Postpartum Healing

After having a baby a mothers body has A LOT of healing and recovering to do. Way back when, Mama's and their babes were kept in hospital for a week following delivery, where food was brought to bedside, diaper changes were handled mostly by the nurses, and both Mama and babe slept, and slept, and slept. The rest helped in the healing process, allowing the pelvic floor to have a much needed break from pressure, and gave both Mama and babe time to bond, nurse, and be just the two of them. Fast forward to today's societal pace of 1 minute rice, 10 minute power lunches, 12 minute workouts, and drive thru dinners, and you have a whole other ball game. While faster is better in some cases [I have to say I do enjoy a good HITT training session!] when it comes to recovering from birth, time matters. 

I am now four days postpartum, and every single one of these days has been spent in bed. I get up for washroom breaks, and have wandered down the hall a couple of times, but for the most part I lay or sit in bed with my babe in my arms, or at my side in her bassinet. We read, write, entertain visitors, eat and drink plenty of water. And sleep. Lots of sleep! My Mama flew home from France to come and help out with the boys [she arrived just a few days before baby girl arrived, so we lucked out on timing!] and my Handsome Husband took a couple of days off work to help the boys through the adjustment period of having another person added to our family. Being supported through this time so I can truly heal, rest, and connect with this tiny human I've been diligently growing for the past nine months, is a blessing. Not only is this a blessing now, but resting now will pay off down the road.  There has been a steep rise in pelvic floor surgeries as the time mothers rest and recover postpartum has decreased. The more pressure a Mama feels to be up and running right after giving birth, the more likely she will be to experience incontinence down the road. Beautiful. Not to mention the affect that it can have on enjoying a healthy sex life later on. Yep, peeing your pants and a lackluster sex life are definitely reason enough to lay low for a while. My midwives recommend five days of bed rest, followed by a slow increase in mobility for the remainder of the first two weeks postpartum - IF there were no tears sustained during birth. Kegels should be resumed within that time to aid in the healing of the birth canal, as well as massaging the stomach to aid the uterus in returning to its rightful place, tucked within the pelvis. 

Taking it slow for six weeks is a challenge, believe me, but in the grand scheme of things it is only six weeks - and will make the rest of life much more enjoyable and comfortable. So, lay back, relax, and accept the help that is offered to you. And if none is offered, ASK FOR IT. No Mama should be feeling the need to hop back on the proverbial hamster wheel, simply because that's what everyone else does, or that's what she thinks is expected of her. Lay back, relax, and snuggle that baby!