Post Partum For The Rest Of Us

So, you planned ahead and have a freezer stocked with prepped chicken cutlets and chopped veggies. Your baby' room looks like a set for the baby edition of Pottery Barn, and your nursing corner in the front room has a basket filled with baby essentials (just in case), a breastfeeding manual, tissues and a place for your water bottle tucked into the corner. Or maybe not. Perhaps all those good intentions got buried under the mountain of little details that go into living.

Not to worry. While a little planning can go a long way in reducing your stress after the baby is born, there is no need to worry if you are coming home to a lived in house, with a crib still in the packing carton and a freezer full of half empty bags of veggies and a some pizzas that were on sale last week. It's ok. Do. Not. Panic.

At the end of the day, what your baby needs can be boiled down to four things:

1. Food
2. Warmth
3. Security
4. Sleep

And you, on the other hand have the ability to provide him with that, with nothing but your own self. You can snuggle down on the end of the sofa, with just you and the baby (with or without a fancy breastfeeding pillow) and bring your baby to your breast and fill his tummy with warm milk, while you fill his soul with security and love. Wrapped in the circle of your arms, he has everything he needs at that moment. (Until, of course, the diaper leaks!) 

You, on the other hand, need a few things too:

1. Food
2. Warmth
3. Security
4. Sleep

Basic, simple needs that can be lovingly filled by your partner, family and closest friends. Eat well, rest often, drink pure water and fresh juices and bask in the newness of the newborn days. Your rest and nutrition go a long ways in ensuring your recovery. While your uterus is getting smaller, your hormones are going up and down and your muscles are tired from 9 months of weight lifting, it may feel a bit overwhelming. Rest, nutrition, and support are the bare bone essentials. 

And, when mama is happy and rested, it affects everyone else. I saw a bumper sticker once that said the best thing a man could do for his children is love their mother. Even if that moniker doesn't fit you or feels a bit old fashioned, there is wisdom in those words. When a woman is taken care of by her community/partner/family in the post partum days, she can more readily heal and ease into her new role as a mother. 

Relax, new mama. You've got this.