Are you going to be having a baby soon? Are you prepared for the initial postpartum period? Those first six weeks can be hard, and they have their challenges, but those challenges don’t necessarily end at six weeks and one day postpartum.

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Usually the first six weeks are the hardest, but that isn’t always the case. Some mommas find that the newborn stage is the easiest because baby sleeps almost all the time. Once she is healed this gives mom time that she needs for self-care and regular day to day activities. It isn’t until later when baby is awake more and moving around that they start to struggle to take care of things around the house and themselves.

Other mommas definitely struggle through these first six weeks. They have to figure out how to handle a little one who is dependent on them for everything. They struggle with getting enough sleep because they are worrying, or they feel like they have too many things to do.

Having come through first year postpartum three times now, I know that each time I have handled things differently. Physically I have recovered differently,  mentally and emotionally I have had different things come up at different times, hormones have settled at different times, etc.

Each momma will find that the first year postpartum is not going to be the same as how her mother’s first year after baby may have been, or her sister’s first year after the birth of her oldest, or her best friend’s experience, but in fact they may be drastically different. This is NORMAL. We are not all the same. We were created differently.

With that in mind there are things that we all can do to thrive in the first year postpartum.

Six Essential Tips for Thriving During the First Year Postpartum

Nourish Your Body

Nourishing your body is so important as you are healing after birth, rebuilding vitamin and mineral stores, and, if you are breastfeeding, as you are nourishing your baby. Make sure that your diet includes: *proteins- red meats, fish, poultry, dairy, and eggs

*healthy fats- avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts, and egg yolks

*healthy carbs- whole grain oats, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, sweet potatoes, potatoes, whole grain breads, and fruits

*lots of veggies and greens

*low sugar- sugar is proven to boost inflammation and lower your immune system, during the first year postpartum your body is already running on fumes because of lack of sleep, rebuilding vitamin and mineral stores lost during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and a lowered immune system won’t be able to fight off all the viruses that go around.

*continue your prenatal vitamin- I must admit I suck at taking pills; I felt silly the other day because I bought a pill box, but it has made it a lot easier to remember to take my pills because they are all out already. Anyway, look for a high quality prenatal, one that is made with real food ingredients as those pills will be more easily absorbed by your body. I really like this Garden of Life Prenatal made with whole foods.

Take Care of Your Body With Exercise

Once you have your doctor or midwife’s permission to start exercising again, and you know whether you have an abdominal diastasis that needs to be addressed and healed, start back into your exercise routine slowly.  For some women working back into their routine may go quicker than it does for others. Exercise benefits you in the first year postpartum because it releases endorphins that help you to feel good about yourself, something that is helpful during the time when you are exhausted and feeling like you will never be “normal” again.

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Protect Your Mental and Emotional Health

Protect your mental and emotional health by making sure that you have time for self-care. Self-care is anything that makes you feel like you have been cared for. For some moms, this is working out, for others cleaning the house, scrapbooking, journaling, having an hour alone every day, being able to go out with friends once a week, etc. Whatever it is that makes you feel loved and cared for, make sure that you are taking the time to do that.

Be aware of the signs of Perinatal Mood Disorders like Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Anxiety Disorder. Have your husband watch for these signs in you and likewise you watch for the signs of PMD in your husband. While not as frequently diagnosed in men as in women it is a struggle that men do deal with after the birth of their child. If you notice any of the signs, here is an article that has amazing explanations of PMD and PPD, please, please, please, SEE A DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY!!!!

Sit down and make boundaries if needed. Relationships and tasks that may have seemed easy and great before you had your baby may no longer seem that way, sit down with your spouse and create a plan to protect your mental health and your emotional health by eliminating tasks that are overwhelming you, and create boundaries in relationships if you feel like those relationships aren’t the best thing for you and your family at the time.

Basically, you want to eliminate as much stress as possible. I know that you won’t be able to eliminate all things that may be stressing you, but try to get rid of as much as possible.

 

Find Your Community

Something that is very important in your journey as a momma is finding a support team, or a community, people you can lean on when you need assistance, people you can trust with your children, your secrets, your fears, etc. Having the beginning to this support team before you have your baby is best and then you can grow the group of “insiders” as you progress on your journey as a momma.

Look for local support groups, play groups, MOPS meetings, churches that have Bible Studies with childcare, library reading times, etc. Use these meetings as places to find mommas that you can connect with, those who share your views, and some who don’t so that you have some balance.

Facebook and Instagram can also be great avenues for creating community, especially for those of us who are introverts, who aren’t able to get out as much as other mommas, or who don’t have any of the above programs available.

As you go through the different stages of motherhood, surviving toddlerhood, and the seasons that come with littles, you can also look to start your own support groups, both with local women, and online on FB or Instagram. You can encourage other women and build each other up together as you go through the different stages of life.

 

Protect Your Marriage

During the first year postpartum it is essential that you and your spouse find ways that you can protect and nurture your marriage through the transition and growth in your family. Breastfeeding mommas can find this very difficult as the baby wants to be fed often, or won’t take a bottle, in these cases plan at home dates- bring home takeout and rent a movie, or find a game to play.

Write notes to your spouse and leave them in their lunch, or send them texts throughout the day that remind them that you are thinking of them.

Remind your spouse of things they can do that make you feel loved and nurtured, if you are feeling loved and cared for you are more likely to want to love and nurture other people. Some mommas want their husbands to take the baby for one feeding per night {possible for nursing mommas if they can pump a bottle ahead of time}, some like a back massage or foot rub at night, others want time to soak in the bath. Make sure that your spouse knows your love language and knows how they can help support you in motherhood which in turn allows you to nurture your marriage relationship.

As baby gets older you may be able to get away for a night or two for some intentional alone time. It can be hard to leave your little one, but it is so vital that you work to protect your marriage and maintain a good example for your children. Teach them to protect and honor marriage by showing them what a healthy marriage relationship looks like.

 

Give Yourself Grace

This may be the most important thing to remember. Momma, you must give yourself grace as you go through the first year postpartum, you must be prepared for the bad days and be ready to celebrate on the great days. You need to pick yourself up on the bad days and know that tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow you can try again to be the best mother you can for your children. You may not be like any other mother you know, but you are the best mother for your little one.

 

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