As a mama, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed with everything you have to do but during the first weeks after birth, it should be all about your postpartum wellness and your baby’s overall wellness. It takes a village to raise a child and so the responsibilities are not only yours to bear. Set aside a time within the day to focus on you. When you feel the mom guilt creep in, remember this: your wellness is your family’s wellness, too.2
Postpartum Wellness Starts at Home
Within the very first few weeks after birth, your haven is your home. With a newborn baby and a house to care for, you might have the tendency to forget to look after yourself.
The very first thing to do in taking care of yourself is sleeping when your baby sleeps. You follow their clock and so all the rest you can get is crucial.4 Try carving out a routine where you can also include nursing-safe skin care time and maybe a bit of online shopping to de-stress.
Don’t forget to talk to your partner and your extended family because you’ll need all the help you can get. Here are other things you can do to make home a safe space for you.
1. Alone Time for Mama
If you don’t feel comfortable to splurge or go out, it’s important to dedicate at least 10 minutes every day to have alone time, which can be when your baby is asleep. Assign a small nook or corner in the house to be Mama’s quiet place. Being busy and having a newborn can be overwhelming so it’s good to have a bit of quiet within your day.
A big part of postpartum wellness is being able to also take a moment and breathe in and out. You’ll be able to appreciate things better.
2. Order Takeout
Another thing you have to worry about on a daily basis is what the next meal is for your family. When you’re breastfeeding, you need extra calories to produce a healthy supply of breast milk.3 So another thing you also have to look out for are healthy snacks for yourself and for your baby.
Sometimes, exhaustion can beat hunger so it’s good to also have days where you order takeout of healthy meals so that you can have extended family time.
You can also have some of your groceries and essentials delivered to your doorstep. You get the job done without having to go out and join the usual hustle and bustle. That in itself is already a way to take care of your postpartum wellness.
3. Go Back to your Hobbies
When you became a mom, you added another layer to you. But don’t forget that you’re also YOU besides being a mom. You have hobbies and passions that you should still try to pursue. Whether it be reading a new book or watching your favorite TV series or movie, it’s important to take the time out of your busy schedule to do things for yourself.
Mamas Gotta Have Fun, Too!
Being away from your baby and home can sometimes feel like a crime, but it’s also important to take care of your mental health by going outside, interacting with other people and focusing on yourself from time to time.5
Motherhood is an adventure. There are highs and lows, so don’t forget to enjoy. Go and splurge, you deserve it!
1. Mama’s Day Out
Some hobbies are best done outside, like taking a walk or going to the nearest mall for shopping. A new environment can help you de-stress and release some of the tension you’re feeling from being cooped up at home.
This could be a way for you to dress up, apart from your usual outfits at home. You could put on makeup and feel a little more extra compared to what you do on a daily basis.
2. Surround Yourself with a Support Group
A good form of postpartum wellness is having the right people around you in this journey of motherhood. At home, you have a partner and family that can help you. Outside, you have health professionals that know you and your child. They can help you navigate the things you aren’t sure of, things that involve your postpartum wellness.
Most importantly, having fellow mamas as friends surround you is important so you can relate to one another. Social interaction is vital in taking care of your mental and physical health. It helps us understand ourselves better and make us into better mamas for our children.
Grab a bite or a cup of coffee with your friends and make a day out of it. You might just be surprised how refreshed you can feel after.
3. Schedule a Beauty & Pamper Day
Wanting to look and feel beautiful is not vanity, but self-care. It brings out a great deal of confidence that sometimes not every mama feels all the time. Your body has gone through a lot during pregnancy, during delivery, and now in its postpartum stage.
It’s vital to give way for postpartum wellness in the form of splurging on treatments that make you feel like a more beautiful YOU. Head over to your trusted salon and get a mani-pedi. Treat yourself to a new haircut and new look.
If you feel as if that isn’t enough, you can splurge for a spa day or even just a quick massage to let out the stress and exhaustion of the day. This can also help relieve any pain and muscle tension. It’s always best to consult your obstetrician or healthcare provider if you’re unsure whether you’re allowed in certain massage positions.1
Be gentle to yourself. You deserve to enjoy the things you like to do without mom guilt eating away at you. Pamper yourself and make sure to include postpartum wellness into your daily routine. It’ll do wonders in making yourself the best parent you can be.
Join Club Mama today, where you can get more tips on how to pamper yourself postpartum, as well as learn and exchange tips and tricks to parenthood.
References:
1. Postpartum Massage can help recovery after birth, available at https://www.healthline.com/health/postpartum-massage. Accessed 07 December 2022
2. Why Postpartum Care Services are Essential for all Mothers, available at https://maternitycareclinic.ca/blog/why-postpartum-care-services-are-essential-for-all-mothers/. Accessed 07 December 2022
3. Maternal Diet, available at https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/diet-and-micronutrients/maternal-diet.html. Accessed 07 December 2022
4. Postpartum care for mom: Tips for healing and comfort, available at https://www.geisinger.org/patient-care/conditions-treatments-specialty/self-care-during-the-postpartum-period. Accessed 14 December 2022
5. Understanding the Effects of Social Isolation on Mental Health, available at https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/effects-of-social-isolation-on-mental-health/. Accessed 20 December 2022
