Simple Care Tips for Postpartum Body
Some mummies undergo high levels of stress after pregnancy because of the changes that happen to their body. But it is highly important to know that it is a normal and beautiful thing and change is not always bad. However here are some tips on how to care for your postpartum body.
Tips for Postpartum Belly
To get back in a healthier shape it is advisable to eat sufficient portions of protein. Along with other essential nutrients and minerals, protein should be a key component of all your postpartum meals, especially if you are breastfeeding. Protein could also help tighten your skin due to an important nutrient called collagen. Physical movements also play an important role in your post-pregnancy routine for both your physical and mental help. Adding cardio to your exercises could also help. However it is important that you make sure to wait at least six weeks postpartum and check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine. You wouldn’t want to hurt yourself in the process of caring for your body.
Adding on is to drink more water every single day. Water is your post-pregnancy body’s best friend. It not only hydrates your body but it also makes your skin more elastic and gives out that natural glow. It can also help your body burn extra calories and help to satiate your hungry appetite. Also, did you know that almost 90% of breast milk is made up of water? So staying hydrated is the key to producing sufficient breast milk for you little one too!
Last tip is to always remember to take care of your skin and exfoliate occasionally. Try using an all-natural exfoliating sugar scrub to help tighten and smooth your post-baby belly. You can practice it in the shower on a regular basis which could also help with blood circulation and increase the blood flow to your belly. You can also purchase some skin care products for mummies on MumChecked, which is a one-stop mum and baby online shopping site that offers a variety of self-care and nursing products with the best deals.
Tips for Engorged Breast
Caring for your engorged breast could start off with using a warm compress on your breast or taking a warm shower to encourage milk let down. It is advisable to have breast feedings done more regularly or at least every one to three hours to help with the size of the breast. You could also do your nursing for as long as your baby is hungry for milk. It helps to also massage your breast while you are nursing your baby.
Tips for Hair Loss
It is also normal for new mummies to undergo hair loss during postpartum. Fret not as there are simple tips to help you gain back that volume to your hair.
Firstly, you will need to ditch the styling that you have been doing as heating your hair with a dryer or curling iron may make your hair look thinner. Try to hold off on fancy styling and let your hair air-dry till the thinning tapers out on their own.
Second is eating well and having a healthier diet which consists of a variety of fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins in your diet is the best way to make sure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs. You can also check out the lactation meals packed with lactogenic food on Relacto which are served with nutrient-dense foods that can boost your healing naturally from head to toe.
Eating extra supplements and vitamins could also help with your hair growth but it shouldn’t be a substitute for a varied diet, especially when you’re a new mom with a baby to take care of.
Lastly, you could always opt on using a volumizing shampoo that may add body to your hair and help you maintain that lustrous look for a healthier and thicker hair.
Tips for Widened Hips
Just like those physical movement exercises, here we would focus specifically on your widened hips. You could incorporate these simple natal hip rehabilitation exercises and some mix and match of yoga poses to help with achieving your narrowed hips.
The Practice: Everything is done with the breath. Keep your inhales long and smooth to communicate to the body that you are creating relaxation—even as you are strengthening. Try to match the lengths of your inhales to the lengths of your exhales. You can achieve this by simply counting. Start with a three-second count and work your way up.
Downward Facing Dog: From all fours, either use or imagine you have a yoga block or a playground ball between your inner thighs. Feel the thigh bones hug to center — the inner thighs will want to grip the ball, but you want them to stay relaxed and train the outer hip muscles to draw the thigh bones to center to hold. Hold for six to eight breaths.
All Four Hip Circles: To mobilize the pelvis, get on your hands and knees with your wrist beneath your shoulders and knees beneath your hips. Your arms and thigh bones should stay relatively fixed as you make hip circles, moving the pelvis around the thighbones. Repeat eight times in each direction.
Side Lying Series: Lie on your side and bend your knees so they’re at 45 angle from your hips.
- Keep your heels together as you open your knees as wide apart as possible without letting the pelvis roll back. Lift 30 times.
- Keep your ankle in line with your knee as you lift your leg up and place it back down without letting the pelvis roll around. Lift 30 times.
- Keep your top leg lifted as high as you can while maintaining a neutral pelvis. The ankle should stay high as you tap the top knee to the bottom knee and lift it back to start. Repeat 30 times then roll over and repeat the other side.
Happy Baby: To lengthen your inner thighs, lie on your back, bend your knees to your chest and grab hold of the outsides of your feet. Let the knees open and drop toward your underarms. Once again, play with the position of the pelvis allowing the tailbone to curl up for a few breaths and then lengthen it away. Hold for 10 to 12 breaths.
Thread the Needle: To stretch your outer hips, you’ll begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Cross one anklet to the outside of the opposite knee, creating a figure-four shape. Reach through the diamond of the legs to grab the thigh of the planted foot, and draw the knee straight back toward the shoulder. Play with the position of the pelvis on the mat. For a few breaths, let the tailbone curl up to the sky. Then lengthen it flat on the mat – creating the natural curve of the lower back spine.
Always remember that your body is like a temple, and all it needs is some love and patience to heal and recover. Learn to embrace the changes of your body because that is the beautiful stage to remind you of getting into motherhood.
If you are looking for a stress free meal arrangement to help your lactation and recovery, try out the lactation food package from ReLacto. We offer dietitian-guided meals that are filled with lactogenic food and nourishing ingredients that help with your body recovery!
