Hi there! I hope everyone is holding up okay in these wild times. I took to Stories to share my first two weeks postpartum, day by day, and I had a lot of requests to create an entire blog post about my first two weeks, things I did, things I’ve learned having gone through this before, etc. etc. I want to first start out by saying (after receiving a few negative messages) that this is my experience, and I realize that everybody has a different experience. I consider myself genetically very lucky, as my mom and I both had easy pregnancies. I also stayed very active up until 40 weeks, which makes a HUGE difference in postpartum. This is in no way a post to shame people who have done things differently than me, but FOR ME, I am my happiest self and the most successful at being a parent when I feel good about myself. I also wanted to lastly mention that I am NOT back to my pre-pregnancy weight (that is a crazy expectation for two weeks postpartum! please don’t expect that for yourself!) I had women message and ask me how I fit in my pre-pregnancy pants again, and I DONT! I have some postpartum sized-up pieces that I wear. Please do yourself a favor and buy the sized up pants! You need to wear things that are comfortable, and make you feel GOOD about yourself! It took us 9 months to grow an entire human!
So far, I feel okay postpartum this time around. I actually can’t remember if I felt better or worse after I had Hudson. I do remember that overall after Hudson, I was “weepier.” I cried a lot more for no reason, and I had moments where I’d think WHAT DID I DO, WHAT IS MY LIFE NOW. Maybe it’s because I was not a mom yet, and being a mom is really hard, but this time around I knew exactly what to expect and what life would look like after birth. I haven’t cried much at all, except for during my delivery (I sobbed – more on that later) and last night when Charlie was inconsolable, I shed some tears of exhaustion. Mentally, I feel a little more prepared and happy this time around than I did with Hudson.
But physically, I feel completely different. After having Hudson, I began to lightly walk right away when we came back from the hospital. We went to diners, coffee shops, even into NYC. I was on-the-go! This time around, after starting to walk, I really felt like I did my healing a disservice. I began to bleed more, and really had to force myself to take a step back, lay down, and relax. My body is 3.5 years older, and I can definitely feel that. My back is achier, my healing is slower, and my skin is looser. It’s normal, it’s all part of the process, and I have been trying to rest, even though we’re losing our mind a bit being stuck at home with two kids every day.
Other than how I am feeling, here’s some tips that I’ve been practicing since coming home from the hospital:
Tip 1: Wearing a Belly Bandit: I wore this B.F.F. Belly Bandit when recovering after Hudson, and I’ve been wearing it again after having Charlie. I let my uterus have a full day to contract in the hospital, and then I begin to wear it on day 2. I personally feel like it gives me the support that I need to have better posture, less back pain, and to feel like my core muscles are there as they slowly return, and all of my organs move back into place. After giving birth, when the uterus shrinks, it almost feels like there’s this big gaping hole inside of you, and you just feel completely weak. This helps me with that! I try to wear it most of the day, and I sleep in it. I am still currently wearing it at 2 weeks postpartum, and will probably wear it until about 1 month.
Tip 2: Drink TONS of water: Find a reusable water bottle that you love (I like this one, because it has a straw) and bring it with you everywhere. My rule is while I am breastfeeding, I am also chugging water. I try to drink about 4-5 of these cups a day, and it definitely helps me to feel energized, helps with my milk supply and helps to beat constipation which can happen after birth.
Tip 3: Go for light walks: This one helped my swelling SO much. After birth, most women have swelling from the IV, and I have it mostly in my legs and ankles. Walking helps to reduce my swelling, and also makes me feel good, since I love to workout. Please take it easy though. I definitely overdid it the first week, and learned my lesson. Take it very slow!
Tip 4: Practice self care and ask for help: This one is HUGE. You are recovering! You NEED time to decompress, and to process your labor and new life. With Hudson, I didn’t ask for much help, but this time around I have been letting Matt know when I need time to shower, or to lie down because I feel sore. I’ve learned to speak up more, and be forward about what I need to be my happiest self.
Tip 5: Eat whole foods: During the first few weeks postpartum you’re going to be at home a lot anyway, so it only makes sense to cook! For us, being in quarantine, we’ve been cooking every meal at home (with the exception of some drive-thru donuts). For the most part, all of my meals have been healthy. For breakfast I generally eat oatmeal with fruit and peanut butter, and then for lunch I’ve been eating a smoothie, nuts and raisins, sandwiches, etc. We’ve been making dinner with a protein and veggies every night, and sitting down to eat together. My body really feels at its best when I provide it with healthy options, and I find it helps me to feel happiest during the postpartum time!
Tip 6: If your partner is around, get in a rhythm where you switch off sleeping: We learned this the hard way night #1, and then our memories of those first few months with Hudson came back … the trick to getting SOME sleep is to take turns. Team work makes the dream work. Usually our night routine looks something like this – I feed Charlie around 9PM, and then go right to bed by 9:30/10. Matt stays up with Charlie, and gives him a bottle around 11PM. Then, when he gets up to feed around 1:30AM, I’ve already had a decent chunk of sleep. I take care of all of the night feedings, so Matt sleeps, and then Matt wakes up in the morning with Hudson, so I can sleep in a bit longer. This way we both get to have some shut-eye, and a feeling of balance between taking care of Charlie.
So there you have it, my survival tips to feeling good, and getting through those first two weeks! I hope they help someone out, and please let me know if you have any questions. Stay tuned for a post on my birth story soon!