On Thursday, May 9 I will be a panelist at the FREE Prenatal & Postnatal Seminar for Moms at 5 Koshas Yoga and Wellness in Wausau. In preparation for this event, I will be writing a few posts about things that worked for me during these times: prenatal, labor, and postpartum.
This list is not meant to be all-encompassing. Rather, it is a short list of the advice I found most useful during my two pregnancies. Congratulations on this wonderful chapter of your life, and please remember to consult your health care provider before making any medical decisions!
1. Adjusting to Life with Baby
You did it! You are holding baby in your arms and you’re probably feeling elated, tired, overwhelmed, and maybe in some pain either due to stitches or that post-delivery uterine massage.
Babies are cute and cuddly, but they can also be exhausting and challenging.
If you and your partner have read The Happiest Baby on the Block you can start putting some of those techniques to use. Babies are cute and cuddly, but they can also be exhausting and challenging. Make sure to ask for a break when you need one. For the first few weeks (at least), if you only manage to care for baby, feed yourself, and sleep, then mission accomplished. Cleaning, running errands, returning emails, etc. can all wait.
2. Your Body Postpartum
Even if you had an “easy” labor you are undoubtedly still a bit sore. Post-delivery there are few useful things to have at home: padsicles, stool softener, Dermoplast (benzocaine topical) spray, after-birth sitz bath herbs, nursing pads, Lansinoh nursing pads and lanolin, and overnight menstrual pads. (Remember to ask the nurse how much you can take from your hospital room. Sometimes it’s all of the diapers and pads in your room!)
Your body won’t immediately snap back to its pre-pregnancy shape, so make sure to bring some stretchy and forgiving clothes to wear home. (There’s no shame in wearing your pregnancy pants!)
3. Involve your Partner or Husband from Day 1
Learning to take care of a baby is hard and some babies are trickier than others. Thankfully, besides breastfeeding, dads can learn how to do everything moms do. At first, your partner may feel awkward and inexperienced, but with practice caring for his baby will become second nature. You can find one great list of how dads can help with baby, here.
Thankfully, besides breastfeeding, dads can learn how to do everything moms do.
I am very lucky to have a husband who was eager to learn how to take care of our first baby. Finding out your baby’s likes and dislikes takes practice, and it’s much easier to not get overwhelmed when you can trade off trying to calm a crying baby. Due to his stronger arms and louder voice, my husband was always better at doing the swinging and shushing part of the 5 S’s. How satisfying will it be for your husband or partner to be able to help in such a useful way? Immensely satisfying! (And beneficial for everyone involved!)
4. Take Care of Yourself
First of all, if you are ever feeling down and think it’s more than just the baby blues, call your health care provider. It’s important to ask for help when you need it. Speaking of help, recruit your family and friends to lend a hand! They can cook, clean, shop, and hold baby while you nap, take a bath/shower, or eat.
Your partner, baby, and you all benefit when “mom” is feeling cared for and confident.
As mentioned above, your husband or partner can also be a huge help. It can be quite refreshing to even get 15 minutes out of the house by yourself after a tiring day. If your husband doesn’t volunteer to give you some time off, then make sure to ask. Your partner, baby, and you all benefit when “mom” is feeling cared for and confident. If you purchased some fun items for your postpartum time (magazines or books, nail polish, jewelry, nice shampoo, subscription to Netflix or Hulu, fun snacks, etc.) make sure to enjoy them! If you are going to be a stay-at-home mom, you can help stave off loneliness by joining or attending a parenting group.
Lastly, try not to worry too much about what other people may think. Just do what’s best for you and baby. Mama, you’ve got this!