Adapted from Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep by Dr. Jodi Mindell and the BabyCenter article "How To Take Care of Yourself After a Tough Labour"
With all the hustle and bustle of bringing your baby home, you may have forgotten to take care of that other important person.. you! You know your new role as parent is deeply rewarding, but you may also find it overwhelming at times. Now more than ever, you need to remember to nurture yourself, so you can better nurture your baby.
They say: "when a baby is born, so is a mother (and father)." You already know that having a baby is one of the most rewarding events of your life. It is also one of the most challenging. First of all, you're going to feel a bit worn out. And no wonder – you just gave birth! Even under the best circumstances, labour is mentally and physically exhausting. If you lost a lot of blood, became dehydrated during labour, or are anaemic after childbirth, it may take you a few extra days or weeks before you start feeling remotely like yourself again.
"The most basic advice is to sleep when the baby sleeps, ask for help, eat nutritiously, and drink lots of fluids." says Carol L. Archie, an obstetrician-gynaecologist and professor of medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine.
