We recommend giving the postpartum period some thought before your baby arrives. The moment you hold your baby in your arms, you'll be completely enchanted, and there's hardly any headspace left for organizing. Yet rest and recovery in the postpartum period are important topics, and they will be on your mind right after the birth. Together with your baby, you'll be finding your way into a new everyday life, and your sleep-wake rhythm gets turned completely upside down. Your little one will slowly get used to the world, but that naturally takes time.
Organizing a few things in advance helps a lot.
Organizing your postpartum period
If you can, get someone to support you. You'll enjoy this time most when you don't have to cook or go grocery shopping. And try to sleep yourself when your baby sleeps.
Nutrition in the postpartum period
Even if your world revolves around your baby right now, try to look after yourself too. Hold off on dieting: at first, the extra weight comes off all by itself. The weight of the placenta, the amniotic fluid and the baby is gone, and so is the water retention. Breastfeeding burns calories too. A healthy diet after the birth goes a long way toward giving you the energy you need. Healthy, nourishing but light meals are best. A strengthening broth is just as good for you as vegetables and healthy carbohydrates. Nuts are real superheroes when it comes to nutrients and healthy fats.
Maybe you can also start your first little rituals with your baby, ones you'll keep once the postpartum period is over. Use this time to feel your baby close to you and simply be near them. Skin-to-skin contact strengthens your bond and makes you happier than words can say.
How many visitors make sense?
Think ahead about how many visitors you'd like during this time, who will handle the practical everyday things and how you want to stay in touch with others. It may sound trivial, but it can have a positive effect on your stress level.
You can prepare the people around you for these weeks just as you prepare yourself. Is there someone who could bring food when they visit? Would your partner like to cook and take care of the household in the first weeks after the birth, and do they have the time? Or do you need extra help? Can you freeze meals or cook ahead? Who will keep the diapers stocked? Is there an online diaper subscription you could use? With good planning, the postpartum period becomes all the more enjoyable.
Your body's changes in the postpartum period
Your body has plenty to do during this time. In the postpartum period, your uterus shrinks back. Meanwhile, milk production is running at full speed. Hormones are the invisible companions behind the physical changes, and they also bring the emotional highs and lows. Your body is busy with all these changes, with rest and with recovery at the same time. Ups and downs in your mood are completely normal. Your uterus grew during pregnancy and at the time of birth has the volume of a medicine ball. After the birth, its muscles contract again, so you may feel afterpains. Within about six weeks it returns to its normal size.
Wound healing in the postpartum period
After the birth, the placenta detaches and leaves behind a wound that needs to heal. The postpartum period gives that wound a good chance to heal. Bleeding can be very heavy in the first days after the birth. This bleeding, called lochia, usually stops after five to six weeks and changes color along the way: it gets lighter and lighter until it disappears completely. Our tip: skip tampons and keep things clean with lukewarm water, regular rinsing and hand washing. Every body reacts differently to giving birth, so be prepared to give yours time to regenerate. Injuries can happen during birth. Perineal tears, an episiotomy or a C-section are possible, and bruising in the tissue isn't unusual either. Cooling compresses and pads with herbal ointments can help. So besides rest and recovery, the postpartum period is also the time for injuries to heal.
All of this, and much more, is completely normal. If you feel unsure or unhappy, talk to your doctor and your midwife. They are both there for you and will support you with every question and every feeling.
The postpartum period shapes strong characters
So, as you can see, the postpartum period brings together the best of both worlds:
It becomes your retreat, where you rest and get used to your new life. Meanwhile, your body works tirelessly. And at the same time something magical happens: quietly, the bond with your baby takes root and grows a little more each day, until it has become a strong tie. A secure bond is like a protective cloak that surrounds your child throughout their development. This protection equips your child to cope with stress and develop healthy self-confidence. Bonding is the foundation for creativity, adaptability and perseverance. Empathy and strong social skills also grow out of the bond formed in these first weeks and months. Fascinating, isn't it?
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Looking for a lovely alternative to a baby rocker? Then take a look at our baby hammock for daytime naps. Your baby will love it, and we're sure you will too!
We write in depth about the postpartum period and all the other topics around birth that matter to us.
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