how important my postpartum time was so I worked HARD to set up the care that I knew I would need. I set expectations with my husband, I made new friends, I found a community to support us, I worked overtime to save money, etc. I fought & worked hard to make sure I got the postpartum I needed- you can do that too. You simply have to decide it matters.
Things to find someone to do/help with: *for at least the first 2-6 weeks*
Bring meals to you in bed
Laundry
Cooking & dishes
Household cleaning
Baby diapers
Keep you well hydrated
Care for other children
“Your first tender weeks of mothering will require surrender, release, and tuning into your needs” -The First 40 Days by Heng Ou
Other things to gather information on or set up:
Emotional support
Listen to your birth story
Set boundaries with people for when they can see baby
Postpartum doula
Nursing/lactation support
Closing of the bones ceremony
Some kind of new mother ritual or ceremony
Belly binding
Snacks for nursing
Massages & snuggles
“In one fierce exhale, your child crossed from within to without. You have both landed in a radically new place. She's navigating a starting universe of lights, sounds and gazing faces. You’re settling into a body that has stretched beyond comprehension, a heart space that is expanding, and a family that has forever been reconfigured. As you take your first faltering, tender steps as mother and child, you are equally raw and vulnerable.
The gateway allows you 40 days to find your footing… It’s a time and place away from the outside world and life as you once knew it. It holds you as you recover from pregnancy and birth and as you begin to learn about your new baby. It is a pause before your long parenting journey begins.” -The First 40 Days by Heng Ou
Things you should know:
Your stomach will feel weird to touch
Your lady parts will be very open and tender
Your body may feel very weak
Your milk will come in around 3 days and your boobs may hurt & leak- it will regulate after a few weeks
Breastfeeding can be hard, but it’s so dang worth it. Don’t give up if it’s hard, try a lactation consultant & check for ties in the baby’s mouth
Don’t rush back to sex, wait till you're emotionally ready too
Your core strength will be very minimal
You may have after-birth cramps while you nurse, it’s okay to take Advil to help with them. Copaiba oil & After Ease tinctures also help
Cosleeping is a safe way to sleep- it’s also not the only way if that doesn't work for you
You are now a mother & you’ve got a whole new person to get to know (yourself)
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