Postpartum Recovery Plan
The 4th trimester. An important part of the Motherhood Journey.
Postpartum Recovery Plan
Postpartum care is so important for both new & experienced mothers alike. A holistic care plan set in place can help alleviate some of the hard things that come along with introducing a new baby into your world. I’ve compiled this list over the course of my own postpartum planning + experience and would like to extend it to other soon-to-be mamas in hopes of setting you up for a bit of success.
Birth, after all, isn’t just about making babies, but also about making strong, capable mothers who believe in their own inner strength.
– Barbara Katz Rothman.
What this post covers:
focusing on physical healing
rest physically + mentally
nutrient dense + warm food
beverage enhancement
nourishing your stress response
inviting postpartum help
1. Focusing on Physical Healing
Truly rest, sit and allow the body to heal. No matter your type of delivery (cesarean or vaginally), bringing a baby into this world leaves mama with lots of wounds. Your postpartum body will need lots of healing and replenishment, this won’t happen overnight, but over the course of a several weeks to even months.
Do your best to lounge + rest. Avoid any heavy lifting or stairs, driving, and even walking should be at a minimum for the first few weeks— by doing this, the faster your body will recover and the less likely you will have long-term damage to your body and pelvic floor. I know, it’s hard not to be up and about, especially if you have other children to care for or want to be in charge of specific tasks, however setting these boundaries will make a long-term difference.
I remember after my first child was born, I felt so good a couple days after delivery. I was up walking around + picking things up as if nothing happened. That evening, my body told me that I did way too much by being very painful + sore. I ended up not being able to get up for another few days except to pee. I did have postpartum help in the home that I could’ve utilized more wisely.
Holistic Solutions to Help Healing:
chiropractic
non-toxic perineum care
homeopathics such as arnica montana
heating pad or hot water bottle
CBD cream
organic cotton pads + underwear
2. Rest Physically + Mentally
Sleep & rest are actually quite different. While both are needed during the postpartum recovery period, sleep may become something that all the sudden becomes more + more foreign to the body after having a baby. I encourage lying in bed and dozing with baby as often as you can, this is how I was able to combat the lack of sleep paradigm that happens & we know that sleep is important for restoring effectively.
Resting means embracing quiet, play and leisure activities. Rest comes by engaging your brain in a book or your body in activities different from the usual. It is anything that makes us feel the best version of ourselves when the activity is over, and certainly hard to come by with a newborn.
Babywearing can assist in getting things done with both hands available + free.
Ways to Rest with a Newborn:
pop on your favorite movie while bebe naps on your chest
go for a drive while baby sleeps & flip on a podcast
a warm bath
get fresh air
bake cookies or make a yummy hot drink
read a book
call a friend for a chat
3. Nutrient Dense + Warm Food
Warming the body is key to postpartum healing and a part of postpartum practices in traditional cultures all over the world. Let’s hone this in in the kitchen as well. This follows the traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicinal practices. While in postpartum, you are in a state of weakened energy. Warm foods and warming spices bring up the body’s energy, helping mama heal faster. Cold foods, cold drinks and cold air require more energy to digest and assimilate thus taking away from the healing process!
Get extra cozy with a blanket + wool socks, take warm baths, and bring the body’s energy up with soups, teas + warming spices.
*warming spices can include black pepper, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, cumin, rosemary.
dahl with jasmine rice
congee
a warm chai latte or hot cacao
herbal teas
slow roasted meats & veggies
stewed fruits
ginger + turmeric chicken soup
check out what I stocked my freezer & pantry with here. Stocking the Freezer & Pantry for Baby #2
4. Beverage Enhancement
Enhance your beverages by focusing on electrolytes, adaptogens and tonics. Drinking plain water can dilute or even flush out important minerals your body needs. In my opinion, this can be one of the easiest ways to add nutrients to a diet at any point of life, however, especially vital after giving birth and furthermore having a breastfeeding relationship. This can be a quick way to prioritize yourself and can be a helpful treat to bring along while you run to an appointment or sip on while feeding baby.
Having plenty of drinks that are nourishing + hydrating is key to energy, mental health, breastfeeding, digestive health, and avoiding constipation as well as encouraging the liver to flush out and detox.
warmed broth
herbal teas with honey
trace minerals drink packets
chai tea
coconut water, lemonade and salt
dandy blend
*focus on minerals. an easy way to add this in is by adding a high-quality salt to your drink, such as ‘Redmond’s real salt’.
5. Nourishing Your Stress Response
Going through pregnancy, birth + postpartum creates ample stress on your body, both physically and mentally. Not only did you just create an entire human, (first of all, how epic!) but now your sleep is totally interrupted & minimal even on your best day.
When the body is in this weakened state and not getting full sleep— nourishment & supplements will help with two things; 1. in-the-moment energy but also 2. long-term replenishment! Many health problems in women that arise years or even decades later, stem from postpartum depletion. Take the next few years to replenish your body’s energy and nutrient stores! Totally worth the upfront investment.
Minerals + Nutrients to Restore
cod liver oil
magnesium
vitamin C
vitamin B
Drinks that can help lower stress response
adaptogens such as mushroom tonics
herbal teas such as chamomile + lavender
“What wings are to a bird, and sails to a ship, so is prayer to the soul.”
– Corrie Ten Boom
6. Inviting Postpartum Help
As previously mentioned, your body has gone through tremendous changes & absolutely needs time to recover, what better way to prioritize your healing journey than to invite dear friends and family into this special and vulnerable time.
When you are ready to have visitors to come meet your newest + littlest addition, it is okay to set certain boundaries and ask for help. Set your village up for success by jotting down things that are important to you and important to the function of your specific household.
Ways Your Community Can Rally
take the dog for a walk or older kid pickup
doing a housekeeping sweep i.e. fold a load of laundry, wash dirty dishes, empty the garbage
set up a meal train
draw a bath + brew a cup of tea
grocery run
Being a mama is truly a beautiful thing, but it’s also one of the most difficult things we go through. That is why taking care of ourselves, from the inside out, is so important to being the best mama we can be.
I hope this post helps you create a customized recovery plan for during the first special months postpartum & you are able to enjoy such a fleeting time with your new precious baby!
Caio for now! - Morgan