As the baby arrives, the new chapter of a woman's life - Motherhood starts. Each and every day a new mother see a new challenge in front of her, and motherhood seems to quite overwhelming in comparison to her pregnancy days. As everything is new, it is obvious to take baby steps in the motherhood journey. The first few years of motherhood makes every new mother stressed, anxious and completely exhausted. And this is all due to the lack of proper postnatal care, which every new mother need.
Postnatal care is individualised care that meets the needs of every new mother as well of her newborn baby. In most of the cases, it is seen that a mother does not receive that much of care and attention in terms of her good health which she should receive, in order to nurse and care her baby well. This lack makes her feel tired, stressed, depressed, and anxious. The proper postnatal care is important for a new mother too, as it helps her to recover easily and quickly after the childbirth. Pregnancy is not an easy phase for a woman, it makes her body changed completely, both vertically and horizontally. Postnatal care helps a woman to regain her body strength, which gets disturbed during pregnancy. Moreover, postnatal care provides mother a good health and a happy state of mind which is much needed to raise a newborn baby.
How to care a postnatal mother?
The early days of motherhood are troublesome for every new parent, especially for a mother because she has to fully adjust herself to the needs and requirements of her child. Breastfeeding at regular intervals takes a toll of her health, additionally she gets sleep deprived because her baby do not let her sleep peacefully. Therefore, to provide her care, a family support is much needed in this situation.
A Postnatal care for a mother is needed for approximately for 6 to 8 weeks after the childbirth, however it can be extended as per the need of a mother an child.
Allow her to take rest, as and when she needs it
Rest is the foremost thing which a mother needs after its childbirth. Rest allows a mother to soothe and calm her nerves which makes her postpartum period relaxed and peaceful. With the arrival of her baby, she gets sleep deprived, which is pretty obvious. But this lack of sleep makes her tired and weak which affects her breastfeeding time also. Sleep deprivation can also put a mother into a risk of any physical and emotional problem. Research tells us that just short naps, once in a week sleep pattern, or waking up in every half an hour can accumulate the sleep-debts and they can be harmful for any human being.
Therefore, let this new mother sleep as much she wants, because this is not only good for her but also good for her baby. The more she takes rest, the more cofortably she will be able to breastfeed her little baby.
A glass of milk, twice in a day
Yes, you read it right! A glass of milk is not only healthy for a growing toddler but also for a mother. A postnatal care includes the intake of plenty of fluids in a day, especially a glass of milk that too twice in a day. Calcium becomes a vital nutrient for a woman who becomes a mother, because baby takes up all essential nutrients including more of calcium from its mother's body through breastmilk. This makes a mother feel dull and tired all day. Furthermore, this also reduces the density of her bones. Hence, to keep a mother active and energetic, and most importantly her bones strong, calcium intake is must and this can be best done through the consumption of milk. One can add taste enhancer, if one does not love plain milk. However, for good results, it is better to add health supplement powder especially formulated for a lactating mother, like Nestle Baby and Me, Mother's Horlicks, Prolina Milk Powder, etc. All these are super effective in keeping a mother healthy and active.
A regular Body massage
As stated earlier, pregnancy changes the body of a mother completely and after the childbirth, body starts aching too much. Therefore, to relax the aching muscles and stretched nerves, a good body massage is important for a mother's health. It helps to regain a body's energy, and provides strength to the muscles and tissues. A postnatal body massage is a full body massage and should be done by a professionally trained person. A good body massage regulates the proper blood circulation and reduces the swelling in a body that may have had happened at the time of labour.
Body massage reduces the stress and provides rejuvanation to your body. It helps in dealing with Postpartum Depression too.
A body massage, in case of normal delivery, can be started as and when mother comes back home after her delivery, which is ideally after 4-5 days of the childbirth. However, in case of C-section, a body massage should be avoided on the abdomen area as the wound takes some time to get healed completely. Body massage should be continued for at least 40 to 50 days.
A happy and healthy environment
A happy envirnoment always makes the recovery time quicker and easier. The more happy and healthy the nearby surrounding is, the more quick a new mother will recover. A happy environment as well as a good family support will keep her mind stress-free, and she will be able to connect and bond with her child more quickly. This will keep her happy, relaxed and guilt-free. So, provide her support and help her wherever she finds herself in a challenging situation. This will boost her morale and confidence.
Postnatal care is an important part of a mother' health. The care, love and support which she recieves at this phase, contributes to her health positively for the rest of her life.
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