Eight Things That Helped Me Postpartum
When I first sat down to type, I was writing something more negative, about how postpartum women seem to be left hanging medically.
Then, the more I thought, I realized 1) there’s too much negativity in the world and 2) there were some helpful things that my medical team did and that I personally did.
Things my medical team did that was very helpful:
I elected to have a midwife instead of an OBGYN and I’m really happy I did. I felt more seen with the midwives—not that the OB wasn’t competent, because she was, but I hardly ever saw her. At her clinic, I usually saw a nurse practitioner during my routine prenatal visits. When I switched over to the midwife clinic, I was always seen by a midwife.
After B.G. was born, because I had a c-section, I stayed in the hospital for five days. Though I wanted to go home, it was better for both B.G. and me. I needed time to recover. B.G. had difficulty latching (she would never really get it and would ultimately end up rejecting the boob, becoming a formula-fed baby). But in the hospital, her weight was a concern I had hemorrhaged during surgery and blood clots in the days following were still a concern. Luckily, I didn’t pass any clots big enough to be of any concern!
Just before we did go home, the hospital asked if I would like to take part in a pilot program for visiting nurses. I agreed and a nurse came once a month for three months to my apartment. I arranged the visits in between B.G. pediatrician visits. I also loved that a medical professional was able to see me two weeks earlier than otherwise. It makes no sense to me that postpartum women do not have a routine checkup for six weeks!
Though I wasn’t scheduled to see someone in person, my midwife arranged a Zoom call because postpartum depression is real. I’m glad, because I was struggling. I was able to get set up with a therapist who specializes in the mental health of postpartum women. We had regular Zoom calls for three months.
What I personally did:
I know not everyone has this luxury, but I extended my maternity leave by six weeks. This really gave my body time to heal and my hormones to level out a little. I originally had twelve weeks of leave (two of which were used before B.G. was born because she had to be kicked out of the womb). At nine weeks, I realized I wouldn’t be ready to go back and talked with my boss to arrange for more time.
I went for regular walks. For the first month, walking out into the living room was a big deal. But slowly, I started getting stronger and started taking B.G. out for walks. First, just around the block. That was already a big deal for me! Slowly, I was able to go further and further.
I kept a healthy diet. For this, I really need to thank my husband. When I was on maternity leave, he would keep the refrigerator stocked with food that was easy for me to heat up, like homemade burritos. We also had fresh fruit and snacks like mixed nuts on hand.
I drank plenty of water. This was especially important when I was pumping but also for my recovering body. I kept a water bottle next to my bed which I could easily bring into the living room or put into the stroller for walks.
There were things I wished I had known or wished had gone differently, but these things definitely helped me get through those challenging early months!
Thanks for reading!
💜
Laura
