Postpartum is one of the hardest and rewarding experiences that mothers go through. It’s a very unique experience and can be different for each mother. There are a few things that all mothers can do to help this healing phase go more smoothly, but also encourage the process of feeling like yourself again.
Get a Massage
Treatments are so important to making yourself feel taken care of during one of the most bodily traumatising things that a woman’s body can go through. While it can take up to 2 years for your body to fully recover, there are things you can do during this period to help your healing feel more comfortable, but also do things that are just for you.
While early postpartum, this might not be for you, but within a couple of months, when you can pump and leave your partner or family to bottle feed for an hour or so, it’s the perfect opportunity to go or ask someone to come to you for a body massage. A much-needed reward for your body to get some care, lymphatic drainage and some much-needed relaxation.
In the same breath, you could double this up and get the regular treatments that you weren’t able to while pregnant, such as Botox, dermal filler or microneedling in Cheshire by your chosen aesthetics practice.
Get Ready
Make a deal with your partner that an hour in the morning is their bonding time and your time to get ready. Getting ready really does set your day off right, but lounging in pyjamas, while also very needed from time to time, can sometimes make you feel worse throughout the day. Spend an hour having a hot shower, do your hair and put on a very small amount of makeup if you wish or if it makes you feel better.
Influencer Nara Smith say’s even with 3 kids she needs to do this ritual every day, otherwise it feeds into the feeling crappy all day. She went on to say that just the smallest little change, like into day clothes, can transform her day.
Music As An Emotional Regulator
If you are anything like me, being in a quiet home can make me feel tired, bored and encourage bad habits such as scrolling, and as a new mother, you don’t have the time to scroll; it does, however, make the hard bits more difficult to process or work through.
Music is a proven method to use for both yourself and the baby to help regulate emotions and remain calm throughout the difficult emotional parts. Having music that either fills the uncomfortable silence, makes you feel happy, or even something that helps you have a deep cry and let everything out.
Regulating emotions doesn’t always mean suppressing them or, more so, soothing them; they are also supposed to help you feel deeply and encourage you to process them fully before moving on. This means you aren’t taking unnecessary pent-up anger out on your partner when they don’t deserve it.
Brain Dump
Getting everything out in the open, while a lot of people don’t like to be negative and ‘woah is me’, but you need to do the opposite, so you aren’t suppressing your feelings, don’t hold it all in. This doesn’t have to be too anyone, but can be a private moment you share with yourself that allows you to rant and get out all of your frustrations.
I think you need to make a promise with yourself beforehand that once it’s left the room, it doesn’t follow you into spaces with your little one or partner.