5 Ways To Help Your Body Recover After Baby

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Congratulations, you made it through nearly ten months of pregnancy and the trials of labor. You may feel like all the hard work is behind you, but more likely you feel like the challenge has just begun. Besides caring for your adorable newborn, you also have to recover emotionally and physically. Giving birth is no walk in the park and you have to give yourself the time and space to fully heal. Here are five ways you can help your postpartum recovery go smoothly.

1. Look Into Light Therapy

Light therapy is a relatively new technology available to consumers. Its effects are quite impressive if you research red light therapy benefits. It’s a simple device that you can use daily to help speed up your recovery. There are different systems available and you can find the one that suits your needs the best. Healthy light is very important to our health physically and emotionally. It makes great sense to use a device that will be beneficial to your health postpartum and beyond.

2. Eat and Drink Well

There’s no doubt you are focusing heavily on making sure your infant is getting enough to eat, so it can be easy to forget to take care of your own nutrition needs. Get your partner to help you meal plan so that you have easy access to nutritious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. A little planning once a week will make eating regularly much easier.

Don’t forget to also focus on your hydration. If you are breastfeeding you will find you are extra thirsty. Always keep a large glass of water nearby and focus on drinking while your baby is feeding. Water is also crucial for our body’s healing process, so even if you aren’t breastfeeding it will be smart to up your water intake.

3. Give Extra Attention to Healing

Your body has been through the wringer whether you were able to deliver vaginally or had a planned or emergency c section. Take all the steps to follow the instructions your doctor provided to help your wounds heal faster and prevent any infections. It may feel excessive to use the warm water rinse bottle every time you use the restroom, but your body will thank you afterward for taking the time to care for it.

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Short Epsom salt baths in water that isn’t too hot are also a great way to recover if you gave birth vaginally. Ice packs and heating pads are helpful for c-section scars as well as vaginal recovery relief. Use all the extra pillows and helpful seating pads to aid in your comfort. You will be sitting much more in the early days of your recovery, so find the best ways to get comfy.

4. Socialize Regularly

You probably feel like you don’t have any time to see family or friends during these early days of caring for yourself and your baby, but it will help you in the long run. Socializing regularly doesn’t mean it is something that has to be done every day, but a little bit each week in a routine fashion will help. Socializing will boost your mood and help your emotional health. Seeing people regularly will also give you a chance to ask for help when you need it.

5. Take It Slow

If you really want to help your recovery along it is important to take it slow. It took almost 10 months to have the baby, don’t expect anything to return to normal faster than 10 months afterward. There are plenty of areas that recover after the general 6 weeks postpartum, but there are parts of postpartum recovery that just take longer. Give yourself the grace to take it slowly.

Postpartum recovery can seem like a long road ahead, but before you know it you will find a new normal. Take the time to care for yourself and ask for help from family and friends when you need it. Your body is remarkable at healing itself, so give it extra love where you can and trust the process.

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