Every birth experience is unique, and this guide is meant to serve as reminder to keep an open mind about what recovery looks like for you. Maybe it will be an easy birth, maybe not so much. Either way, your body will need time to recover. Your mind will need time to recover. Seek out the space and support you need to feel empowered during this transition. When you carry a baby in your body for 9 months there is a visible reminder of the work you’re putting in on a daily basis to sustain a life. Postpartum bodies don’t always send the same signal out to the world, and it can be easy for everyone (yourself included) to forget that giving birth is a huge event. Taking the best care of yourself during this time is incredibly important.
MOTTO: One day at a time. First baby, seventh baby, each one is different. Allow yourself the freedom to adjust to an entirely new way of living life.
GOALS: To take it easy. To not forget that you are recovering from a major mental and physical experience. To get some rest, if you can, when you can. To carve out some time for showering and other solo activities.
RULES: Do as much prep as you can, but expect the unexpected (a fun semi-contradictory piece of advice for new parents). Ask for help. Do you need to hand the baby to someone else? Would you like a glass of water (the answer is always yes)? Some time to go for a walk? Ask. Lastly, the internet is your friend but also not really.