15 postpartum recovery tips you need to know

During pregnancy, we can become so fixated on the birth, the baby, the nursery and whether we have the right number of babygrows that we often forget about ourselves. But the reality is postpartum recovery really should be pushed somewhere towards the top of your list because childbirth is a big deal, as is the healing you will need to do after – physically, mentally and emotionally. I can say this from experience because sadly it was not something I did, and with the benefit of hindsight, I can now tell you how much I regret not having done so.

If you are due to give birth so, it’s important that you prioritise postpartum recovery. But how can you do that during the postpartum period when you have a new baby to care for, and an endless number of new priorities and demands? Here Lesley Gilchrist, registered midwife at My Expert Midwife – a new skincare range developed for mums by expert midwives – shares her top tips for postpartum recovery.

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The first three months after childbirth are often referred to as the fourth trimester and should be thought of as a time where you prioritise your own recovery, as well as bonding together with your newborn as a family. We often hear about how hard the physical and emotional recovery from childbirth can be, so preparing yourself for the realities of your postnatal recovery, ensuring you have the things you need to promote your own comfort around you, as well as help on hand if needed during this period can make a great difference to how you feel.

Here are my 15 top tips to help your fourth trimester and postpartum recovery be a smoother one:

Keeping comfortable

Make sure you have things that are going to aid your comfort close at hand especially before sitting down to feed baby. These might include a curved cushion for support when holding or feeding baby, pain relief if needed, snacks, as well as drinks and your mobile and charger.

Creating time and space to recover

Explain during your pregnancy to friends and family that you will need time to heal and recover. Protect the early days after the birth when bonding as a family by not having too many visitors too early on. Ask those who you do want to visit to help you out by bringing some shopping or doing a household chore.

Getting the right nutrition

Breastfeeding uses around 500 calories a day, so make sure you are eating well and drinking regularly to stay hydrated.

Your body is in recovery mode from the pregnancy, labour and birth, especially if there have been any difficulties or complications. Eating nutritious healthy food such as fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and pulses will help your body heal and recover quicker.

Asking for help

We can be quite reserved when it comes to asking for help, but those close to you are often more than willing when asked. People in general love to feel helpful to new parents – ask them if they can bring you a home cooked meals round when they visit or take other children for an outing for a few hours.

If you are feeling like you need a few days space or are overwhelmed by too many visitors, prioritise your own needs and make sure you or your partner say no kindly, but firmly to family and friends. The first few days and weeks cannot be relived, so make them yours and how you would like them to be.

Enter the baby blues

Around 80% of women experience the ‘baby blues’, which are often linked to hormonal changes and physical factors like lack of sleep, pain and body changes. These feelings should lift in a short period of time with support, help and encouragement. If your emotions do not improve in the weeks following birth, the sooner you seek support, the better. Confide in your loved ones and seek support from a medical professional, such as your midwife or health visitor. There are also a range of charities you could turn to, which offer support with perinatal mental health. For instance, the PANDAS Foundation provides a safe community to parents affected by perinatal mental illness.

Be kind about your body

Unrealistic expectations of what women should look like after childbirth can leave new mums feeling unhappy when they should feel incredibly proud of what they have achieved- growing and birthing a new human! We are all different but we should focus on starting physical activity gently after childbirth. Start by enjoying short walks with your newborn and gradually building up to pre-pregnancy levels of fitness, without rushing to return to this within weeks of the birth.

Let’s talk pelvic floor

One type of exercise that should be started as soon as you feel able to are pelvic floor exercises. The pelvic floor muscles help with bladder and bowel control now and in later life, as well as improving sexual satisfaction- so they are worth paying attention to.

Reducing the risk of infection

Changing maternity pads regularly will help reduce the chances of infections occurring, especially if you have stitches. Pads should be changed at least every 4 hours and washing your hands before and after changing will help with preventing the spread of infection.

Keep it simple

Don’t make unnecessary work for yourself in the early days and keep baby care to what is needed. Your baby needs to be clean, but this does not involve daily bathing. Top and tailing is enough for most babies in the first couple of weeks and also helps their microbiome develop- this is their own unique ‘friendly bacteria’ population that helps to protect their skin.

Pain relief

Tummy cramps can be common in the first few days after birth. This is the uterus shrinking back down to its non-pregnant size. Make sure you have regular pain relief if needed and a heat pack or hot water bottle to soothe your tummy.

Make time for you

Having a newborn is tiring but equally, you need to set time aside for your own recovery. Try to have 30 minutes every day where your partner or a family member watches the baby so you can do something that helps you relax. This could be a walk, a lie down on the bed or a soak in the bath – whatever helps you the most.

C-section recovery

One in four births are via C-section in the UK. If this is the way your baby has been born you need to take care of your baby as well as healing from the surgery. Take things slowly and if you feel ill, your wound is oozing, smelling or looking inflamed contact your midwife or maternity triage for assessment.

Hello haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids (or piles) are basically weakness in a vein around your anus that causes blood within that vein to ‘bulge’ causing pain, swelling, itching and (in some cases) bleeding. This can often occur during pregnancy as well as after childbirth. You don’t have to suffer in silence with this condition though as there are topical medications to treat the affected area. There are also natural remedies that can help ease symptoms, including taking a sitz bath (this is a small bowl that fits over your toilet) for fifteen minutes several times a day or placing an ice pack wrapped in a towel on the sore area to reduce swelling.

Remember, the postpartum period is a time to be gentle with yourself and take things slowly. It’s important to look after your body and mind in this delicate phase, as well as your baby. Hopefully, the above tips will help you to transition into the fourth trimester in your own sweet time.

Baby photo created by freepik, Food photo created by master1305

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