Precautions to Take After Delivery: Foods, Exercises and Rest

It is a challenge for new mothers to adjust to the daily routine after the delivery of a baby. The postpartum period takes you through a lot of emotional and physical challenges. You start dealing with the changes as you and your partner adapt to function as a changed family unit.

Although taking care of your child is essential, it is equally necessary to look after yourself. Keep in mind certain precautions after delivery to rebuild your strength. You will find all about postpartum care in this piece. So, read on.

Most new mothers do not plan to return to work for approximately the first six weeks post-delivery. This gives them ample time to adapt to the new changes and develop a new normal lifestyle.

Often, you might experience sleepless nights as your baby requires frequent feeding and changing. That is when you need someone to help you and be by your side so that you can take a rest. This is when you and your partner are involved in learning to take care of your newborn child.

The postpartum stage begins just after the delivery of your child. It ends when your body has adapted to the changes and has returned to its pre-pregnant stage. This lasts for at least six to eight weeks. However, you require rest, proper nutrition and guidance for the first few weeks.

In addition, you need to accept the changes your body has undergone post-delivery to avoid postpartum depression.

Your body might undergo several changes after delivery. So, you need to understand the necessity of after-delivery care. Apart from the newborn, the mother also requires intensive care to return to her daily chores.

Here is a list of precautions to take after delivery:

1. Rest

All newborns have different time clocks than their parents. Normally a newborn wakes up about 3-4 hours and requires feeding and changing. This might disrupt your sleep, and you might feel exhausted.

Here are a few ideas to help you cope with the transition:

• Try to appoint a nurse or someone or ask help from your family to help you with the daily chores and added responsibilities. This will help you to take care of yourself too.
• Try to sleep when your baby sleeps. Though this is not enough, it will add comfort due to the frequent rest you take.
• Place your baby's bed near to your bed to save time. You are just a step away whenever your baby requires feeding at night.
• Try some light massages that will soothe your body. This will help you in relaxing your muscles and enhance your sleep.
• Plan to walk to a nearby park or stroll around your terrace for a few minutes. This will freshen up your mind, and you can focus on caring for yourself.

2. Lift Your Mood

A common issue faced by most new mothers, mood swings can keep you anxious throughout the day.

To help you lighten your mood, try to follow these steps:

• Relax and listen to soft music and soothing tunes.
• Try reading your favourite book or topic. Try reading topics on post-delivery life and how to care for your baby.
• If you love cooking, try to cook something new. This will lighten your mood instantly.
• You can make sweet dresses for your little one by mixing and matching colours as per your choice. This will lift your mood for sure.
• If you feel like it, share your feeling with your nearest one, your best friend or your family member.
• Some mothers start writing diaries and noting down moments they experience. This often helps you overcome the stress you might have due to your new situation.

3. Eat Nutritious Food

For new mothers to stay healthy post-delivery, they must eat healthy food. Especially when breastfeeding, it is necessary to increase your intake of fluids.

Here is a list to guide you with healthy eating:

• Include a lot of leafy green vegetables in your diet as they contain Vitamin A and are good for you and your baby. Add bell peppers, avocados, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, kale, etc.
• Fruits such as mangoes, melon, citrus, berries, bananas and apples are good for your body. Try to consume blueberries as they contain essential vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals, enhancing your energy levels.
• Fenugreek seeds are beneficial as they help lactation and enhance weight loss imparting a unique flavour to your meals.
• Consume whole grains such as oats, brown rice, quinoa and wheat bread. Whole wheat bread is rich in folic acid, an essential nutrient your baby requires in the first few months. Also, it contains fibre that ensures a healthy digestive system and iron that guards against anaemia.
• Make dairy products an essential part of your daily post-delivery diet plan. Try fat-free products such as yoghurt, cheese and buttermilk to control your calorie consumption.
• A nutritional powerhouse for new mothers, add salmon to your diet too. Salmon contains DHA helping to develop your baby's nervous system. In addition, salmon helps to lift your mood and prevents postpartum depression.
• Scramble eggs for breakfast, have hard-boiled eggs during lunch and make an omelette for dinner.
• Try low-fat protein, including poultry, tofu, fish, seeds, nuts, beans, lean beef, etc. For vegetarians, black beans and legumes are an ideal choice as they are rich in plant protein.
• Consume a lot of water, juice and liquids to prevent dehydration.

Apart from these, you should also monitor your consumption of:

Iodine - Iodine helps in infant growth and boosts brain development. Lactating mothers should consume approximately 290 micrograms every day.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Women who are breastfeeding should also consume 9-12 ounces of fish every week. Consume varieties that are low in mercury and high in EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA or docosahexaenoic acid. You will find them in sardines, trout, salmon and anchovies.

Choline - Another essential component lactating women require 550 milligrams each day is choline. This also helps in your baby’s brain development.

However, essential precautions for after-delivery include avoiding food and beverages such as alcohol, caffeine, peanuts, carbonated drinks and oily food.

4. Do Light Exercises

Apart from all these precautions for after-delivery, new mothers should also try light exercises to keep themselves energetic. Here are the tips to follow:

• First and foremost, do not push yourself to lift heavy weights since this can harm your body.
• To straighten your abdominal muscles, try pelvic tilts. You can try it for five minutes a day.
• Kegels’ exercise will tone your pelvic floor muscles that support your bladder, rectum, small intestine and uterus.
• Try the Happy Baby yoga pose to help tighten your pelvic muscles and relieve your pain.
• Walking is always a good choice to begin. It releases stress and helps you connect with friends from your locality!

