Post-pregnancy recovery

#postpregnancy #newmumrecovery #postpregnancyweightloss #postpregnancyhealth

Nothing is easy after having a baby.

Everyone says so but you won’t get it until you experience it: everything changes. Everything. You were so busy to have the best birth plan (khm and then you end up with an emergency caesarean) and now it is over, you have this cute little package on your chest and now what? How can you love this little thing the best way? And what happened to your body? If you had been athletic or curvy before, doesn’t matter, your body is not and won't be the same any more. Depending on your genetics and life style, your body will have marks of your pregnancy and the birth. So how can you get back your body and your previous lifestyle and how coaching can help you?

First of all, your body and your entire life had changed for good and there is no way to go back just as there is no way to be again that enthusiastic and somewhat naïve teenager you had been x years ago, life is like this, period. Time and experience has its mark on everyone and everything and that is a good thing: you became YOU through those adventures and difficulties in your life. So what can you do?

You can define how you look at the changes. Whatever happens, there is always one thing that is up to you: what is your attitude and approach, if you can find the positive side of a change or you rather see the negative side of it.

Gratitude is a great tool for this. Look at your body, and don’t focus on the flat belly you had before or the perfect skin you used to have. Think it over how your body changed. Now think it over what could have been the biological reason for that change and how your baby or your body benefited from it. A loose skin allowed your baby to grow and develop in your uterus to that beautiful and strong son or daughter you have today. A linea nigra is the sign how your body was able to generate different hormones, just as your baby needed them and just as your body needed them to be able to nourish your small one and stay healthy at the same time. I am grateful for all the changes, for the extra kilos, for the belly that remained. I am even grateful for the scar of the emergency C-section as my little one could get born through that gate. I used to call it the VIP exit.

If you took this important step towards accepting your body, you can think over what is within your control to change and what isn’t. Before any other actions, talk to your doctor and understand when and what is allowed for you, as all bodies, pregnancies and births are different, so you need to know exactly when can you have a long walk or jump or practise any other sports. Don’t forget, your body needed 9 months to prepare for the birth and it will need the same time to recover! So be patient with your body and allow it to recover from all the stress it had to bear with. Be realistic when setting any goals and don’t abuse it. I was quite sporty in the past 10 years, however I put on some extra weight during my pregnancy and naturally had a much higher heart rate and I was panting hard when I had to take a couple of stairs and couldn’t keep on with the conversation. After the birth it hurt so much even standing up or changing position on the couch, I needed to learn to be patient and focus on other things than how my body looks like. I accepted that my body is not the same and I needed to give it time. A lot of time. And then more time.

When you feel yourself ready, you can start to focus on the areas that are within your control. What do you eat, how healthy do you eat? Is there anything you could change in your eating habits, and if you breastfeed, how can you ensure the safety of your child and your own health? Everyone talks about how important it is to have a balanced diet during pregnancy, but so it is after birth. You most probably have new routines anyway, so it is a good time to try out new eating habits and establish them as part of the new routine.

If you already feel stronger, what activities could you practise to get fit again? After the birth I started to have longer and longer walks with my baby which became a daily routine and helped me both mentally and physically to accept all the changes in my life. What activity do you feel like doing? Is your body benefiting from it or maybe you’d better wait a little bit more? Do you have any pain from birth or pregnancy that needs to be addressed with some special physiotherapy?

Did you have any traumas during the pregnancy or the birth? If your answer is a maybe or a yes, don’t make up any excuses or obstacles and work on it with a professional. Your mental wellbeing will have a huge impact on how you manage to deal with all the changes and challenges in your life, with all the new emotions and thoughts. Don’t forget that there is no reason to be ashamed if you are not in that pinky Disney-happiness status, most probably no one experiences it for real, it is just the pressure of social media. You can love your baby and be exhausted, confused, impatient, sad and happy and so much more at the same time, probably no one is just happy and period.

The good news is that with a couple of months' conscious couching process you can make huge progress to transition into motherhood, to accepting and embracing your new reality and also to feeling fitter and prettier again. It is a holistic approach so we look at your overall wellbeing, your life style, your situation and the program supports you to make long lasting changes. I am more than happy to accompany you on this journey and help you to get over any obstacles you might encounter on your way! With the new Mum's mental and physical wellbeing program I offer a package that works for all life situations, for all kind of mums. If you decide to not only survive this challenging time but you want to be able to enjoy this wonderful miracle, then contact me for a free consultation.