Just as during pregnancy, it is also important for mothers to take care of themselves during the postpartum period.
Here are three tips that mothers can employ during this period to help them adjust to motherhood.
1. Get plenty of rest
No new mother needs to be a superstar and bounce back right after delivery. You need rest.
After delivering that bouncing baby boy or girl, it's normal to feel exhausted and fatigued, especially if you're a first-time mother.
This is because your body has undergone some changes, and so you need time to recover by resting.
Also, your baby will be waking you up a couple of times in the night for feeding and in the long run, you will find yourself not having enough sleep.
It is, therefore, advisable to get someone to help you manage other chores in the house to ensure you sleep when your baby sleeps.
2. Exercise
Well, taking care of the baby is an exercise on its own, but what we mean in this case is physical exercise.
Besides assisting in weight loss, physical exercise is important because it relieves stress, prevents postpartum depression and will also restore your muscle strength.
However, the exercise shouldn't be too extreme because you're still in a delicate state. Try walking around the house and if you're a yoga person, try having a session a day and when you're ready enough, you can start hitting the gym.
However, ensure you consult your doctor to give you a go-ahead on when it's okay to start exercising.
3. Eat healthily
It's normal for a mother to add weight after delivery. However, good eating habits will help you shed that weight.
Eat generous amounts of fruits, vegetables, proteins and whole grains.
If you're breastfeeding, it's important to increase your fluid intake, mostly water, milk and freshly blended juice. Stay away from alcohol, caffeine and junk foods.