5 things every New Mum should do to Heal Well after Giving Birth

Pregnancy and the process of giving birth are wonderful experiences, but they can be tough on women. Physically, your body has just been through a major transformation and a mind-blowing experience. Mentally, you are processing the end of one stage of your life, and the beginning of a new one. Emotionally, your feelings may rollercoaster from extreme joy to crippling anxiety.

It is easy to focus so much on your newborn that you end up neglecting your own needs. Having been lured down that dizzying vortex of baby cute-ness before, we totally understand. You have never felt such overwhelming love in your life, and you want to devote everything to your little one.

But as they say in airplane videos, always help yourself (with your mask) first before aiding your child with theirs. A healthy, happy, mum will do a far better job of caregiving than one who isn’t. Hence giving yourself tools (like these below) to help your body, mind, and soul recuperate will make a difference in your first weeks of motherhood. Furthermore, they’ll set you on the path to good health and better healing after birth.

Consequently, you will be able to be the best mum for Baby — like you’ve always wanted to be.

1. Say “no” to too many visitors

Thanks to current safe distancing measures, it is unlikely that you will have too many visitors at the same time. However, even a small group, over an extended period of time, can be taxing. So what’s a polite way to say “no, not now”?

Experienced mums suggest announcing baby’s birth on social media. Tell everyone you appreciate their well-wishes, but that you want to spend time bonding as a family first. And that if anyone wants to stop by, they should text first, and wait for your reply. This is to ensure that you are awake, and accepting visitors.

The best way to do this with relatives? Activate your parents and your in-laws as “ministers of information” to make the announcements. They can pass on updates (and photos) until you are ready to receive well-wishers.

2. Sleep when baby sleeps

Many people will tell you to “sleep as much as you can now, before baby comes”. That is because it is a given that you will be more tired, and have less rest than usual. This is partly due to caring for your newborn, and partly because of hormonal shifts.

Exhaustion from giving birth also plays a part, and this can lead to baby blues. For about one in 10 women this may escalate to postnatal depression¹, a condition doctors believe could be exacerbated by fatigue².

So rest as much as you can, and…

3. Ask for help / Let others help you

Think like a boss and delegate, delegate, delegate. If you have a live-in helper, let her handle the daily household chores.

Teach her what to do early. This way, she can manage independently without having to ask you for guidance all the time.

If you have engaged a confinement nanny, let her take care of your recovery and meals. Alternatively, your mum, mother-in-law, or other close relatives may offer to help.

Get your husband/partner to coordinate visitors, disseminate information and photos, and convey instructions, and requests.

All you should do (as far as possible) is focus on resting, healing, and bonding with your little one.

4. Eat and drink well

Just as you nurture your growing foetus by eating well during pregnancy, you should nourish your body during your postpartum period.

Many believe that consuming the right foods can help you heal better. Eating right can also aid with lactation — important if you plan to breastfeed.

Hence the tradition of consuming confinement food after giving birth. Did you know all three major races — Chinese, Malays, and Indians — in Singapore, practice confinement?

These days, many new mothers opt for confinement food delivery, which is hassle-free and convenient. Some companies even offer add-ons such as lactation bakes, birds nest drinks, and bento set meals for other family members.

5. Pamper yourself with postnatal massages

Besides eagerly anticipating that meeting with their little one, many mums-to-be also look forward to postnatal massages.

In fact it would not be a stretch to say that they count on this to help with postpartum healing.

The Javanese postnatal massage is the most well known postpartum massage treatment in Singapore. This uses specific techniques to reduce water retention, increase blood circulation, reduce post-delivery swelling, improve womb recovery, lactation, and more.

You can enjoy your massage at home by engaging services from companies such as Postnatal Massage Singapore (PNSG). The company, which has a five-star rating on Facebook, is one of Singapore’s top postnatal massage home service providers.

It offers authentic, traditional Javanese postnatal massage, and slimming therapy, and has recently introduced two new massage packages. These further help with the easing of water retention, muscle soreness, and stubborn baby weight.

The Premium Massage Package — an all-in-one recovery and slimming therapy that helps with postnatal healing and weight loss.
The Slimming Massage Package — helps with slimming and relaxing, while encouraging healthy, glowing skin. You can do this massage at during any stage of motherhood.

Choose the right postnatal massage for yourself

While there are many postnatal massage services available, it is important to find one that offers your desired level of care. For instance, when you book a postnatal massage from PNSG, you can be assured of the following:

✅Authentic care: They only use genuine products that are safe for you and your newborn.

✅Certified therapists: All therapists are certified and well-trained, so you are always in safe and skilful hands.

✅Complete therapy: You get support from pregnancy to postpartum with traditional Javanese prenatal massages, postnatal massages, and slimming therapies.

✅Well-suited massages: Choose from various Javanese massage packages specific to your needs. There is continuous attention to your body condition, so as to ensure enhanced effectiveness of treatments.