New mums must make their own rest and recovery a priority
PREGNANCY, childbirth and caring for a newborn make huge demands on both the body and mind, and new mums taking time to recover is vital for both their welfare and baby’s. But it’s often not as simple as just trying to put your feet up – there are many things new mums might not be expecting during their postpartum recovery.
It’s important for new mums to rebuild their strength by getting plenty of rest, eating healthily, and getting help with chores and shopping for the first few weeks after the birth, stresses Michelle Lyne, professional advisor for education at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
“It’s really important that you take care of yourself after the birth so you’re in the best possible shape physically and mentally to look after your new baby,” she says.
And midwife Lesley Gilchrist, founder of My Expert Midwife (myexpertmidwife.com), adds: “When caring for a newborn, it can be difficult for new mums to make their own rest and recovery a priority – while many feel guilty if they do. However, this is a crucial part of the recovery process, and the better new mums feel, both physically and emotionally, the easier the transition into family life will be. But there may well be things a mum experiences during her recovery that she just wasn’t prepared for.”
Here Lesley shares some of the lesser-known aspects of postpartum recovery, along with guidance on how new mums can prioritise their physical recovery...