The transformation into motherhood is fantastic. However, after carrying a baby in the womb for months, women usually feel exhausted after giving birth. The postpartum period is challenging as you must adjust your life with a little one. The stress and demands of a baby, maintaining a healthy relationship, managing a job, and trying to get back a pre-baby body seem overwhelming. But following some simple tips can help you stay healthy and energized. Here are seven postpartum wellness tips that will help you feel your best.
1. Eat Quality Food
Eating quality food after delivery is critical as it plays a vital role in improving your physical and mental well-being. Furthermore, it has a special significance in the health and growth of the baby if you breastfeed.
Food rich in healthy carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes and whole grains, is highly beneficial. In addition, consume high-quality proteins and leafy greens to improve overall health, energy, and recovery. Bone broth is considered an excellent blood-building food, and nuts are a great source of essential vitamins and minerals. They help to nourish your body, mind, and baby.
2. Drink Plenty of Water
Thirst increases for breastfeeding moms tremendously. So drinking plenty of water is essential to keep up your milk supply. It is also great for non-nursing moms as well. Staying hydrated helps boost energy levels, assists in weight loss, and improves cardiovascular and mental health. Ensure you drink water at least half of your weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you must drink 70 ounces of water daily. If you do not like drinking plain water, you can add some flavor to it.
3. Tackle the Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression is a real thing. Almost one in seven women experience it. Adjusting your life with a newborn is hard as you run on no sleep, deal with your changed body, and experience hormones raging all over the place, making you depressed a lot.
Breathing exercises can help you tackle postpartum depression. You can also try drinking anti-stress drinks and consuming a maximum of magnesium to control anxiety. Meditation and yoga are the practices that can assist you during this period.
4. Choose Right Postpartum Exercises
Don’t try to overdo anything during your postpartum period. Your figure goes through a lot during pregnancy and cannot return to its previous shape overnight.
Start with low-intensity strength training and cardio. However, high-intensity workouts are a great way to burn out fats, but it is crucial to take things slower during the postpartum period. This is because exercise increases serotonin levels in the blood and reduces stress and anxiety. But remember, it is more about moving and feeling good than pushing yourself and burning calories.
5. Pay Attention to Your Sleep
Insufficient sleep increases the risk of postpartum mental health issues. However, it is hard to sleep when you have so much to do but stay proactive about having enough of it. Align your sleep schedule with your baby. For example, if he sleeps at 8 pm, sleep with him. You can also call your close friends and relatives to come over the weekend and spend time with your baby, so you can spend some extra hours sleeping.
6. Be Kind to Yourself
During postpartum, most women get so hard on themselves. Adjusting to hormonal and physical changes feels challenging, and it becomes difficult to engage in regular activities like showering and cooking meals while taking care of a baby.
It is vital to be nice to yourself and avoid negative self-talk. Remember, being a parent means bringing many changes to your daily life. You might become unable to do a task you were used to before becoming a mother. Talk to yourself like you do with your best friend. Be gentle and kind to make yourself feel good.
7. Continue with Multivitamins
It is an upright idea to talk about multivitamins or supplements with your doctor because they will cover the gaps in your diet. Pay special attention to consuming B vitamins because they help to metabolize homocysteine in the blood. In addition, increase your vitamin A, C, and D intake as they guarantee that you and your baby are healthy. Nursing moms need to improve their multivitamin consumption a little more because they need 500 calories extra than the non-breastfeeding mom.
*Information in this article is not medical advice and may not be factually accurate. It is intended for entertainment purposes only. Consult with a physician before attempting any tips in this blog post and to get the most up to date factual data about any procedure or treatment.
