Having a baby is a journey. There are so many emotions that bubble up during this time - feelings of excitement and joy, but also feelings of anxiety and worry! The #1 thing I reminded myself daily was that it’s a normal part of pregnancy and it’s okay to feel all the things. So many women experience different emotions and each pregnancy is different.
The anticipation of birth can have a lot of different feelings show up too. These ebbs and flows in emotions continues through that postpartum time too. Especially if it is your first pregnancy, you have a lot of feelings of unknown because you don’t know what to expect. In terms of postpartum though, when does it really end?
I looked it up one day because I was curious, and there are a lot of different opinions out there to say the least! Some say it lasts always because the definition of the word postpartum is "following childbirth or the birth of young".
Others say when your kids are young, like not yet in their teen years and still others look at it more being that first year of your little one's life being the postpartum time.
No matter what time you definite postpartum as, it's definitely still a different time period in your life than has ever happened before. I truly refer to postpartum as forever because you become a different person when you become a mom.
It is important to remember to give yourself grace, ask for help when you need it and remember to slow down long enough to take each moment of the journey in - the good, the bad, and the ugly! While you are in the thick of it, the days may seem long, but they say the years fly by! And most of all mama, you aren’t alone!
The changes your body goes through from pre-pregnancy to pregnancy to birth then postpartum can be vast and vary from person to person. No matter which phase you are currently in, it is important to recognize that your body is a literal superhero - taking all of these rapid changes in stride and syncing into a new rhythm.
When you’re pregnant your body is seriously is a superhero. (I had to say this many times during my pregnancy and during labor!)
I recently got a massage by a lovely gentleman who I hadn’t had a massage by since right before I found out I was pregnant and it made me think of how much my body has changed since then.
Every woman’s body recovers differently from pregnancy and birth, which sometimes can be hard to deal with. They say if you breastfeed you’ll burn extra calories and that will help you lose the weight but really it’s not as cut and dry as that.
There’s an idea of way back (think more of that live off the land times) that when you're breastfeeding your body holds onto extra weight to make sure that you have enough umph to continue to nourish your little one if things like famine or war come and you are not able to eat as often.
From the science perspective, the hormone prolactin released during breastfeeding tends to reduce the ability to lose weight in some women. This hormone is released every time you nurse and may contribute to weight gain, especially if you are prone to gaining weight anyway.
Knowing these aspects doesn't always make it easier to deal with the fact that I have not lost the 'baby weight' (which duh, this takes time) but I like to go searching for the why behind things to understand a little bit more of what might be going on in my body.
The one area I am most confident in is FOOD. It is not that I know everything (nobody does) but food has been one of my primary tools for healing and having a magical pregnancy (truly I enjoyed being pregnant like 99% of the time), and as I recently mentioned, a BIG deal when it comes to navigating the holidays.
If you find yourself overindulging during the holiday season and you’re looking for a better way to enjoy foods and feel good stick around, I recently put together a holiday food challenge and I will be doing these throughout the upcoming year so keep an eye out for the next one!
As a parent this is something that can be sparse at times, but I want to share with you the importance of sleep for your overall health.
🤣I laugh because sleeping with a new baby is always interesting. We have been really blessed with our little one who sleeps really well plus with bed sharing, oils and a somewhat consistent bedtime, it has allowed us to get more sleep than I've heard other parents get.
Sleep is one of the most important things that we can do in terms of self-care for soooo many reasons.
Here's a few 👇
Sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, and it plays a crucial role in various aspects of our physical, mental, and emotional functioning. Here are some reasons why sleep is important:
1. Restoration and Healing: Sleep is a time when the body can focus on repairing and rejuvenating itself especially in terms of tissues and muscles being repaired and the immune system being strengthened.
2. Cognitive Function: Sleep is vital for cognitive function, including memory consolidation, problem-solving, creativity, and learning.
