Helpful Resources for Reducing Postpartum Stress
Whether it’s your first or your fifth pregnancy, the months following the birth of your child are a completely unique time in your life. You’re trying to enjoy the bliss of parenthood, but you are faced with great emotional and physical challenges brought on by hormonal and environmental shifts. While the pressure you feel to care for your baby is completely normal, there are quite a few things that you can do to relieve some of the stress for yourself. When you are best taken care of, your baby will feel the benefits.
Stock-up on Supplies
One thing you can do ahead of time to alleviate your stress after giving birth is to stock-up on the essential supplies for you and your baby. In the days and weeks leading up to meeting your little one, try to get as many boxes of diapers and packs of wipes as you can. For yourself, make sure you’re ready to go with ice packs, pads, disposable underwear, and the comfiest clothes. If you find yourself going through things too quickly, or maybe your baby grew out of their first diapers sooner than expected, consider using a baby supplies delivery service to get what you need without leaving home. The last thing you want to worry about while you’re recovering is getting out to the store or being nervous about whether or not your partner is getting the correct things for you.
Keep Track of Your Days & Nights
You will probably find yourself fairly exhausted during your postpartum journey, which can add to the stress and anxiety that you’re feeling. The lack of sleep might give you some severity of brain fog and make you forgetful about the last feeding, or diaper change, or when the baby last napped. First of all, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have it all together. You will get there in time. Secondly, consider keeping a baby notebook to log the day’s activities and feelings. Having a log to look back on to remind yourself of how long the last feeding was, how many wet or dirty diapers your baby has had, and the frequency and length of naps can lighten some of the pressure to remember everything. You can also make note of any pain points, or high stress moments that you can bring up to your healthcare provider.
Connect with Other Parents
The postpartum period is a true testament to how strong and capable you are, because not only are you caring for your newborn, you’re also trying to keep up with the drastic changes happening to your body and mind. When all of your time is spent with your baby, it can feel like you are all alone in this process. If you welcomed your baby with a partner, that is a wonderful source of support. Your partner can take some of the load off, but they won’t feel the same experience happening within your body. Joining a support group can connect you with other new moms that are at a similar point in their postpartum journey. Having other people that you can be comfortable with to share your fears, concerns, and experiences can truly help you feel grounded and in control. A postpartum support group can reassure you that you’re doing the best you can, because you are!
Learn About what You’re Going Through
One of the greatest things you can do to relieve yourself of the worries that you’re going crazy or there’s something wrong with you is to arm yourself with knowledge about the postpartum process. Your first resource to get information about the postpartum experience is your healthcare provider or your birth center. You should feel encouraged to ask any questions and they will be able to give you answers specific to your situation. They can also give you a list of physical and mental symptoms to be aware of and whether or not you should be concerned over certain things. Doing your own research is also important. When you’re awake in the middle of the night and a question pops into your mind, there are plenty of trustworthy online resources and articles dedicated to providing women with knowledge about postpartum care. The more you know, the less you’ll fear the process of healing and changing after birth.
Your postpartum experience does not have to fit into a certain mold or timeframe. This is your time to bond with your new baby, take care of yourself, and learn about you and your new family. Taking action to stay healthy and cut down on some of your stress will ease your journey, and accepting help will give you time to catch your breath.
