A Guide to Postnatal Recovery
In the early days, it's not just the baby that will need to be cared for. Your body will need to heal and recover after childbirth. Here are the top 5 tips that can help start your recovery, as well as helping you settle in to your new life as a parent.
1. Ask for help

2. Eat well & stay hydrated

It is always a good idea to eat a balanced diet, but now more than ever. Your body is working hard to recover and heal, so it's important to help the healing process as much as possible by eating nutritious balanced meals, and including your five-a-day. Keeping hydrated is very important during and after pregnancy to help the body meet its changing physiological needs, such as building new tissue, producing extra blood etc. If you are breastfeeding, staying hydrated becomes even more of a priority for your body because some of your water is lost through breastfeeding. Also, the amount of water you drink may affect the amount of breast milk you are able to produce.
3. Sleep

4. Get Fresh Air

Going out for short walks, or sitting outside can help boost your mood and have a positive impact on your mental health which is essential for healing. Lightly exercising can also help your body to heal, you can exercise on your own or you can join fellow new parents in an exercise class. Exercising and befriending other new parents can also help provide some normalcy back into your life and a sense of community.
5. Be Kind To Yourself

Many new parents experience a mixture of feelings after they have given birth. It’s normal to feel emotional and upset in the first few days, this will usually pass within a couple of weeks. If it doesn't it is always a good idea to talk to friends and family about how you are feeling. If it gets worse, go directly to your GP.