Birth boot camp classes, birth classes at hospitals, birth prep visits at physical therapists office-all are an amazing way to prepare for the big day of labor and delivery. We LOVE our birth prep sessions, and completely nerd out over teaching all the ways we can prepare the body for labor, positions to labor in, pain management strategies, and ways to help partners support the birthing mother! Unfortunately, for most people, the preparing tends to stop there (unless you, like me, had a freezer full of crockpot meals and padsicles crammed all together), and we all can agree that what comes next-AFTER the birth-is a pretty huge deal!
Preparing for postpartum is such an important piece of the timeline during pregnancy. It's tough to learn the ins and outs of something while in the trenches experiencing it. It also can be really scary experiencing things that you weren't prepared for, and can leave a lot of questions unanswered, or problems left unaddressed that otherwise could have been relieved!
Postpartum prep is about preparing mom, partner, and other support people in how to best help care for MOM in a timeline where the emphasis tends to switch from Mom to baby.
What does preparing for postpartum look like?
Learning about the first 48 hours of postpartum and what to expect
The first bowel movement after having a vaginal delivery? Yikes. The fundal massage? Woof. Uterine contractions while nursing? Excuse me, what? And I need HOW many supplies to help heal my hoo-ha? All of these are completely normal things post birth, but without learning about them, they can seem really scary! Knowing how to properly prepare for things like a poo (hello magnesium, water, and a squatty potty!), or that sweating through the sheets is likely and not a sign of impending doom can relieve some of the stress of navigating the early postpartum period
Setting expectations for your body
So often we hear moms being diagnosed with diastsis recti at 6 weeks (that's a whole other blog post impending, don't you worry), and we HATE it. After pregnancy anda vaginal delivery, it is absolutely normal and in a lot of ways expected that there may still be a slight separation in the midline for a period of time. When you go for the first walk postpartum, and after you feel some heaviness between your legs, a spiral can start where we panic, thinking "I did too much and I caused a prolapse", when really, the pelvic floor muscles are recovering from a stretch and are just tired after their first time having to work again! The internet is a terrible place of doom and gloom in the postpartum space, and the last thing we want someone doing is stressing over fear based messaging that is not evidence based. Setting these expectations ahead of time can help avoid the spiral at 3 am while nursing baby.
Learning about return to exercise
We don't support the "do nothing for 6 weeks" idea, and especially not "do nothing for 6 weeks, then jump right back in to what you did pre-baby". In postpartum rehab, you and your therapist will come up with an individualized and specific program for YOU and your unique return to what you love, but together you can begin to work on that roadmap prior to baby's arrival.
Learning about return to intercourse
Things change a bit after birth, whether it was a vaginal or a cesarean delivery, so learning tips and tricks for returning to intercourse and ways to foster intimacy in the 6 weeks of pelvic rest can help both you and partner feel like you are on the same page. Return to intimacy happens when YOU are ready, and there are strategies and techniques that can ease nerves and create the most enjoyable, successful experience possible!
We offer postpartum prep visits and welcome spouse or other support people along! We dive deep into all of the above points, as well as perineal care and sleepy hygiene. For those not local to the Houston area, we offer virtual postpartum prep visits as well, and our postpartum prep guide is available in our store on the website here!
What was YOUR favorite thing you did to help prepare for postpartum? Comment and let us know!
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