10 Postpartum Essentials That You Can't Buy From the Store

I’ll never forget when I had a newly second time pregnant mom come in for care.  She had been adjusted during her first pregnancy, and although her oldest was still young and under two, she was excited yet terrified about brining forth another life.  She looked at me, and with complete sincerity and honesty, and asked, “how do I not lose myself in motherhood”.  I felt this on so many levels.  And truthfully, I didn’t have a response, yet what came out was straight from my intuition/my gut/my inner truth, and I told her, “fill your cup”. 

And I’ll be honest, my kids are older, but I still consider myself as a postpartum mom!  We know that we are forever changed after having kids.  Yes, physically, I mean, things aren’t exactly how they used to be before pregnancy 😊 but we carry bits of DNA from our children with us forever.  We are new and different; motherhood literally changes us!  Now, yes there are clinical definitions for the postpartum time period: the acute phase which is the first 6 to 12 hours post childbirth, subacute which is directly after acute and can last up to 6 weeks, and then the delayed phase which can last up to 6 months.  There are things you can do to nourish your mind/body/spirit during those early postpartum days, and who knows, maybe some of those things will continue to nourish you well into your postpartum journey. 

So that is why I’m writing this blog.  We know that there is plenty of information out there about the postpartum essentials that you can buy.  These items can help with nursing such as a breast pump or nursing pads, or they can help with raising a newborn and fill the diaper bag.  However, there are things that mother’s need, that can’t be purchased in a store.  You know, I find too that folks who come into the office know that there are things we can do to support our health and wellness.  I’m careful to not overly use the word should – because I don’t want to should on you! – but there are things such as eating enough fruits and veggies and drinking enough water and getting enough exercise that if done in the proper amount can make an impact in our lives.  Yet, I find a majority of people don’t do these things that we know we should….we can’t find the time, we don’t have the support, we continue to find excuses.  My hope is that we begin to truly understand that we cannot pour from an empty cup, that we don’t have to do all the things, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. 

10 Postpartum essentials that you can’t buy from the store:

1. REST – need I say more.  You have literally just birthed life, please rest.  Please rest completely (as you can) The old adage of “sleep while the baby is sleep” is actually true.  I’m guilty of cleaning while my baby was sleeping; I get it.  This might look like putting your older child in daycare, and snuggling with your newborn, or the whole family napping together, or asking for relatives and neighbors to watch kiddos while you rest…..but please rest.

2. DRINK MORE WATER – ½ your body weight in ounces…….every day……is the bare minimum for just everyday maintenance.  If you’re nursing, you probably need a little more.  I personally love a giant water bottle that I only have to fill up once.  This is my favorite one!

3. NUTRITION – it is recommended that if you are nursing, that you continue to take your prenatal vitamin.  Also, pre-cooking and freezing meals before you deliver can help a ton.  Maybe friends set up a meal train for you.  I understand that making sure not only you, but that your entire family is getting proper nutrition can be stressful.  I love the whole food supplement products from Juice Plus, and it’s a great way to bridge some of those nutritional gaps.

4. GUARD YOUR PEACE – this is a big one and can go along with rest.  This can look like saying no if folks want to come over and you’re exhausted.  This can look like asking for help or delegating chores when you know you are depleted.  Whatever it looks like for you doesn’t matter, but please set boundaries, don’t worry about how folks will react (that’s on them – not you!), and guard your peace.

5. LACTATION SUPPORT – taking breastfeeding classes is something I recommend to my moms while they are pregnant.  Having the knowledge, information, and support before actually having the baby, I think helped make my breastfeeding journey successful.  And there are so many options around nursing, but you must make the decision that’s best for you and your baby.  Don’t compare your 6 month breastfeeding journey to someone else’s 5 year journey!  But please, seek help if you have questions – latching, nursing positions, formula types, how to pump, what’s the best pump, etc. 

6. MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT – so many of my postpartum essentials encompass the concept of asking for help.  When it comes to nourishing our mind/body/spirit, sometimes we need help to talk it out and think it through and to discuss all the emotions that we have.  Postpartum depression occurs in 1 in 7 moms and 1 in 10 dads and dealing with it alone is overwhelming and is not necessary.  I love Postpartum Support International as a great starting point, and as always, I have lots of wonderful resources for my local moms. 

7. PELVIC FLOOR PHYSICAL THERAPY – the culture behind pelvic floor therapy for women is changing.  Typically my new moms have a postpartum follow up with their midwife or OB, and then that’s it (except for annual exams).  It’s important to understand the physiological and biomechanical changes that take place to the anatomy of the pelvic floor due to childbirth (and these changes still occur even if mom has had a csection).  It’s important for moms to see a pelvic floor PT, to assess those changes, and to help navigate number 8 on my list!

8. RETURN TO MOVEMENT – now yes, I put rest and return to movement on the same list.  Return to movement does not mean going back to Orange Theory classes, training for a marathon, or weight loss.  This quite literally means returning to the basics of movement, and this starts with our breath, our intentions with our movement, and understanding that there is a process to returning to exercise.   I do love the blog written about the Return to Running Postnatal Guidelines published out of the UK last year.  They start with the basics and give a good time line (around 12 weeks) of being able to return to full exercise (although everyone is different!)

9. POSTPARTUM DOULAS – sometimes we need extra support as we navigate motherhood.  Just as you might have had a doula present during your birth, some doulas offer postpartum services that can be essential to several items on this list. 

10. CHIROPRACTIC CARE – making sure that we have a properly functioning nervous system is crucial to helping our bodies heal and thrive.  For my moms who have been under care during their pregnancy, care doesn’t stop once the baby is born.  We talk about nursing positions, pelvic and sacral alignment, return to movement exercises, and how motherhood stress can impact our neuroimmunoendocrine and microbiome body systems!!  Even if you weren’t under chiropractic care during your pregnancy, I have had women seek out chiropractic care specifically for postpartum issues and have seen results like better sleep, better mobility, and less pain.  As always, I love the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association for moms and families who are looking for a chiropractor 😊

Is this list all inclusive, certainly not.  This is just a compilation of what I’ve personally experienced in my motherhood journey, as well as what I’ve seen from the moms in my office.  Motherhood is transformational and empowering but can also be overwhelming and daunting.  It’s all in our perception, so be sure to “fill your cup” and be graceful with yourself.  Let’s chat about ways you can support yourself on your postpartum journey next time you’re in the office.

~Dr. Shannon