Self Care After Baby
Ah the wonders of bringing a new life into this world. What a beautiful, magical, memorable journey…
OR THATS WHAT THEY WANT US TO THINK.
Let’s be real for a second. Your body is going to go bananas in so many ways, and in ways in which no one can really prepare you. Let’s chat about what you may be able to expect and what you can do to have a happy and healthy sex life.
What are some common issues that women have after giving birth? Well, let’s start by saying that all of these are TOTALLY NORMAL. Like many things related to women and trials that we face, these are just recently being talked about in the open.
Your body will be in pain. Whether you had a vaginal delivery or a cesarian section, you will be sore. A vaginal birth will stretch all of the muscles of the vaginal canal and you may also have tears that need time to recover. A c-section is a surgery and can take up to 6 weeks for recovery. Both will result in crazy hormonal changes that will cause the tissues of the vagina to dry and thin, causing painful sex.
What can you do? First and foremost listen to your doctor! They will be able to advise on the amount of time you should wait to have sex. Once you get the clear, try focusing on kegel exercises and be sure to try our Cherry Kegel Balls which will help strengthen that pelvic floor that just delivered a human being (you rockstar you!). Lubricant will be your friend as well.
Your breasts will be huge. Like. huge. Within the first few days after birth, your breasts will be filing up with milk to feed your lil bub. This can be uncomfortable at first.
What can you do? Try applying warm and cold compresses to ease the pain. Also, if your nipples start to crack, there are a number of nipple creams that will help.
Cramping + constipation. Over reading these yet? Sorry, we swear it’s all worth it. Be sure to thank your mama if you can… So with all of the hormonal changes, you will experience some uterine cramping and your insides are just a mess, which will result in some constipation.
What can you do? As with all of this, be patient with yourself! Make sure you drink a lot of water to help get things flowing. Once things get a little more under control, take a moment to really focus on your diet. Lots of fiber, fruits and veggies, will help immensely.
Your emotions are all over the place. This can be very serious and it’s important to be kind to yourself. You may experience postpartum depression, or “baby blues” - listen, like 70-80 per cent of women feel changes in emotion, know you are not alone. You also may experience a low libido which is also totally normal and expected.
What can you do? Have all of the conversations. Talk to your doctor, talk to your therapist, talk to other women who have been through the same thing. When it’s safe, start getting some fresh air and exercise (slowly) and eat a very healthy diet. Be so so so kind to yourself and your body. Be sure to talk to your partner as well. It’s hard to understand what you’re going through if you do not communicate. Breastfeeding keeps your estrogen levels low, which will also decrease your libido, so take your time! As we said before, kegels and lube are your friends, and include foreplay to help get you in the mood!
You got this, mama!!