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Self-Care After Delivery
Giving birth and bringing a baby home is an exciting time, but also an overwhelming time. You are experiencing changes in every aspect of your life: your body has changed, your emotions are changing, relationships with your partner and peers have changed, how you identify yourself may change, how you manage your work life has changed, and perhaps how you view your future has changed. It is not uncommon to experience a period of grief during this transition, allow yourself time and compassion to adjust.
Let go of your expectations
• There is not one single way you should be feeling at this time. You may experience many different emotions, including happiness or sadness. • Your experience of taking care of your baby or breastfeeding may not be what you imagined. Reach out to your parenting or infant experts to get help! • You do not need to “appear to have it all together”. Nobody is expecting you to have a perfectly clean house or to leave the house with matching socks! • Remind yourself that this is a transitional period and it will take time to adjust to your new normal.
Take care of your body
• SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP! Getting enough rest can be a game changer both for your body’s healing process and for your mood. Talk with yo ur partner or support people about ways you can get a 4-hour stretch of uninterrupted sleep. Embrace the advice to sleep when your baby sleeps. • If formula feeding: have someone give your baby a bottle to allow for some protected time for you to sleep • If breastfeeding: pump and store additional milk so someone can feed your baby while you sleep. If you are working to increase your milk supply, take the pump with you and wake up and pump and leave the expressed milk at the bedside and go back to sleep. • Make time to eat healthy foods high in protein and fiber and drink plenty of water. Have local support people set up a meal train or get food delivered to your home. • Get outside for some low-key exercise. Walking is a great way to take a break, get out of the house and move your body. If you are unable to walk, sit outside each day to get a breath of fresh air and some sunshine on your face.
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