Postpartum Planning:
1. Placenta Capsules (#1 rule in dosing is listen to YOUR body!). While consuming your placenta is a great tool for having a smooth postpartum, it is only one tool and by no means does it work alone. Every parent needs some basics to have the best beginning to motherhood, read on for a few tips….
2. Food- Nutrient dense, high protein, high healthy fats, high iron rich foods are vital. Stick to a variety of foods in as close to their natural state as possible. Have your freezer full of easy to heat up meals and feed yourself regularly. If someone is coming over to help, instead of holding the baby ask them to cook a meal or bring some food/groceries instead. Two to four weeks worth of food prior to birth is ideal. Create nursing stations with bottles of water and high protein snacks such as hard boiled eggs and peanut butter and apples. If you can’t cook (or just don’t want to) there are great meal delivery services that you can book ahead of time.
3. Womb Wrap or Belly bind. Read my blog post on how belly binding is the ideal support for breastfeeding. This is a lovely way to honor the journey and recovery of birth: https://sacredmotherbengkung.wordpress.com/mother-roasting/
The AB Tank is an ideal tool for support postpartum:
https://lp164.isrefer.com/go/ABTANK/roxannaF/
4. Support- your partner, family, and friends may not know what you need, so don’t be shy and tell them clearly in detail. Help with older siblings, animals, cleaning, cooking, and running errands is usually most helpful the first 6 weeks. This also allows you to bond with your baby and establish a great nursing relationship. If you don’t have a lot of support start setting money aside for a postpartum doula, they are priceless. The time you gain in getting your parenting confidence with their support is beyond valuable.
If you are planning to nurse, set up your support prior to birth. Attend a local La Leche League meeting if possible, or talk to a LLL Leader over the phone. You can also schedule a private or semi-private Class with me (Your Supported Start to Nursing)! I strongly encourage the purchase of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (many moms tell me they found a copy at a thrift store!) and Sweet Sleep http://store.llli.org/public/profile/414
5. Boundaries and Self Care- Don’t do anything you don’t want to do and don’t listen to advice that doesn’t resonate with you. You are not obligated to entertain and show off the baby. Nor are you expected to be a perfect parent from day 1. You are allowed to freak out and go through various stages of grief and joy during the journey, its normal and we’ve all done it (though some might not remember or want to admit it). Allow yourself to have any and all feelings about your birth, regardless of what others say about it (ie “oh baby is fine. you are fine.”). Reach out and talk about these feelings to whomever you feel comfortable with, and if you find yourself not well received keep looking! Know yourself. Know what self care means to you. What do you really need to feel good? Is it 5 minutes alone? Is it a shower? A specific tea or food? Plan ahead if you can and know that you are a better mother when you take care of yourself.
6. Plan and enjoy a baby moon! Let your family and friends know ahead of time what you are wanting so it won’t come as a surprise and follow through with it. Get in bed with baby and stay there for at least 3 days, 7 is better. Get up only to shower and use the bathroom. Snuggle baby topless and have baby stay in a diaper only (easy to use light blankets to wrap around you and babe if that is a concern. Trust me, body heat is amazing!). Yes, this means someone else will be bringing you food and drink and even helping change the diapers. It is such a short time and I promise you will never regret it!!