This blog is intended for general information purposes only. If you have concerns about your health, speak to a medical practitioner.
Recovering from childbirth, whether it was a vaginal or caesarean section birth, is often a difficult thing to navigate. However, taking care of your body and mind is absolutely vital for your health and well-being. It can be difficult to know what exactly you need to look out for, especially in the fog that so often descends after an extremely intense physical and emotional event. So today, we’ll look at some tips for yourself or the new mum in your life to help make it through this transitory stage after the baby arrives.
Rest and Sleep
So simple, yet so very far from easy, this first tip is nevertheless here as it is incredibly important. It’s something that will be best achieved by having those around you help out. If you’re still in the hospital or birth centre in the first few days after delivery, the nurses and midwives will be able to give you some really good advice on how to adjust to what will be your new normal. Broken sleep is an inevitability with a newborn, as they need frequent feeding and changing. However, trying to remember that you can rely on others to help out with other things, especially if you’re breastfeeding, means you can take some of the pressure off yourself and rest when baby is sleeping. Even if you don’t sleep, taking an hour or two to just rest and close your eyes can go a long way towards letting yourself recover.
Nutrition
Another important thing for all new mothers, especially those who are breastfeeding, is ensuring you get a good amount of good-quality food and plenty of hydration. Keeping up the amounts of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and proteins (as fit your preferred diet) is important both for keeping your energy levels up and producing breastmilk. Many families find it helpful to make and freeze a good stash of easy-to-heat meals before baby arrives. If you have someone who has just had a baby that you want to help out, find out what they would like to eat and what is easy for them to eat, then decide what to make with that in mind. Keeping a water bottle nearby is also a great way to remember to keep your fluid intake up. Something like Haakaa’s 750ml Stainless Steel Thermal Flask is handy to have, as it’ll keep your drinks at just the right temperature – whether you prefer hot or cold drinks – to keep you going, and because it’s a large size, you don’t need to worry about filling it up as often.
Keeping Active
This one might take a little longer to get to, depending on how your delivery went, but it’s still good to get to it as soon as you can. Start off light, though – it’s best to begin with small increases in activity levels, then build up gradually over the coming weeks and months. Start off with small walks around the house and go from there. Of course, it also all depends on your activity levels beforehand and how things went with the birth. What’s important is to listen to your body and do what is possible.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
First up – what exactly is the pelvic floor? We’re often told these exercises are needed, but many don’t actually know what it is. In short, your pelvic floor muscles go across the bottom of your abdomen to support all of your pelvic organs1. This includes not just your uterus but your bladder and bowel, as well as forming your anal and urethra sphincters – so it’s pretty important that it’s able to do its job. One of the basic pelvic floor exercises is known as Kegels, and you can do these at any time, including while you’re still pregnant – and can be done standing, sitting, or lying down. To do them, find the correct muscles – tightening these is like cutting off your urine flow mid-stream. Try tightening the muscles and holding for three seconds, then relax for another three, maintaining your breathing as you do so. Try not to tighten any other muscles; instead, just focus on your pelvic floor. If you can, try to do 10-15 of these at a time, and try to repeat each set at least three times a day. Most importantly, don’t do this while going to the toilet, as this may prevent your bladder from fully emptying, leading to an increased risk of urinary tract infections.
Other Muscle Support
After having your baby, it’s not unusual to find that your abdominal muscles need more support. They can often separate during pregnancy to make room for your growing baby – this is known as diastasis recti and is the result of the connective tissue between your muscles stretching. So don’t worry, your muscles aren’t tearing. Almost every pregnant body will have some degree of diastasis recti, and it can take varying amounts of time to revert to normal. In addition, your pregnant belly doesn’t magically return to its pre-pregnancy shape and size – it’s common to continue looking a little pregnant as everything gradually shrinks down. Many women find the use of a belly band (aka belly wrap) helpful while everything is reducing back down. How does a belly band work? It’s essentially just an extra layer of support you can wear over your clothes during the day that can be adjusted to be just the right level of comfort and support for you. Haakaa’s Belly Band features a dual belt system that is kept in place with strong hook & loop tape, meaning it can be adjusted to the exact point you need it. Even better, it can be worn whether you’ve had a vaginal or caesarean section delivery – just position the band so the edge isn’t against your incision, and you’ll have a lovely wide band to support you throughout your day.
Checkups
In New Zealand, midwife visits are funded up until six weeks postpartum. During these visits, they’ll check on both mum and baby, asking questions about your physical and mental well-being. After this, you’ll be transferred to the care of another provider – Plunket is the most common, though other options are also available. These usually involve specialised nurses who can help you with any questions or worries. And, of course, you can always go to your usual health professional if you need to at any time.
There’s a lot more to postpartum care and well-being, so have a chat with friends, family, and maternity professionals around you to help tailor a plan that works for you.
1Pelvic floor exercises - New Zealand College of Midwives. (n.d.). New Zealand College of Midwives. https://www.midwife.org.nz/women/postnatal/pelvic-floor-exercises/