Beauty and wellness tips for postpartum recovery often involve asking mothers to focus on themselves which can seem counterintuitive. However, the postpartum period sees the body and mind moving through many changes. This is a time of adjustment, which means it’s important to do what you can to focus on your recovery by supporting your physical and emotional well-being.
While your new baby is undoubtedly a priority, you must take care of yourself as well to avoid burnout and depression. To show up for your child and give them the love and care they need, you must also show up for yourself.
Here 5 main beauty and wellness tips for postpartum recovery
1. Make time for self-care
Self-care can be a sticky topic these days — with many people’s ideas of what self-care means being contradictory. Even before becoming parents, many people struggle to find a good balance of self-care routines that don’t feel lazy or selfish. When you throw a new baby into the mix, the idea of shirking your parental duties to focus on yourself can feel even more selfish.
The thing to remember is that there is no one right way to practice self-care and taking care of yourself is never selfish — even if you have a newborn. It is even more important to make sure you are taking care of your needs postpartum so you can regain your strength and show up in the best way possible for your new child.
That said, it’s best to start small when getting back into a self-care routine. Try thinking of just a couple of things that would make you happy or make you feel better and focus on those. Again, these things can vary as each person’s individual needs are unique.
2. Embrace your new body
Body dissatisfaction is often higher during postpartum, which can lead to negative habits and negative thoughts. remember that it is natural for bodies to change and just because your body might look different now doesn’t mean it will stay that way.
Practicing body positivity and embracing the “new you” is something that can help you feel more at ease with your postpartum body. Remind yourself of how strong you are and how hard your body had to work to create new life, and thus, it is okay for your body to have gone through some extreme changes.
Instead of trying to throw yourself into an intense exercise regimen to lose all that baby weight, give yourself some grace and ease back into an active routine that feels more comfortable for you and your new body.
Losing the weight you gained can have positive mental and physical benefits, such as better sleep, reduced pain, and improved cognitive function, but there is no rush to lose all that pregnancy weight right away. If you push yourself too hard too quickly, it can have the opposite of the desired effect, meaning it can make you more tired, more sore, and more irritable.
3. Don’t force your emotions
While having a new baby can be a joyous experience, it is also exhausting. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you need to constantly be smiling and beyond happy now that you have a new baby in your life.
The truth is that societal expectations can be damaging by limiting new moms from showing their true vulnerability and emotions. The more you try to fake your happiness, the harder things will get.
The “fake it till you make it’ mindset is not advised during this time. It’s okay to feel sad, angry, and depressed postpartum and you must face these emotions and express them appropriately instead of trying to bottle them up.
If someone tries to make you feel bad for not being a perfectly content and happy new mom, just know that it says more about them than it does about you.
4. Eat a balanced diet
Eating healthy, balanced meals is always important, but it is critical for new moms. Pregnancy often leads to low levels of vital nutrients. Nursing mothers also need extra calories and nutrients to ensure they are producing nutritious breast milk for their babies. Pregnant women and those postpartum have also been known to struggle with heartburn.
Treating GERD and all the other issues that can arise from pregnancy can be addressed by changing your eating habits. Try eating smaller meals more frequently, and avoid spicy foods, alcohol, and citrus fruits. Get most of your fat sources from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. And limit fatty foods and sugar.
5. Prioritize rest
Lack of sleep is often one of the biggest challenges new mothers face. Your baby will need round-the-clock care. However, if you don’t get enough sleep, it can impact your ability to give your child the care and attention they really need to thrive.
Try to find ways to rest and relax whenever you can by:
- Focusing on simple meals so you don’t spend too much time cooking or prepping.
- Readjust your sleep schedule to sleep when your baby sleeps.
- Prioritize rest over doing chores.
- Keep your home routine as relaxed as possible.
- Ask for help with shopping, cooking, cleaning, and anything else.
- Consider hiring a newborn babysitter or nanny, or ask friends and family to watch them from time to time.
Another tip is to avoid caffeine. Though you might want to reach for things like coffee or soda to help you stay awake when your baby is awake, these things can make it harder for you to sneak in naps and rest when you do get short periods of downtime.
Whether you are recovering from a C-section or natural birth, remember that everyone’s postpartum journey looks different. You must create routines that work best for you and your individual needs.
Remember, postpartum beauty is more about how you feel than what you put on your face or your body. So if you are struggling to feel beautiful during postpartum, it might mean that you need to develop new routines that are more about helping you feel good on the inside and less about covering up with makeup and trying to squeeze back into your old jeans.
