5 Suggestions from a Miami Therapist for Self-Care During the Postpartum Period
Self-care during the postpartum period can feel like a luxury. Often when we do get a few moments alone, after having a baby, and being a new mom, we are so overwhelmed we don’t know what to do. I remember when my little one would finally take a long nap, I couldn’t decide what I should do. I was so overwhelmed and burnout. Often, in my new mom zombie state, I found myself scrolling on social media. This left me feeling even more exhausted, overwhelmed and drained postpartum.
As a new parent postpartum, in can fell like you are just trying to survive. When someone is in survival mode it can be hard to remember the importance of self-care. You keep just going through the motions and actions to try to get through, hoping that each day it will be different. As a couples therapist and counselor that specializes in working with moms that are struggling after having a baby, I know from working with my clients and personally as a Mom, that there are things that you can do to help you feel better. There are small actions that you can do each day for self-care and well being. Here are some ideas for self-care during the postpartum period.
Suggestion #1 for Self-Care Postpartum: Take a Walk in Nature
I know that this might sound obvious but getting out of your apartment, house, even just for 10 minutes can be really helpful for you physical and mental well-being after having a baby. I know that for someone who has had a cesarean section, c-section, a long walk might not be possible, but even if you are able to get outside, be close to nature, it can be so healing. It can be helpful to try get outside in the morning at some point, or when it is sunny, as exposure to light can help regulate your circadian rhythm. It can also be good for the baby to be exposed to light to help them differentiate day and night. Please consult with your pediatrician if you have any specific questions about baby.
After my c-section, I was encouraged to walk to help with blood flow. Depending on how many days and weeks you are postpartum generally impacts how long and far they encourage you to walk. It is just important to monitor bleeding to ensure that they are not pushing yourself. Consult with your health care provider if you have specific questions about how far you might walk.
Suggestion #2 for Self-Care Postpartum: Take a Bath or Shower
Before you do this, please consult with your medical care provider as there are times when a Mom can’t bathe postpartum. However, if you do get the okay from your doctor to bathe postpartum, I strongly recommend it. After having your baby, a lot of self-care is focused around our basic needs of good nutrition, comfort, sleep and light. Bathing and showering falls into that category of comfort and relaxation. As an exhausted parent postpartum there is something revitalizing and awakening about showering and changing your clothes. If it’s a bath, the warm water seems to release any tension you might have from holding the baby and the shower seems to momentarily wash you for your pains. As a therapist in Miami, and Mom, I can attest to the healing feeling Moms get after a good bath or shower.
Suggestion #3 for Self-Care Postpartum: Eat a Meal High in Protein
Cooking postpartum seems impossible. So for this one it often requires you or your partner asking a family member or close friend to help you. When a friend of family member asks if there is anything they can do, take them up on their offer. Ask for food! You might say something like, “thank you so much for an offer. We are struggling to cook food right now, so any meals you might be able to help with would be a huge help.”
You might wonder why a meal high in protein might be considered self-care. A huge part of feeling well during postpartum involves the food you are eating. Since you might not be getting a lot of sleep, we need fuel and energy to keep us going through the day. Eating a sugar laden meal, though momentarily satisfying, can lead to a lot of sugar highs and lows which is strongly connected to mood. A meal high in protein will offer you the needed energy and nutrients you need postpartum to heal and take care of your little one.
Suggestion #4 for Self-Care Postpartum: Talk to a Friend
This was something I wish I had done more postpartum. It was only after I hung up after a chat with a friend that I realized the power and energy I got from connecting with others. Postpartum can be such an isolating time, especially now as we navigate the pandemic. As a therapist, I should know how important it is to connect with others and the value of relationships, but it is so hard postpartum to remember how beneficial it can be for our mental and physical well-being to connect with others. I always found it helpful to grab a cup of tea when the little when was napping and zoom or face-time a close friend. Sometimes I felt like I didn’t have the energy to reach out to others, or I worried about my disheveled appearance postpartum, but after the phone call, I always felt better.
Suggestion #5 for Self-Care Postpartum: Read a Book
This might not be for everyone, but having a book, a world, that I could escape to for a while every day was exactly what I needed postpartum. For me, it is a good romance novel, or historical fiction piece set in a foreign country with excitement. When I read, I can feel my body shifting into a state of calmness. Reading activates a different part of your brain then watching TV or scrolling on social media. Often people describe reading as a way to calm anxious thoughts or a busy mind because you mind is focused on processing the words on the page. I wouldn’t recommend reading anything that might be stressful or triggering. Find something that is comforting and calming.
Self-care is really essential to our mental and physical health postpartum. We often hear about the importance of self-care but we rarely take the time to prioritize our needs postpartum. As a therapist and counselor who works with couples in couples’ therapy or with moms in individual therapy, it is essential for your mental well-being that you take time for self-care. If you feel like these self-care ideas are not enough to improve your mental well-being, then maybe you would like to reach out to one of our therapists and schedule a free 20 minute consultation. We offer therapy in Miami and counseling in Miami, or online counseling for clients in Florida.
Begin Postpartum Anxiety and Postpartum Depression Treatment in Miami, FL with Miami Therapist:
You don’t have to suffer through the first few years of motherhood. Help is available and relief is possible. Our therapists specialize in providing counseling to mothers, fathers, adults, and couples who are experiencing similar struggles. To begin counseling in Miami or online therapy in Florida, please follow these steps:
Contact our South Florida counseling center,
Request an initial consultation appointment with a therapist who specializes in postpartum mood disorders,
Find relief from the symptoms you’re experiencing so you can experience the joy and wonder of motherhood.
Other Counseling Services Offered at The Heard Counseling:
The Heard Counseling offers mental health services tailored to meet the needs of parents throughout pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood at our therapy center based in Miami, Florida. Right now, they are offering all their counseling services via online therapy to protect the health of their clients and therapists. In addition to postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression treatment, they also offer birth trauma treatment, anxiety therapy, therapy for dads, therapy for moms, infertility counseling and support, and therapy for women and families who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss. Check out their blog for valuable mental health tips. Contact their counseling office to learn more about the many ways they can help you live well.