Mums health is important when you are carrying a little child in your womb. Becoming a mum is a dramatic event, not only in the life of your baby, but also for you.
There are the broken nights, when you have to get up to feed your baby, and in the first months you can sit up for hours trying to soothe a screaming newborn back to sleep. Then there is the feeling of weakness as you get through postnatal bleeding and your body settles down. Hormonal surges also have their effect as your hormones readjust after pregnancy and labour. If this is your first baby, you may also be getting used to breastfeeding, and in the beginning you may feel sore, constantly hungry, and very weak until you get used to it.
Paradoxically, even though this is the time that you need to take care of yourself the most, this is also the time when many women neglect themselves. They are so busy trying to take care of their babies, their homes, and the rest of the family that their own health issues fall by the wayside.
It is very important to look after yourself following birth for three very good reasons:
To successfully breastfeed a baby, you need to eat well and drink enough. To help you, here are some easy habits to adopt:
Another secret of good health is rest. If this is your first, it’s easy. “Mummy sleeps when baby sleeps” is a famous saying. But if you have other children, that’s not always possible. In this situation, you need help.
Expecting your partner to do everything might not always work. He’s already overburdened, helping your other children to adapt to the new arrival, running errands, and probably trying to hold down a job at the same time.
Don’t push yourself to wash the dirty floor or clean the toilet the minute you get home from hospital. For the next two or three weeks at least hire a cleaner if you can and if you can’t, grit your teeth. If you can, find a reliable older teenager to watch your other kids for two hours in the afternoon, so that you can get some rest. Your kids would prefer the playtime and having a smiling, refreshed mother afterwards rather than a tired old wreck. And a healthy mum more than justifies the expense.
Most importantly, if you are worried or overwhelmed, never hesitate to ask for guidance. If you feel very depressed, speak to your local health department or therapist.
Looking after yourself by eating and drinking well, resting enough, doing postnatal exercises, and taking personal time for yourself will ensure mums health and babies health are excellent.