10 Helpful and Practical Tips

As the pregnancy progresses, the future mom will begin to think more and more about postpartum and family life with the arrival of a new element.

For the postpartum period to be a quiet time, it is necessary to anticipate a few things in order to facilitate the logistics of the baby’s early days at home and thus prevent the new mom from feeling overwhelmed.

Here are 10 helpful and practical tips for a smoother postpartum that you should start putting in place even before your baby is born.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Eat well, quality and eat regularly. Put your rest first and enjoy all the time you have available for sleep – ideally when your baby does it too. As soon as possible, resume low-impact physical activity, a short walk can make a difference in your overall well-being and postpartum recovery.

Establish a plan for the puerperium

Define activities that you can not miss, but also set periods to do something you enjoy. Plan meals and outings. See who will be available to help you and stay with your baby when needed. Invest in your preparation, both physical and emotional, with childbirth preparation classes, for example.

Cultivate your relationships

Don’t isolate yourself, talk to a friend or other postpartum women. Being in touch with others will help you feel active and connected with the rest of the world.

Promote your self confidence

Trust your instincts and the daily learning that you do with your baby. Time will show you that, as a rule, nothing is as complicated as it first appeared to be.

 Spend quality time with your baby

Take a walk with him, read him stories, sing to him, give him a massage. All of this will help you to tighten ties and strengthen the bond between you.

Be flexible

Keep your expectations realistic and don’t strive for perfection. Life happens beyond what we plan, so it needs to be flexible to make the necessary adaptations along the way. Remember that you are in the learning process and that it is all part of your evolution as a mother.

Cultivate your relationship with your partner

Plan moments for two. Reinforce your intimacy and complicity. It can be a special dinner, a movie session (even at home) or a massage. Remember that your relationship must exist beyond your parenting status.

Prioritize your needs

If you feel tired, rest. Keep a few minutes a day just for yourself. It can be for a relaxing bath or just for a 10 minute stroll through your neighborhood. The important thing is that every day you have the opportunity to feel connected to yourself and not give up (totally) of yourself.

Prepare meals in advance

Cook some meals and freeze them for the first few days at home with your baby. This will allow you to focus on yourself and your baby while ensuring that the family continues to eat healthy and balanced food.

Ask for help

Remember you don’t have to do everything yourself. Ask for help without any sense of guilt. People who like you will be happy to be able to help. Partner, family and friends, count on your early support network until you feel able to do more. If you still feel this help is not enough, seek professional help, whether you are a doula, a psychologist or even a person to help you with housework. Learn to listen and respect your needs so that you do not risk dealing with postpartum depression.

Which of these tips seems most important to you for a smooth postpartum?

With love, BBme by Joana Teles