Forgotten Trimester: Navigating Self Care after Birth
Educating, empowering and encouraging women throughout postpartum
Ok, so it's been at least two months since I last saw my ankles, and now it feels like a very mean trick that after birth my ankles are even more swollen than they were two weeks ago when I spent four hours walking around Disney 38 weeks pregnant. WHAAATTT?? WHHHYYYYYY is this happening, and… Continue reading What happened to my ankles?
The idea of that first bowel movement after delivery can be soooo daunting. What if it hurts? What if I get constipated? What if I rip my stitches? What if I can’t go? When will it happen?
Integrating your new mom-life with work-life after maternity leave can seem incredibly insurmountable. Managing a new schedule, embracing new responsibilities and processing emotions are but three of the most common tasks we all encounter when returning to work after having a baby. It is overwhelming to think about, but it can be done successfully. It is important… Continue reading 5 Ways to Reduce the Stress of Returning to Work after Baby
I stare at the clock as the hour approaches. The baby is still feeding, for some reason he has chosen to take longer this time. I still have to move the clothes from the washer to the dryer, fold the laundry that is in the dryer and cut up some vegetables for dinner. But, first… Continue reading The Truth about Self-Care after Birth
What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see a beautiful, strong, courageous woman, or do you see cellulite, dark circles, stretch marks and wrinkles? Do you hate what you see, or can you find the good qualities that outshine the flaws? Body image is an individual’s perception of her physical… Continue reading The Struggle of Postpartum Body Image
Being a new mom can be isolating. We tend to hole ourselves up in our homes just trying to survive on a daily basis. After several weeks of this "survival" behavior, it becomes a bad habit, and the idea of going out to meet someone seems like a mountain of a hurdle to jump. We… Continue reading Finding Your Village
I knew it was an inevitable part of the fourth trimester, but for some reason I was still alarmed when it started. Hair loss, ladies, that is what I am talking about. Lots and lots of hair everywhere! Hair in the shower, on the bathroom floor, in the brush, on the baby! Ugh, so gross.… Continue reading Postpartum Hair Loss is REAL!
It is pouring rain outside as the car window fogs, I forgot the umbrella (of course), and now I have to run back into the grocery store because I forgot to grab diapers during my first grocery run. How did I forget to grab diapers? I had a living reminder staring at me from the… Continue reading Surviving with “Mom Brain”
I don’t know about you, but I require 8 to 9 hours of sleep daily to feel rested. Sleep requirements differ between individuals, but studies show that most people require 6 to 8 hours of sleep daily to feel rested and function at their highest capacity. Sleep is imperative for our bodies to heal, recover… Continue reading Prioritizing Sleep as a New Mom
Vaginal lacerations are extremely common during delivery. Not to be graphic, but you did just fit a cantaloupe through a hole the size of a tennis ball. Fortunately, the vaginal tissue is forgiving and stretches significantly during the vaginal birthing process. However, the vagina still does tear. There are four main categories of tears that… Continue reading Vaginal Lacerations: The low down on a tear down there during delivery
