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Eating Well After Your Pregnancy
from: Maxx Family LifeWelcome to motherhood. Your body has gone through a lot for the past nine months and it still has a while to go before it's back to normal. The next few months will give you and your body an entire new set of challenges, especially if you're a first time parent. Recovering from childbirth is exhausting and when you add a new baby who has no concept of time, you may find your head spinning. Eating well during this time is nearly as important as eating well during your pregnancy.
Your body has gone through a traumatic ordeal. If you gave birth vaginally, you might find yourself recovering from tears and what not. If you gave birth via c-section, you're recovering from major surgery. The first thing most hospitals and doctors like to make sure is that your plumbing and waste systems are working.
If you eat high fiber food and drink lots of water after your delivery, you'll help make that first bowel movement a lot less painful. This is often a little hard for women who've delivered via c-section because they're usually on a liquid diet for the first 24 hours. You may find you need a little help from either stool softeners or prune juice to make that first trip a little easier.
Once you're back home from the hospital, you're going to need your energy to take care of your new baby. Gone are the nights where you were able to get a full 8 hours of sleep. This may not happen again for another three months.However, if you ask any parent, they'll likely tell you that getting 8 hours of sleep a night doesn't really happen until your kids are grown up and married. Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on you so it's important you eat healthy to maintain a decent amount of energy.
The postpartum period is usually when most women find themselves downing tons of coffee or sugary foods to give them a quick fix. This isn't healthy because once you come down from that high, you're going to be even more exhausted than you were before hand. Make sure all of your meals are balanced and stock up on quick and healthy snacks, such as celery sticks, baby carrots and lots of fruit to get you through the day.
Eating healthy also helps you fight the baby blues those first few weeks. Nearly 80% of all women suffer from baby blues. This usually starts between the 4th and 5th day after delivery and can last for 10 days to 2 weeks. You may find yourself emotional for no reason and you may start to cry for no reason.
Some women report a feeling of sadness that they're no longer pregnant and others report a feeling of helplessness when it comes to dealing with their new baby. The baby blues are caused by your hormone levels going back to normal. When you maintain the healthy habits you practiced during pregnancy, it's likely to help you handle your changing emotions better.
Pregnancy is tough and the post partum period is just as tough. Make sure you take the best care of yourself as possible during this time. Eat right and continue to take your prenatal vitamins to make sure your baby gets the best care you can possibly deliver.
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