A Healthy Balance After Birth

As you are anticipating the arrival of your little one, you’re probably very busy preparing for the big day and getting your house in order to welcome home your precious sweet pea. It’s equally important to consider how you can prepare yourself—as well as those around you—for your postpartum recovery.

New moms—and let’s face it, all moms—often struggle with balance. It’s important to give yourself permission to focus on what really matters after giving birth. It’s easy to forget to take care of yourself when you have a new baby who needs you, but your whole household will reap the benefits of a well-rested new mom.

Your body just went through incredible changes and finally delivered a human, and now it’s going to go through a host of postpartum changes too! As much as you can, give yourself the rest you need to fully recuperate. Most women need at least a month to feel more physically like themselves, and emotionally, the full transition into mom mode can take much longer.

Enjoy quiet times bonding with your newborn, catch up on reading or writing, and work on your baby book. Don’t be afraid to ask for help with baby so you can take a good nap or relaxing bath.

Resist the urge to beat yourself up for not being as productive as you think you should be. Taking care of yourself and baby is the most important thing after delivery, and it’s okay to let some things slide… like laundry or dishes.

Do what you can now to make your postpartum days easier by making a plan to eat well without a fuss. Some moms cook healthy meals ahead of time and stick them in the freezer for easy reheating. Make simple staples easy to reach in various rooms of the house, like bottled water, granola bars and applesauce pouches.

Whatever you do in your postpartum days, focus on what matters and allow yourself to let go of any expectations of perfection and opt to be real. We promise that the results will be that much better!