With each birth experience comes a postpartum experience. I'm now in my 6th postpartum after the birth of our son Zachary 9 weeks ago. With each birth, I have learned so much about the early postpartum time. It's really important to nurture your body, your baby and your family in special ways. Through my work with expecting mothers, I've come to realize that so many women don't understand this time and how to approach it for the best healing and bonding possible. I am sharing what I have learned and hope that it be a blessing to you as well!
Healing Necessities:
Witch Hazel-I always make sure I have distilled witch hazel on hand. It is an astringent herb that promotes healing and reduces swelling and bruising. I pour some on a cotton make-up pad and use it as a compress for healing in the perineal area. It's also GREAT for healing hemorrhoids. Postpartum women can be prone to hemorrhoids beyond the birth as everything takes time to heal up.
Herbal Healing Bath-This was the first time I tried this and it was wonderful, soothing and healing. It is a mixture of herbs that can be steeped and added to a bath in the first week after birth with some epsom salts. I ordered these herbs online and made several packs for my childbirth workshops but you might be able to find a pack at your local midwife's office. Here is the recipe I used:
Postpartum Healing Herbal Mix:
1 oz Lavender-Relaxation, helps with bruising.
1 oz Calendula-Knits wounds, soothes inflammation, controls bleeding, & heals damaged tissue. Antiseptic & antimicrobial.
1 oz Comfrey-Knits wounds, speeds healing. Astringent, anti-inflammatory & soothing. 1 oz Sheppard’s Purse-Reduces bleeding and bruising.
1 oz Uva Ursi-Antiseptic, antimicrobial & astringent.
Directions: Place contents of bag in a large pot with 8-10 cups of water. Cover & bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Let it steep for 40-60 minutes. Strain, reserving herbs. Repeat, reusing herbs with ½ the amount of water. Pour 4-5 cups of the liquid into a shallow bath or dilute ½ cup of liquid to 4 cups of water for use in a sitz pan or peri bottle. Refrigerate remaining liquid in clean containers until needed. Freeze if saving more than 2 days. Thaw and warm before use. Not recommended for surgical deep wounds. External use only.
Pain Management:
Cramp Bark-I use crampbark tincture (Viburnum Opulis) in a bit of water or juice in the 12 hours following birth and it really does helps soothe the afterbirth pains and cramping. This is also a wonderful help for those suffering from painful menstrual cramps.
Tylenol and Advil - Yes, I have also taken conventional pain killers such as Tylenol and Advil during the first few days after giving birth. The advantage of Advil (ibuprofen) is that it is anti-inflammatory and reduces swelling.
Homemade Ice Pack-In births where I have had more trauma to my perineum, I have found that soaking a menstrual pad in water, freezing it and "wearing" it has worked wonders to relieve swelling and pain.
Electric Heating Pad-I use this a lot in the last weeks of pregnancy to ease my aches and pains. But, it can be helpful to soothe cramping after the birth too!
Rest, Wonderful Rest!
I have really come to understand my need to rest and spend a lot of time with my feet up in the first 3 weeks postpartum. I have heard many times the idea that women should be on their feet quickly after giving birth. I have to disagree. Rest is so important to my healing. If I am on my feet too much too soon I will prolong my healing, often prolong my bleeding and stress my pelvic floor muscles. Rest also helps strengthen my emotional state! And, of course, rest is helps boost my milk production as well. But, perhaps the best thing of all is that while spending so much time resting, I can enjoy lots of snuggles with my new baby, cuddles with my other children and just taking life slowly. When I am slowing down to rest in early postpartum, my whole family tends to slow down with me. It's a special time of restoration for all of us as a new baby it is an adjustment for the whole family. I also like to set aside a book or two to read during this special time.
Replenish!
After I have a baby, I daily drink an herbal tea mix* of
Red Raspberry Leaf** (which helps tone the uterus),
St. John's Wort (which helps with emotional well-being),
Nettle Leaf (which is especially full of iron).
I occasionally add Alfalfa Leaf (great for calcium and other minerals) and Dandelion Leaf (which also helps replenish minerals). These herbs help rebuild my mineral stores and enrich my milk! With a spoon of honey, this tea mix is actually really delicious! I also take Vitamin D and if I remember, some Calcium. If my iron is very low, I do take those little green iron pills, but only after several weeks, when my system can handle them. Many moms continue to take prenatal vitamins in the postpartum period and this is also a good way to replenish.
*these are the herbs I am comfortable taking. I am not an herbalist and am not meaning this as medical advice. I have researched these time-tested herbs and have learned to use them for my benefit. Always make an informed choice.