Exercises will help you to:

• Lose the weight that you gained during pregnancy
• Reduce constipation, backaches and bloating 
• Promotes your sleep, reduces stress
• Builds your muscle strength
• Enhances your mood and improves your posture

Your newborn might be your priority, but post-delivery care is necessary for all new mothers. You will notice certain changes in your body after childbirth. Adapting to these changes will allow you to return to normal daily life faster. Pregnancy changes your body in more ways than you can expect.

For those who are pregnant and interested to know what are these changes you can expect, here are they:

1. Sore Vagina

If your doctor made an incision or if you have had a vaginal tear during delivery, the wound might hurt for a few days. These are painful and heal according to your body condition. To ease any discomfort, follow the below:

• Try to sit on a pillow or a padded cushion.
• Cool the sore area with an ice pack, or keep a chilled hazel pad between your sanitary napkin and perineum.
• Pour warm water onto the perineum area while passing urine.
• You can also prepare warm water and sit on it deep enough to cover your hips. Do this for five to six minutes to soothe yourself.
• Take numbing spray, stool softener, laxative or pain relief as prescribed by your doctor. This will prevent constipation.

2. Vaginal Discharge

You might start shedding superficial mucus membrane lining your uterus post-delivery during your pregnancy. The vaginal discharge might continue for a few weeks, but it will die down after a few weeks.

3. Frequent Contractions

New mothers often feel contractions or afterpains during the first few weeks of delivery. These are similar to menstrual cramps and help to prevent excessive bleeding as they compress the blood vessels in your uterus.

Due to the release of the hormone oxytocin, afterpains are common while you breastfeed your little one. As you consult your doctor, he or she will provide you with certain medications per the severity of the condition.

4. Incontinence Situations

Pregnancy, labour pain and delivery can injure or stretch your pelvic floor muscles supporting your bladder, uterus and rectum. Due to this, while coughing, laughing or sneezing, you might leak a few drops of urine. According to the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, this happens due to the hormone relaxin that loosens pelvic bones and muscles during childbirth.

Therefore, post-childbirth, the feet seem spread out, causing incontinence. Although these issues heal after a few weeks, they persist for some. Pelvic floor muscles or Kegels exercises will tone the muscles and control your bladder.

5. Bowel Movements or Haemorrhoids

According to British Medical Journal, pain during bowel movements or swelling near your anus implements, you might have swollen veins in your anus or on your lower rectum. To heal haemorrhoids, follow the below:

• Use a haemorrhoid cream or suppository that contains hydrocortisone.
• Prepare warm water and sit on it deep enough to cover your hips.
• Use pads that contain witch hazel or numbing soother.

To reduce pains from haemorrhoids, try to keep your stools regular. Consume fibre-rich food that includes vegetables, fruits, and grains and drink plenty of water.

6. Tender Breasts

Post-delivery, new mothers might experience tender breasts or engorgement, according to Aesthetic Journal Surgery. In that case, breastfeeding on both breasts can remove this issue. This is a very normal condition. However, if you still feel uncomfortable for a longer time, apply warm water or a cold pack to your breasts.

As your body adjusts to the change, sore nipples from breastfeeding will die down. Consult your doctor, who can provide nipple cream to soothe the pains and cracks.

7. Hair-loss and Change in Skin

According to the British Journal of Dermatology, most women will notice pinkish stretch marks during pregnancy. Elevated hormone levels during pregnancy results in hair loss and skin changes. You will often notice darkening of skin and unusual patches on your skin. After five to six months of delivery, these will reduce, and your stretch marks will also lighten.

8. Mood Change

Post-delivery, mothers can experience a lot of mood swings and emotions. This includes sleep discomfort, anxiousness, tiredness and many more. Commonly known as baby blues, these will subside after two to three weeks.

One of the necessary precautions after delivery is necessary for you to discuss your woes and emotions with your partner. Someone needs to be by your side during this situation.

9. Weight Loss

After giving birth to your baby, you might gain weight, which is a common issue. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG), most women gain 11 to 16 kilograms during pregnancy. Following a proper and healthy diet and regular exercise will help to regain body fitness.

10 Gestational Diabetes

Elevated blood sugar levels or gestational diabetes develop in more than 10% of women in the US as per Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention. Post-delivery, half of the new mothers having gestational diabetes tend to develop type-2 diabetes, as per the studies.

To diagnose gestational diabetes, try to maintain a healthy weight and a diet. Control your blood sugar levels and go for regular follow-ups.

A complex mix of emotional, physical and behavioural changes that most women undergo post-delivery is postpartum depression. It is a major depression and begins within four weeks after delivery. The most common symptoms of postpartum depression are as follows:

• Fatigue and nausea
• Insomnia
• Change of appetite
• Frequent mood changes

Well, postpartum depression can impact for longer periods affecting early bonding with the mother. According to a recent study on 14000 children, almost 40% lacked emotional bonding with their parents.

However, certain precautions are taken after delivery and before delivery to avoid postpartum depression. Here they are:

• Spend time with your partner and let him know about your emotions.
• Try to read books and indulge in whatever you love.
• Indulge in lighter activities during pregnancy; this will keep you occupied.
• Follow a sensible diet as given above.
• Try not to isolate yourself from your family and friends.
• Try to accept the new life you have embraced. It is beautiful.
• Be realistic about your expectations, and do not push yourself much.

Now that you know all about precautions after delivery, try to follow as much as possible. Additionally, you must consult your doctor regularly to have regular check-ups of your body. Your physician will check your emotional and physical well-being and help you adjust to your new life along with your baby.