First 40 days after Child Birth : First Diet, Care & Exercise for Speed Recovery

How to cross your first 40 days after Child Birth?

What’s up once you deliver the baby?  Confinement Period? Recovery?  Recuperation? Gaining Strength?  Bonding?  Once you deliver the baby, you are sure to forget all the pains you had experienced during delivery and the troubles you faced during pregnancy.  It will all vanish making you feel it is a magic.  Remember that the first 40 days are very important and the practices may vary from country to country.

In Asia, especially in India, the post partum confinement period is around 30 to 40 days after child birth.  Please don’t think it is too restrictive.  This is the time you can make the most use of to bond with your baby and recover well.  You need support from your partner, family and friends to regain your strength and spend more time with your baby as he/she grows exponentially during this time period of 40 days.

Rest after Child Birth.

Whether it is a Caesarean or a Normal Delivery, this rest is always better for you to enjoy a calm and healthy future with your baby.    Your body undergoes many physical changes during this period like post natal bleeding, bruising, constipation, urinary incontinence etc.  Taking rest solves most of these issues.  But still that is not so easy with a new born.  “One full army at home after child birth is not enough to take care of the new born” – Most of the grannies say this and laugh in country sides.

This is because of only two main reasons.  One is that your new born needs to be fed every two hours or when you feel he/she is hungry.  The second reason is that breast fed babies urinate frequently and you need a helping hand in all your chores from someone.  You will have time only to eat, sleep, feed, change and repeat the same.  😀  If you are an experienced mother it is a bit easy to cross this time period but you have the additional responsibility of giving the responsibility of taking care of your elder kids by someone else like your mother, mother-in-law, maid or even if they have experience your father, father-in-law can also help you.  Taking care of kids is not rocket science.

Post partum Blues.

You get exhausted during labour and there are numerous hormonal changes happening in your body at this time and most of the moms are affected by mood swings.  These are called the baby blues or post partum depression or post natal depression or a period of anxiety.  If you really feel you have to enjoy your motherhood fully, its better you get through this period with maturity and get more attached to your baby.

Some mother may even feel very depressed that they end up hurt themselves or even the baby.  This happens when they are alone and not really prepared for this pregnancy or delivery as such.  This is when medical assistance is compulsorily needed.  It is nature who has given you the responsibility to become a mother and it’s your right to enjoy it but the means of how to take pleasure in it needs to be figured out as it is different for each person.  So, you have to take the effort mainly in finding it out.  Your friends, family members and partner can only help you.

Best nourishment for your baby – Breast feeding

Keep your body in shape even after delivery and your baby healthy too by exclusive breast feeding for the first 6 months.  Even though hearing this is easy, it is very tough to execute the same.  The nights are the most difficult part.  Being awake in nights to feed and change for the baby is the toughest of all.  In spite of this taking care of your health is another major task.  But some babies sleep throughout the nights too.  They are supposed to be the luckiest mothers of all.  There are a few pediatricians who suggest that you need not wake the baby and feed when he/she sleeps.  But there are a few who say that you need to feed every two hours.  The decision is yours!  Both ways the baby is healthy.

Mastering the art of breastfeeding is very essential to keep your baby free from gastric problems or to keep you free from sore nipples.  A few tips for you to master this special, must learn art for new moms.

·       Make sure you hold your baby in the right position while feeding.  It is enough if you use one hand to hold the bum of your baby and keep him/her in a straight position.

·      Keep your nipples moist so that there are not much of cracks or soreness which makes you feel burning sensation while feeding.  Coconut oil is the best moisturizer.

·      Using your phone or watching TV or chatting with others can be avoided while breast feeding.  Just get closer to the baby and talk like how you did to your belly.  The baby will get back those memories and be calm without causing troubles to you with any cranky behavior.

If you ask your elders at home, you can get even more tips.  Just strike a balance between old and new at this place in a peaceful manner.  That’s it!  It is very easy to handle this time period.

Nutrition after delivery.

Each family follows different tradition and customs when it comes to food and it widely varies from region to region.  But the common things that are followed are

·      Drink plenty of water.

·      Eat in the right time.

·      Eat fiber rich food.

·      Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet.

·      Post-delivery massage.

·      Take enough rest.

·      Be happy.

Get help to easily kick out your baby blues and wish for a speedy recovery to get ready to be delighted and contently enjoy your motherhood.  Remember that your mother did it for you and now you are doing it for your child.  “Mother’s love is peace.  It need not be deserved.  It need not be acquired.” – Eric Fromm.