Postnatal Recovery Toolkit
How to create your own Postnatal Recovery Toolkit
One really helpful piece of advice we can offer is to take the time during your pregnancy to consider your ideal postnatal care plan - or toolkit.
It’s very easy to focus only on your pregnancy and birth plan, but if you haven’t considered your recovery after birth, then it can be challenging to find the time for self-care in those first few weeks.
Making a postnatal recovery toolkit will make it easier to commit to a few small acts of self-care that could make a big difference in how you feel and how well you heal from your delivery. Think of this as a similar task to packing your hospital bag - consider that you may not have the time or energy to go out and pick things up as and when you need them, and that can often be a real barrier to new mums engaging properly in their after-care.
Here are 5 suggestions of things that you could add to your toolkit:
Nipple cream. If you’re planning on breastfeeding, then this is essential! While establishing a breastfeeding routine, it can be hard going for your nipples which can become sensitive, cracked and sore. Applying a soothing nipple cream may make the process more comfortable and help to make that journey a little easier.
Maternity pads. You’ll likely need these in the few weeks after birth as bleeding is very common after delivery. They also are really useful to use as cold compresses for your perineum or stitches after a tear or episiotomy. You can apply a natural aloe vera or chamomile gel and store the pads in the freezer, taking them out to apply gently to the sore area for relief and to aid the healing.
Treat yourself to some comfortable loungewear or clothes. You are likely to be spending a lot more time at home at first, and looser, comfy clothing is likely to feel better while your body is changing again. For those who have a C-section, having underwear or clothing which rubs or sits over the scar is often uncomfortable, so it’s worth investing in some bigger pants too!
Discuss your plans for the first couple of weeks with your partner. It’s crucial to both be on board with how you want those first days to look like and how you might share household tasks as well as baby care. This is a critical time to look after yourself and rest. Talk about scenarios such as how to deal with visits from friends and family, and make sure you factor in plenty of time to rest, recover and establish routines such as feeding. Without any prior thought, this is easily something that can run away from your control quite quickly and leave you feeling exhausted and depleted.
Batch cooking some healthy meals to keep in the freezer is a really effective way of ensuring that you eat well once your baby arrives. Remember that nutrition plays a vital role in healing, tissue repair, energy levels and successful breastfeeding. When you’re tired, and your routine is all over the place, it’s very easy to slip into habits such as ordering takeaway food or grazing on snacks with very little nutritional value. Having some meals that are already prepared means you are more likely to get the nutritional content your body needs and reduces pressure on everyone at home.
Taking some time to consider and prepare for the first few postnatal weeks while pregnant can reduce a big load on you as a new mum once your baby has arrived. While you have a little more time to yourself, and you are in a better frame of mind to consider your own health and wellbeing, invest some of your time and energy into ensuring you are the best set-up for both you and baby to have a really positive start into motherhood!
