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Hey mamas! I’m now officially on the other side of my pregnancy, and couldn’t be happier with how things have been playing out. My birth was an amazing and transforming experience, and so far postpartum has been treating me pretty well. I’m so in love with baby Christopher and grateful for the sweet little addition he is to our family!

During the first days of your baby’s life, it can be really common for everyone to suddenly switch from taking care of the pregnant mama to focusing mainly on the baby. But these first few weeks are such a sacred and tender time for you, mama. You’ve just been radically transformed into a mother, and you not only deserve - but need - special care and attention as you heal from the incredible feat of growing and delivering a tiny human.

Building a support network

Cultures around the world have built-in support systems, rituals, and routines that every postpartum mother gets to partake in. Most of these require a new mom to spend a solid chunk of time (up to a few months!) in bed recovering, while sisters, grandmas, and aunties take care of every little thing.

Unfortunately, our culture isn’t set up like that, which leaves it to us to create our own network of friends and family for support. If you’re fortunate enough to have family nearby, I’d recommend having a conversation with them before your baby is born about the type of support you hope to receive.

If you’re short on family, consider hiring a postpartum doula, a babysitter or nanny for older kids, and/or a housekeeper to come and help keep things under control while you’re recovering.

And it’s not a bad idea to have a conversation with your partner about the level of rest you’re going to require in order to make a swift and full recovery! Going through the Fair Play book or card deck could be a good starting point for getting on the same page about tasks that need to be done to keep your household running.

This leads me to my next piece of advice, which is…

Creating a postpartum plan

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of writing up a postpartum plan while you are still pregnant. In my opinion, it’s just as - if not more - important than a birth plan! Don’t get me wrong - birth plans are important, but giving birth is just a one day event (hopefully!), and postpartum lasts for months.

In a culture that tells us we have to be supermom, it can be hard to ask for help when you’re feeling vulnerable. And in the haze of postpartum, it can honestly be hard to even know what you need. But it’s also true that people in your life really, truly want to help!

I’ve found that a way to ease the awkwardness of asking for help in the moment is asking for it ahead of time by way of your postpartum plan assignment. Think of a few good friends and approach them with something like, “Hey! My prenatal yoga instructor told me to create a postpartum plan, and I was wondering if you’d be able to help me with {meals/cleaning/laundry/shopping} once my baby arrives?” If they say yes (which they most likely will!), write their name down on your plan. Then, when you’re exhausted and bleary eyed and you see their name on your plan, it’ll remind you that they already said “yes” to helping.

Meal prep/meal train

Did you know that other cultures have special foods that they prepare specifically for postpartum women? These usually include healing soups with warming spices and easily digested vegetables. After you’ve given birth, your body needs specific types of foods and nutrients to help you with your healing and recovery.

I love the book The First Forty Days as a recipe guide (and also inspiration and encouragement for this sacred time). Many of the recipes can be made ahead of time and frozen!

Between family, friends, coworkers (and other mamas you’ve met at Empowered Mama Fitness!), hopefully you have a solid network of people who will want to support you in any way possible after your baby is born, and you’ve included them in your postpartum plan! If someone offers to organize a Meal Train for you, please take them up on it. If no one local has offered, this could be a practical opportunity for non-local friends or family members to help you out by taking the lead on setting this up.

And once your frozen stash and meal train meals have run out, consider a meal prep delivery service like Hello Fresh to keep the sustenance coming.

Pro tip: During your first weeks of breastfeeding you get huuuuuungry!! In addition to meals, I love to have quick snacks on hand like muffins, energy balls, and lactation cookies. This way, when hunger strikes, you have something quick to grab that’s nutritious and filling to take the edge off until meal time.

Support for your recovering body

During your first weeks of postpartum, your body is going through so much all at once. From recovering from birth to sustaining a new human life (all without more than a three hour stretch of sleep!), it’s so important that you take care of yourself! Not just for your benefit, but for your baby’s as well. If you prioritize taking care of yourself, you’ll be able to better care for your baby.

Although you definitely need to take it very easy, your body needs a little movement as it’s recovering from birth. You can start with something as simple as mindful breathing while lying or sitting in bed. Focus on gently connecting with your core with each exhale. Seated cat/cow is a safe and lovely exercise that’s sure to get you feeling refreshed. Gentle head tilts to stretch your neck or ankle rotations while sitting in bed are easy things you can do any time. Any little movement you can incorporate into your resting period will go a long way toward helping you to feel like a human!

I strongly recommend getting in to see a physical therapist who specializes in core and pelvic floor. These professionals can work wonders and get you feeling so much better with expert care and guidance. Due to the personal nature of these appointments, it’s important to work with someone that you like and trust. I have personally worked with and love:

• Jamie of Empowered Women’s Wellness. (Bonus: She will actually come to your home for appointments which is extremely helpful and convenient when you have a little one.)
• April of Pelvic Balance Physical Therapy. She helped fix my pubic symphysis pain in my first pregnancy.
• Dr. Stefanie of Full Circle PT. She helped close my diastasis using visceral manipulation.

And here are some amazing postpartum care products that I couldn’t live without, and highly recommend to you as well!

Self Care products:

Frida mom peri bottle

Sitz bath and herbs

Perineal spray

Belly wrap

C-section support wrap

Cooling pad liners

This glass water bottle (I’ve mentioned before!) for hydration!

Electrolyte powder

Breastfeeding-related products:

Haakaa. (Attach this to the opposite breast that your baby is nursing on, and it’ll collect your letdown, so you can use this milk for supplementing or storing without having to do ANY work!)

Hot/cold breast pads (the warming aspect of these is especially useful if you’re dealing with a plugged duct)

Nursing gown & robe

Nipple cream

Nursing bras and tanks

Conclusion

Postpartum can definitely be an intense season not without its challenges, but with thoughtful preparation, it can be one hundred times easier. You are doing such good, amazing work, mama, and you deserve all the care and attention in the world. That’s why it’s important to build up a community around you and enlist helpers of all kinds during these wild weeks.

I hope that my recommendations have been helpful and inspirational to you as you prepare to meet your little one! Please let me know if you have any questions or want to talk more. I’m in it with you and I’m cheering you on!

XO,

Kelly