After you have a baby, there are some things you should be wary of. Here is a list of things to consider of what not to do postpartum.
I am a new mom to an adorable little boy who is almost 9 months old now (ahh it goes by so fast!). I chose to have an at home birth with an incredibly talented midwife, and luckily, everything went well.
For me, having a baby is the most wonderful experience I have ever had up to this point.
But giving birth is also the hardest thing I have ever done, and is tiring beyond belief. It is traumatic on your body, especially the first time around.
So. As your body is healing, there are some rules to rememebr. The list down below are just some of the things that my midwife told me not to do during my postpartum recovery. Maybe your midwife told you these things too š
Keep in mind that these are just SOME of the things- there are other things you should probably avoid, so talk to your doctor to make sure you don’t miss anything that pertains to you.
I also experienced a natural at-home birth, so if you had an epidural or a C-Section, there are probably some guidelines you need to follow that I don’t know about since I did not experience either of those situations myself.
This post is all about what not to do postpartum.
WHAT NOT TO DO POSTPARTUM: A LIST OF 10 DONāTS FROM MY MIDWIFE
1. Do not go back to your normal routine right away
You need rest! Your body just experienced a life-changing event and needs time to process and heal. My midwife wanted me to rest for the first 24-48 hours AT LEAST. I continued to take it easy for the first week or two, loving and snuggling my little baby.
This period of time depends on your birthing circumstances.
2. Do not go to the bathroom alone Within 48 Hours
You might not think this is necessary, but it is a safe idea to implement. Consider getting help to the restroom for the first 24-48 hours.
After giving birth, my body was weak and I felt very unstable as I would walk around. I took baby steps around the house, moving slowly and carefully. My husband helped me to the bathroom, so I could sit down and stand up without losing my balance.
3. Do not shower Alone within 48 hours
Similarly to needing help to the toilet, you need help getting into the shower. Because you just went through a traumatic experience, you need assistance here.
My midwife wanted my husband to help me step over the ledge of the bathtub, especially when it was wet and slippery. I also felt more at ease with my husband in the bathroom while I showered in case I started to feel too tired to stand any longer on my own.
Make sure someone is close by. The last thing you want to do is fall on the tile in the bathroom after you just popped out a baby!
4. Do not use stairs for the first 48 hours
This was something I didn’t think would be an issue, and I asked my midwife why.
Apparently, after giving birth, stairs are hard on your pelvic floor muscles as well as your abdominal muscles. Avoiding them can help to lessen the strain on those particular muscles in order to speed up the healing process.
Although we have stairs outside our door leading to the parking lot of our condo, this was easy for me to avoid for the first 48 hours.
5. Do not lift anything heavier than your baby for the first 2 weeks
Lifting more than you should be can slow down your healing. It can also cause issues with your organs, causing them to ādropā. This can cause much pain and discomfort.
My midwife encouraged me to refrain from heavy lifting and ask for help instead.
My husband took some time off of work and was able to accompany me to any doctor visits. Without his help, I would have needed to lift the heavy car seat on my own.
Sometimes this is hard to avoid if your significant other has to go back to work. In cases like these, you gotta do what you gotta do.
6. No sitting āIndian Styleā or tucking one leg up for 2 weeks
This was another thing I had never heard of and needed explained.
My midwife told me that sitting in these positions separates the pelvic floor muscles and can keep them from coming back together completely. Not to mention that if you have stitches, it can cause the sutures to pop open.
I was lucky enough not to need stitches (hallelujah!), but I did not want to keep my muscles separated by sitting in these positions.
7. No vacuuming for two-Six weeks
Honestly, my midwife told me not to focus on cleaning the house in general. She said it was okay to leave the dishes in the sink, the laundry unfolded, the house unvacuumed, etc.
Her advice was to take care of our baby and to take care of myself, making sure to sleep and rest instead of clean. She encouraged me to ask for help from my mother and mother-in-law, and to let them do the dirty work.
Uhhhhhh……… This made me cringe š
I know that many people might be excited about this, relieved that they have a “get out of chores” card.
Not me though. I’m crazy and I like cleaning and I need to clean hah!
So this is the only thing I did not listen to, because I am a perfectionist who canāt live in a dirty house for longer than a day. Relying on other people to clean it for me was not realistic, so my husband and I would still clean together during my recovery.
I donāt feel like this had much of an impact on my recovery, EXCEPT for vacuuming.
Looking back, I wish that I would not have vacuumed for the first few weeks, because I noticed that it caused too much strain on my body whenever I did. I would start to feel really good, and so I would vacuum, and then I would feel discomfort immediately after and would bleed more.
After I have my next baby, I will be sure to ask my husband to vacuum instead so that my healing is not interrupted.
8. No aspirin products
My midwife didnāt want me to take aspirin because aspirin will thin the blood. Instead, she recommended that I take Acetaminophen and/or Ibuprofen when I needed any pain relief.
9. No sex for at least 6 weeks
Because I had a vaginal delivery, my midwife recommended that I wait at least 6 weeks before resuming any sexual activity.
This timeline seems to be a common recommendation from most doctors. Your body needs time to heal. During this period, you are usually bleeding and are at a higher risk of infections.
10. No vigorous exercise for 6-8 weeks
Pregnancy weakens your abdominal muscles, and going through labor and giving birth weakens your pelvic muscles. Starting intense exercises can slow down the postpartum recovery process, so easing back into exercising is crucial for progressing effectively and safely.
Pregnancy is full of extra hormones, and after you give birth, your hormones are trying to level out. During this time, moms are more prone to injury within their joints.
Because my birth was pretty straightforward, I was able to begin simple postpartum exercises as soon as I felt good enough to. For the first 6 weeks, I focused on taking walks and doing light exercises as I slowly built up my strength.
I listened to my body to be sure I was not overdoing it, being mindful of my movements and how my body would respond to them.
THERE YOU HAVE IT!
10 things that you might want to add to your what NOT to do postpartum list.
Remember, the list above is what MY midwife told ME specifically. Some of these may or may not be similar to what other moms are told by their doctors and midwives. They may not apply to you and thatās okay.
Because everyone’s bodies are different, and their birth experiences vary, it is important to listen to the advice and recommendations from your own doctor and/or midwife. They know your situation the best and can cater to your needs.
If you are questioning your doctor or midwife, you can always get a second opinion from another health professional that you trust. You want to make sure you are taking care of and listening to your body and your baby. This is so important!
So, did your doctor or midwife tell you what not to do postpartum? Let us know what they said!
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