Self-care during pregnancy is something most women consider. Though the numbers are slightly less, many women also consider their health prior to becoming pregnant also. Both of these times are important to look after a woman’s health and wellbeing.
However, many women forget to or aren’t able to look after themselves post-pregnancy- often because the baby takes priority- and this can be one of THE most vulnerable times in a woman’s life. I have specifically stated post-pregnancy here, rather than post-birth, as a woman needs to look after herself almost more-so after a miscarriage , still-birth or termination.
Pregnancy- as a physiological event- puts a lot of stress on a woman’s body. Increased blood flow, increased weight, changes in hormones, fatigue, increased requirement for nutrients, changes in bowel function, leaking boobs, not to mention haemorrhoids and pelvic floor dysfunction/ issues! Sounds fun, right?
It can be; but for so many woman it presents challenges in different ways. Pregnancy is such an individual experience for each woman, that finding support for how you might be feeling can also be a challenge. It is also incredibly important to let yourself recover well after such an event.
So, here are some suggestions of things you could think about for looking after yourself, your partner, or a friend or family member post-pregnancy.
4 days post-home-birth, hanging on the couch where Fergus was born!
1. Mental health and wellbeing- being a new mum or dad is intense and overwhelming. Incidentally, so are the feelings experienced from a loss. Make sure you have someone you can talk to who will listen without judgement, and provide support or advice where necessary. This person may not actually be your own Mum, sister or partner. They might be a friend, a professional psychologist, or even your chiropractor. Whichever way, make sure you have someone, or a few ‘someones’ that you can call on. And BE SURE to actually call on them. You do no one any good suffering on your own and being staunch because ‘everyone goes through this’, or ‘some people are worse off than me’. This goes for mums and dads alike!
2. Allow for physical recovery - Jennifer Allison- author of the fantastic book ‘Golden Month- Caring for the World’s Mothers After Childbirth’- talks about protecting and nurturing a mother for at least 40 days post-pregnancy. This looks a lot like the mum doing ‘nothing’ but looking after her baby and taking it easy. This means other people doing your housework, contributing to your meals, spending a lot of time laying in bed or on the couch just loving your baby. And, if the baby hasn’t been possible, it means spending a lot of time laying in bed or on the couch just loving yourself.
3. Talk to your partner before the baby arrives- talk about how you would like things to look afterwards, and expectations from both sides. This can be a bit difficult to decide on, especially if it’s your first baby. Lucky for me, my husband already did almost all the cooking before Fergus arrived, so that was one thing I didn’t have to worry about. We also made sure Neal got some baby skin-to-skin time, because although the hormone swings aren’t the same for the partner it’s great for promoting oxytocin (the love-hormone) in the partner as well (good for mental wellbeing and family care!).
4. Support yourself with great nutrition - I kept a pretty intensive record of everything I ate and drank for the first couple of months after Fergus was born. Mostly this was to help keep my milk supply up, but it also made sure I had all the nutrients and energy I required to help my own healing (both physically and mentally).
Prepare jars of nuts that are easy to eat at any time (including 2am!), have your partner boil a couple of eggs before they go to work, have electrolytes available to balance out all the water you’ll be drinking, and pre-pack portion-sized smoothie ingredients and store in the freezer so you can easily make a smoothie on the go with a baby. Try to minimise fridge-cold foods and prioritise warm foods to help nourish and warm your body (even if it’s summer). I made my smoothies with hot water so they were room temperature or warm to drink.
5. Connect with nature - If you can, take yourself off down to the park, the lake, your back garden and just sit. Take a few big breaths of fresh air, look at the trees or the sky, and feel appreciation for that moment. I know this sounds a bit woo-woo, but it really does help to centre yourself in a crazy time. If you have one, don’t forget your baby.
(Remember to look after your pelvic floor- carrying your baby in a front pack isn’t for everyone…)
As a side note for self-care during pregnancy- did you know chiropractic care has been shown to improve pelvic floor function during pregnancy? It also helps to prepare your mind/ body and pelvis for birth and recovery post-birth.
All professional photos in this post were taken by Wendy Bowie @ Wendy Bowie Photography when I was 38 weeks pregnant. I wasn’t sure about sharing them on a public forum, but here we go! During my pregnancy I had a mix of chiropractic and osteopathic care and acupuncture. Post-pregnancy, I recorded everything I ate and drank to make sure I was eating and drinking enough for quality milk supply. I also continued my chiro and osteo care, saw a psychologist, had my family help with cleaning the house, and as mentioned, my husband to cook. I also made use of our back yard and the local parks and lakes for short walks to get out and enjoy some sunshine. It wasn’t easy, but we got there.