Staying Healthy While Caring for a Newborn

Caring for a new baby is a demanding task. To do it well you must protect your own health. Getting enough rest, eating well and doing gentle exercise to regain and maintain your strength are all a vital part of staying healthy.

You will need some time to nurture yourself both physically emotionally. If at all possible try to have people nearby if you need help or just a time out to relax and adjust to your new situation.

Having support people nearby may also make it easier for you and your partner to spend some time together. If this is your first child, your lives will have changed dramatically. It is important for couples to consciously make some time to spend with each other.

Rest
The more you rest and take care of yourself in the first few weeks, the quicker your energy will return to normal. Take rest periods throughout the day and increase your activities gradually. Here are some tips to help you get enough rest:

 - Sleep when your baby is sleeping.
 - Let go of things that don't have to be done, like housework.
 - Plan for support from others including your partner and friends.
 - When you rest, unplug your phone. If you have an answering machine, use it.
 - Limit your visitors for the first two weeks.
 - If you are taking pain medication, plan your activities thirty minutes to two hours after you take it.

Nutrition
After your baby is born you will begin to lose weight. You may lose up to twelve pounds when the baby is born and perhaps one or two pounds a week afterwards. If you continue to follow the healthy eating habits suggested during the pregnancy, the weight should come off naturally. If it doesn't, a crash diet is not the answer, especially if you are breastfeeding. Talk to your caregiver about healthy weight loss.

Breastfeeding moms should aim for four servings of milk and milk products each day. To make sure you get all of the nutrients you need when you first get home, let someone else cook for you and keep a shopping list nearby so those people who offer to help can shop for you. Rather than trying to get it together for three large meals each day, try having four or five smaller ones throughout the day. Try to keep lots of nutritious prepared snacks on hand such as:

• bread/bagels/muffins
• yogurt
• cheese
• fresh or dried fruit

Exercise
You can begin doing simple exercises like Kegels and pelvic tilts right after the baby is born. These may help strengthen some of your strained muscles.

Wait until six weeks after the birth to do more strenuous abdominal exercises like sit-ups and curl-ups. These exercises may help you flatten your stomach and lose weight. Many communities have postpartum exercise classes to help you learn exercises that will strengthen your abdominal muscles. If not, some excellent videos are available.

It takes up to three months for your body to recover from the birth. Wait until then to begin more strenuous exercise or talk to your caregiver about what is best for you.