After giving birth, it is so important to look after yourself and not let yourself go. You are a mother, but you are still a woman and deserve to feel fabulous.
Self-care is essential for mothers. We are so used to looking after others and putting ourselves last that it can be hard to remember we deserve a little TLC too.
In this post, we give you 22 Tips For Self Care After Giving Birth; these tips will help you to feel better both physically and mentally after your pregnancy has ended.
1) Drink water
Water helps with blood circulation, which in turn can decrease the swelling of feet, ankles, hands, or other parts of the body that may have accumulated weight during pregnancy. Try to drink at least 2 liters of water per day.
If you really want to push yourself and reduce postpartum bloating, go for 3 liters!
2) Exercise
Working out is a great way to stay in shape and tone muscles. It also helps with weight loss, stress relief, and it can improve mood by releasing endorphins which are the body’s natural painkiller.
3) Eat protein-rich foods
Protein helps to maintain muscle mass which will decrease the chances of feeling sluggish after giving birth.
4) Relax your jaw for at least five minutes per day
Holding tension in your face can lead to headaches or migraines as well as tense shoulders.
5) Meditate
Meditating for at least 10 minutes each day will not only improve your mood but will also help you cope with life after giving birth.
6) Get plenty of sleep
You often hear “sleep while baby sleeps, make the most of it!” This is probably the best advice I was ever given with my first. But what about mothers with multiple little people? *insert exhausted emoji here*.
If possible arrange for somebody to take care of the older children for a few hours during the day so you can catch up on some sleep.
Sleeping well helps you to fight off illness and can prevent muscle aches. Sleep also helps with postpartum weight loss and recovery.
7) Try A Few Yoga Poses
Yoga is excellent for physical healing as well as mental clarity and peace.
8) Revive Your Skin
Skincare is essential. Our skin is our largest organ, and so we need to ensure we are giving it what it needs. Try a good-quality moisturizer to help replenish the moisture in your skin.
Seeing a dermatologist can save you a lot of money on skin care products in the long run, as they can determine whether you have oily, dry, or combination skin and recommend the best products for your skin type.
Salicylic acid is a good option for people with acne-prone skin. There are many products such as salicylic acid face wash and salicylic acid peels that you can purchase over the counter to help revise your skin postpartum.
Niacinamide is a vitamin B derivative that has been found to reduce the appearance of dark spots and helps repair damaged skin cells by increasing the production of natural ceramides in the body.
9) “Self-Care Sunday!”
Treat yourself to a manicure and pedicure – if you have been expressing or your baby is on formula, it might be a good idea to have daddy or a trusted family member or friend watch the baby for just one hour while you treat yourself (and your hands and feet) to some self-care.
A manicure and pedicure will be just the thing to lift you up. Not to mention, your poor feet have had to carry that added weight for a long while; they deserve some extra TLC!
If visiting a nail salon is not your thing, you can also have a quick search on Instagram for a mobile nailtician near you.
10) Go For Walks
Fresh air is great for you and your baby, plus it will help get your body back into shape with little effort.
11) Socialize
Whether this means catching up with existing friends or extending yourself to new social circles, socializing is great for you and your mental wellbeing. This is a part we often neglect as it is easy to become introverted after giving birth and during the last stages of pregnancy.
12) Peace & Quiet
Seek out quiet time – while your baby will undoubtedly need a lot of attention, it is important to take some moments for yourself. Quiet time will allow you to reflect, read or just do nothing. (Yes, you are allowed to just do nothing, mommy!)
13) Home Spa
Create a mini spa at home – and in doing so, give yourself the gift of some much-needed ‘me time. If you do not like the idea of paying somebody else to do it, you can set up your own.
You can add extra services like face steaming, foot spa, face mask, vaginal steaming, and you can do it all yourself. Amazon has the tools for all of these things, and if you can set a target and routine of self-care, it would be a great investment.
14) Yoni Steams
As mentioned above, vaginal steams should be a part of your self-care routine. These are usually $100 packages on Groupon.
However, you can get your own herbs together and DIY. A vaginal steam is great for decreasing postpartum vaginal dryness, tightening the uterus, and for those who have hemorrhoids.
Doing your own self-care after giving birth can seem daunting, but if you find a routine that works for you, it will be worth the effort. You deserve to feel fabulous after delivering a child!
15) Look At You…. You Bad, Look At You!
Look at your body in the mirror – many women shy away from the mirror after giving birth as they do not like or are embarrassed by their postpartum body. Nonsense! Woman, look at that beautiful body and remind yourself that YOU DID THAT! Whether you have c-section scars or stretch marks or you gained a few pounds. Look at yourself and then go and grab that beautiful bundle of joy and look at him/her alongside your body in the mirror. Wow!
Remind yourself that you are amazing, you are beautiful, you did that, and your postpartum body is a beautiful result of that. Please, woman, love it in all of its glory and every stage it is at.
16) Declutter Your Home
Decluttering your home can be so freeing. You get to go through everything you have collected over the years and get rid of things that no longer serve a purpose.
You can go through every room in your house and discard old clothes, things you don’t need or want anymore, toys that your children are too old for, etc.
The more space you have to move around in will make it easier on your body as well as being able to find things when needed.
17) Get A New Hobby
Get a new hobby (or get back into an old one) – rekindling your passion for a hobby you used to take part in is a good way to get back to yourself. You can also carve time into your weekly schedule just for your hobby, which will help you regain and retain a sense of self and separation from you and baby.
18) Plan an outing – go somewhere new. Leave the house for a bit and explore your city. This could be a park, museum, art gallery, theatre – you name it.
You do not even need to plan it – you could get in the car and drive or hop on public transport and see where you end up. (Just be sure to keep your phone charged in the event that you get lost and need to Uber home!
19) Cook a favorite meal you’ve been craving (or make something healthy!) – cooking can be therapeutic and relaxing, so if you have time to spare in between feeds, try making one of your favorite dishes from scratch or whipping up a quick health dish that’s easy on the stomach.
20) Write down ten things you’re grateful for – writing down what you are thankful for is not only great for your mental health, but it’s also a nice way to take stock of all the good things in your life.
21) Give yourself plenty of time to shower and dress up before you start taking care of the baby so that you’re able to take some time for yourself, even if it is just 10 minutes.
22) Start A Journal
This is by far my favorite one (best ’til last?). Starting a journal is a great way to reflect on the days, weeks, and months and capture your thoughts, feelings, and goals. It’s also helpful for moms who experience postpartum depression.
Keeping a journal will ensure you always have a safe space to write down your thoughts, feelings, and goals without judgment.
So those are our 22 tips for self-care after giving birth! Just remember that you’re a new mom and not the only one in this situation – there are billions of other women who have walked in your shoes before you!
You are made for this, and you are doing your best.
As a mother, you are constantly in service to others, whether that is your new bundle of joy, your older children, or your partner, but always, Always, ALWAYS make time for you, too!
