Our brains change when we become mothers, meaning we are more inclined to feel anxious, on edge and give everything to our baby regardless of how tired we are. Aren’t we amazing?
But if there is a kink in our hose there will be no water for anyone to drink so, knowing this, how can we prevent burn out postpartum? Remember these five pillars of postpartum care:
1. Recovery: Recovery can be emotional or physical, and it is one of the most important pillars of your postpartum journey. Tune in to what your body needs. Remember how many amazing experts are on Bloss that can help you. Reflexology is one of the best ways to support emotional and physical recovery postpartum as it promotes blood flow, clears neural pathways and helps the body to self-heal.
2. Reflection: How often do we truly reflect on the journey we have been on during pregnancy, birth and postpartum? Journaling is one of the best forms of free therapy out there, proven to reduce anxiety, boost immunity and help the wounded heal faster. Journaling your birth story is one of the first things I recommend to my postpartum clients as a form of therapy and trauma release.
3. Movement: We are told not to exercise before our 6 week check but that does not mean we cannot move our bodies. In fact, it is even more important to connect back to our bodies that can feel a bit alien after giving birth. Simple yet effective movement like child’s pose or simple shoulder rolls will stimulate blood flow and increase endorphins. Low impact does not mean low results.
4. Mindset: Your baby doesn’t need the best buggy, the most beautiful nursery or the top sleep gadget; your baby just needs you to be well, rested and happy. And yet our emotional recovery is not a priority in today’s society. We all need to deactivate our nervous system for at least 10 minutes a day so that means removing technology, a short body scan or closing your eyes and focusing on your breath.
5. Nutrition: Pregnancy and labour depletes us of vital nutrients that need to be replenished otherwise we can hit serious burn out later on. Can you ask family and friends to cook healthy food for you? Iron and vitamin D are two main vitamins to think about but you can find nutritionists on Bloss that can support you postpartum too.
As Glennon Doyle says in the brilliant book Untamed,
‘The role of mother is to be a role model, not a martyr’.
Say this to yourself everyday.
If you don’t look after yourself for you, do it to role model brilliant self-care so your kids grow up looking after themselves too.
Meg is here to support you in pregnancy and postpartum. Get in touch for reflexology and self-care advice.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.