3. Emotional Well-Being: Adequate sleep is crucial for emotional stability and mental health as a leep deprivation is linked to mood disturbances, irritability, increased stress levels, and a higher risk of developing mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
4. Physical Health: Lack of sleep is associated with a range of physical health problems, including an increased risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Sleep helps regulate hormones that control appetite and metabolism.
5. Immune Function: Sleep is important for a strong and resilient immune system. It helps the body produce immune cells, antibodies, and other substances needed to fight off infections and illnesses.
6. Energy and Alertness: Getting sufficient sleep enhances daytime alertness, energy, and overall performance. It reduces the likelihood of accidents and errors in daily activities, including driving.
7. Stress Reduction: Sleep is a natural stress reliever. It helps regulate stress hormones, allowing the body and mind to recover from daily stressors.
8. Physical Performance: Athletes and individuals engaged in physical activities benefit from adequate sleep as it contributes to better physical performance, muscle recovery, and coordination.
9. Hormonal Balance: Sleep plays a role in regulating various hormones, including those that control growth, stress response, and reproductive function. Hormonal imbalances can result from chronic sleep deprivation.
10. Longevity: Research suggests that consistent, quality sleep is associated with a longer lifespan and a reduced risk of premature mortality.
Did you know sleep could do all of this?!
P.S. These are benefits we can all benefit from, even if you are not a parent to a baby or young kiddo.
My mom said where there’s guilt you’ll find it when it comes to being in the depths of motherhood 🥺
I was asking her about the emotions that can come along when you're trying to get things done yet want to spend time with your little one. It’s hard to work (even on something you love), or go do alllll that self-care I share so much about.
Frankly, I just like to do most things with my munchkin, at least at the moment. He’s portable and we get to spend time together while I get that walk in or go to the ocean. Obviously not everything can be done with him in tow so if I’m out doing something that he can’t come along to, like a massage, acupuncture or my trips to the infrared, I focus on remembering how important it is to care for myself so I can care for him! 🫶
I remind myself too that it’s so important for my husband to have alone time with our son to be able to bond and connect with him. At the end of the day, it’s truly serving all of us. I get to fill my cup and they get quality time together. The same goes for family and friends! They love nothing more than to get to spend time with our little one!
I feel the struggle with work too; working from home and running my own business. When I’m able to get certain things done, they help me not only feel accomplished, but can earn money to help care for our little one. I also remind myself often that I’m giving him an example of what it’s like to work hard to serve others and make the world a better place
If you’re worried about being a good mom, remember you are a good mom! It’s normal to get caught in the mom guilt sometimes, just keep those reminders close to your heart when it happens to bring you back and remind you that you’re doing an amazing job.
Infrared saunas can provide so many benefits for our health and wellbeing. Using an infrared sauna can help boost your heart health and even reduce blood pressure. Researchers have compared the physical response in your body to walking at a moderate pace. This means it can help improve blood circulation too and support muscle recovery after a workout.
This is something I recently started implementing into my routine again because when I was sick a few weeks ago (besides some awesome homeopathic remedies) - the infrared sauna was so key in helping me recover! Being a mother means I'm on duty all the time, so I don't have time to be sick (plus being sick just isn't fun either).
Even when you’re healthy, this is a great self care practice that you can add to your routine. The infrared sauna helps reduce oxidative stress on your body which is associated with many different types of diseases and even the common cold!
As a mother, this is one way I've found to take some time for myself. In the infrared I'm able to close my eyes, breathe and actually meditate - which when you have an infant isn't always easy to do!
Being that I have an autoimmune, I know the importance of making sure that my body (and yours!) is healed enough before using an infrared sauna. If not, your body may not be able to handle the effects of the sauna. As always, introduce slowly and see how your body responds to the experience.
I love finding simple ways that I can serve my body as a whole like this. Not only is it beneficial to my health, but my mind too! There’s something about sitting under the warmth that just relaxes my mind and allows me to just be still and quiet for a moment. If you haven’t tried it yet, you have to and then let me know what you think!
