You did it! You brought a new life into the world! Congratulations, mama. Your world is now all about diaper changes, feeding schedules, googling everything “they didn’t tell you.” and of course, a million photos of your sweet little one taking up all the space in your camera roll.. go ahead and update that cloud storage, sis; you will need it.

But here’s the scoop. I know this is easier said than done, but you also need some special attention. Your body just did one of the most miraculous things a birthing person could do, but it also caused a lot of trauma to the body. There is a lot going on internally that needs healing. Not to freak you out, but the placenta you birthed left a scar the size of a dinner plate in your body….so yeah, mama, you need to take it easy.

Here are five things that will help you heal physically and emotionally after giving birth.

Rest when you can

I’m not going to tell you to sleep when the baby sleeps but I’m also not saying it’s a bad idea. The dishes, the laundry, the tidying can wait trust me. Try to get your zzz’s when you can.

One of the ways that helped me was get black out curtains because it’s hard to catch a quick nap at 2:30 when the sun is blasted through the room. Oh also get those little light covers you can find them here. They are a great for the light on the humidifier, outlets, etc. I don’t know about you but I need totally darkness. Ok one more thing on this, talk to your partner about a new sleep schedule. I heard a mom on TikTok talk about how her partner slept from 6p-12a and she slept from 12a-6a that way they both got at least 6 hours of sleep each night. Now before you come for me I understand that wouldn’t work for everyone especially the exclusive breastfeeding mamas but something to maybe consider.

If you don’t have time for a full nap, at least put your feet up and snuggle up with a good book or Netflix show.

Nourish yourself

I know it’s hard to ask for help but if someone is raising their hands to help, tell them to make you food. Trust me if there is one thing that I know that can make a huge difference in those early postpartum days its being fed nourishing warm meals. It’s so easy to grab for those quick snacks, or order on door dash again. But your body is craving some good nourishing foods because here’s the scoop, your body has been depleted you birth an entire child and an organ so its important to get all the nutrients you can to slowly heal and replenish what has been lost.

Get you a big ole water bottle

I don’t think you understand postpartum thirst unless you went through but Oh. My. God! I’m not 100% what’s the cause of this extreme thirst but no one and I mean no one prepared me for this. I felt like I was a leaking water balloon; no matter how much I drank, I was still thirsty. So yea, find the biggest water bottle you can and put them in every section of your house because you will need them. One thing that help me with drink so much water was adding fruit to the water and using these liquid iv hydration packs .

Oh and here are some of my favorite water bottles

OWALA is best if you like to gulp and sip out of a water bottle.

Stanley is becoming cult favorite… all the girls snatching this one up. The best part is it hold 40oz of water!

Water bottle from the hospital– if you give birth in the hospital make sure you take home that tumbler water bottle they give. I don’t know what it is, but that one right there gets the job done!

Get your hot mom walk on

Before you get moving, make sure you get the go-ahead from your doctor or midwife. If you got the green light, get your sunglasses, grab some headphones, find a podcast or finally use those audible credits and get some fresh air. I don’t know what is about getting outside and letting the sunlight hit your face but its just puts me in the best mood. The change of environment and the movement and just the good old fresh air can be a great mood booster and really helpful in healing your body. So strap on those nikes and get to moving mama. Ps. Don’t forget to listen to your body we are not training for a marathon right now.

Find your Village

This transition is beautiful but let’s be real this sh*t is hard! It can be lonely, isolating, and make you feel like I have no idea what the hell I’m doing. The best way to get through those really tough times is to lean on your village, call up your girlfriends, mom, sister, or even your IG bestie! You need that friend that you can all at 2:30am and just listen, you need the friend that is going to come over and give you that 45 min nap you so desperately need and you need that mama friend that is going to remind you that you are a badass mom!

If you don’t have all of these people in your corner, join a mom group, find your local early childhood education organization or connect with a local church. However, if you find your village, lean on them. They are there to help. Also, don’t hesitate to contact a professional for help. Postpartum recovery can be challenging, but you don’t have to go through it alone!

Recovering from birth takes time and patience, but taking care of yourself during this crucial period is essential. Give yourself grace, move slowly, and lean on those you love to support you!

You got this mama~