Postpartum Health Can Be Difficult to Maintain
Once you’ve had your baby you may want advice on parenting with less tension and more ease, about the importance of good nutrition and exercise in the 11 months after you give birth, and about the need for intentional self-care as you grow into motherhood. With all that is going on, from feeding and caring for your baby, to learning how to function with less sleep, you will need some strategies to help you work with your baby’s natural rhythms, read her cues and strengthen your self-confidence as a new mom. Good postpartum health is important because baby needs a happy and healthy mom.
Attachment Parenting
That’s where the 7 Baby B’s come in. These practices have been proven to help thousands of parents lay the foundation for a lifetime of relational parenting. Essentially, each of the following practices is a lifestyle choice that reflects a loving parenting style we call Attachment Parenting.
You’ll learn all about these Baby B’s:
- Birth Bonding
- Breastfeeding
- Babywearing
- Bedding Close to Baby
- Belief in the Language Value of Your Baby’s Cry
- Beware of Baby Trainers
- Balance
Remember to Take Care of Yourself
It is important to maintain good mental and physical postpartum health as you cope with the stress of caring for a newborn. It takes six weeks or more for your body to recover from pregnancy and childbirth. If you are breastfeeding (and we hope you are), you continue to share your body with your baby, and you still have to be careful about what you put in it. Your baby’s nighttime needs may prevent you from getting enough sleep, and during the day it will be hard to find time for yourself. You probably also have extra pounds to lose which is a frustrating part of postpartum health for many mothers. If you continue to eat well, exercise, make healthy lifestyle choices and monitor your attitude, you will be able to deal with all of these challenges and be a happier and more energetic mother.
You may wonder, though, when life will get back to normal. If by “normal,” you mean “the way things were before”—well, you will discover after your baby is born that things will never be that kind of “normal” again. The life-changing experience of having a baby is an ideal time to change your life for the better!
If you would like to work with a Certified Health Coach during your pregnancy, or postpartum, you can find a Coach in your area.