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It’s the moment you have been waiting nine long months for – the arrival of your little one. Now that life is continuing with an extra family member on board, you might be wondering how much things are going to change and what you should consider in this next phase of your life. Beyond anything else, you want to be looking out for your mental and physical health as you are going to draw from both every day of your life as a new parent. Let’s get to the other areas that you can plan for in post-pregnancy.
Baby essentials
When you find the right baby essentials they can feel like that third parent, providing support and convenience that is so essential in post-pregnancy. Uppababy and other quality baby brands provide reliable baby seats, pram accessories, rain shields and bassinets. This means that you can be more mobile and less likely to be overwhelmed with not having what you need while trying to contend with a newborn.
These essentials also include baby clothes for the season ahead, enough nappies so that you don’t have to go to the shops in those initial days, and appropriate sleeping arrangements for your baby. If you are unsure whether everything has been accounted for, reach out to friends and family that have children and have them quiz you on what you need so that you can cover all blind spots.
Health and care
Once you become a mother, you immediately put that little being above your own needs with that mother instinct overpowering any other priority. Despite this fact, it’s so important that you look after your health in post-pregnancy, as you can’t expect to be the best mother without having the energy and vitality to do so. A good post-pregnancy diet (keep sugar and highly processed food to a minimum) and regular rest is going to be critical in post-pregnancy, so rather than trying to get a long list of jobs done when the baby is asleep – catch some shut-eye yourself instead.
Exercise and movement are other areas you can gain control over, especially pelvic floor exercises and deep abdominal exercises. Pilates and yoga can really target these areas, and they are low intensity so you don’t have to fear an elevated heart rate or jumping up and down. You should also start with gentle walking and see how you go, and if possible avoid picking up or carrying anything heavier than your baby.
Automate when possible
Automation might be a curious thing to be thinking about in this important time in your life, but imagine if dinner was sorted every night, your laundry and home were always clean and your fridge is always stocked? This is now possible in our modern era, so consider a ready-made food delivery subscription, grocery delivery and even a cleaner to keep your home at its baseline of cleanliness and order. You might think this is overkill now when the baby hasn’t yet arrived, but when it does you won’t have time to do the things that once happened so easily – and you want to be as kind to yourself in those moments of overwhelm.
When you tell people that you have a plan for your post-pregnancy, you might get a few laughs. The truth is that children are incredibly unpredictable and you don’t know what trade-offs and decisions you will make when you are faced with the needs of your young family. The small steps we have highlighted above actually make a huge impact, so start there and give yourself a break if things take a little longer than you anticipated to find a rhythm.
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