**A note about Red Raspberry Leaf... I drink this herb almost daily whether postpartum, expecting or in between. It is wonderful for reproductive health and is known to help with uterine tone. Even after this last baby, the medical staff and my midwife were astonished at how quickly my uterus "clamped down" and returned to its pre-pregnancy size. I credit the Red Raspberry Leaf for that!
Physiotherapy and Exercise:
I always wait until after I am 6 weeks postpartum to exercise or do physiotherapy. Because I have a weakness in my pelvic floor muscles, I have been seeing a physiotherapist for the last 2 years. The results are truly positive and I have regained so much strength! With everything I have learned about pelvic organ prolapse and the pelvic floor, it is my strong belief that every woman should learn to nurture and strengthen her pelvic floor! It should be a lifestyle. My exercise really consists of step aerobics which I do as the free step on the Wii. 30 minutes/day for 3 to 5 days per week is what I try to accomplish. I also have some exercises to do as part of my physiotherapy. Physio and Exercise can be a challenge to fit into life with a new baby. Rather than avoiding it altogether, I have learned to do what I can and find creative ways to make it work. Here's an example of getting creative...I did a lot of free step when pregnant for Zachary. One day while I was trying to do some free step, Zachary was fussing and crying. I decided to carry him in my arms while stepping. He just loved it and fell asleep within a few minutes. Now, I find myself doing free step just to settle him or then I just take him in my arms for part of my exercise session because he loves it so much! My teenagers will also free step with him and it settles him almost everytime!
Feeding and Bonding:
The first few days of breastfeeding can be a roller-coaster ride. Typically, my baby sleeps a lot in the first 24 hours. Then, my baby seems famished until my milk comes in on day 3 or 4. I try not to get discouraged and know that the motherload is coming. We both get a little more rest once my milk is established! What a relief! My experience here is typical and many moms wonder if they have enough milk on days 2 and 3 until their milk really comes in. I just try and nurse as often as I can because breastfeeding is a supply and demand relationship and the more I nurse, the faster my milk comes in. It can be a tiring experience which makes REST that much more important. But, I really like to breastfeed on demand and I truly love meeting my baby's needs in such a free and non-restrictive way. Skin-on-skin with baby can be a really wonderful bonding time, helps regulate baby's blood sugar too and I often do this in the first few days and during growth spurts to calm my baby and stimulate my milk supply!
Eating:
I am usually famished in the weeks following birth! I try to aim for healthy snacks like trailmix or fruit. Often, I am so desperate for energy that I gravitate towards baking and breads (which I don't normally crave) so I try to be careful. I have learned to try and have healthy and easy snacks on hand such as cut up veggies, cheese, yogourt, muffins etc... My waistline takes a lot of time to shrink again but through my studies in the childbearing field, I've come to understand that our bodies tend to build fat reserves to help fuel the breastfeeding period. I take care of myself and I try to be patient. It really is not the time to limit myself because I still need more calories while breastfeeding. I just have to make healthy choices.
Extra Help:
I usually try and arrange for extra help for the first 2 weeks after giving birth. My husband tries to take time off, my mom has come at times and my mother-in-law has helped out. This really gives me freedom to rest. I often hear people say that we should not expect a clean house after a baby is born. We do have to have realistic expectations about housework. But, it is such a blessing when someone helps me keep my home in order in early postpartum. I always have such a desire for a peaceful and inviting environment after I have given birth. Extra help can also take the form of meals brought over or a kind phone call to provide a bit of fellowship during this busy time! I also try and freeze a few meals and muffins etc. before the baby comes. This helps me get back on my feet slowly once my extra helpers are gone! And, speaking of extra helpers, my older children have always been a big help to me. It is false to think that having more babies is unfair to older children. It is a valuable time of training for older children as they help care for little ones. Just last night my teenaged son told me how much he was thankful for his younger siblings and how much it means to him that we welcome more children as blessings in our home! We are equipping them for their future. A young heart in father-training.
Spiritual Growth:
Don't forget to take time with the Lord, praying and reading His Word as you nurse your baby and spend time healing. He is our strength and we need His perspective during these first few weeks with a new baby! He has brought this life into our arms and I often spend time quietly marveling at His creation and His handiwork evidenced in my precious baby!
These are some things I have found helpful. I hope it can bless you in some way. Happy postpartum journey!
Julie-Anne
Just a note, I buy my herbs in bulk (way cheaper than the local health food store, even with shipping!) at
www.bulkherbstore.com and
www.starwest-botanicals.com .
