After childbirth is one of the hardest times mothers have. It can easily be the most stressful time of our lives, especially if it’s our first child’s birth. However, most experts believe that this happens mostly because mothers are unprepared for it.
There were about 3.7 million women who gave birth in 2019. On average, around 4 million women in the US give birth every year. That’s a lot of babies! However, a decent chunk of this given population suffers from stress, depression, and anxiety.
About 70% to 80% of women who give birth experience ‘baby blues.’ It’s a time when they experience all sorts of emotional problems, such as loneliness, sadness, and isolation—about 10% experience what we know as post-partum depression. There are many biological reasons for this, such as hormonal imbalance. However, one of the leading reasons is unpreparedness.
Giving birth for the first time is tough. We know that. But with some preparation, you can steer away from these post-partum problems and into a much better life with your baby. Here are some essentials for post-partum moms.
Maxi-pads
You’re going to need some maxi-pads—a lot of it. You’re going to need to pick the sturdiest ones in the store and keep them somewhere safe in your home.
The worse part about post-partum recovery is that some bleeding and discharge can happen a couple of weeks after you’ve been cleared from the hospital. This is one of the triggers of post-partum depression, and other mental illnesses, especially if the mother is caught off-guard. So get a many maxi-pads as you can, and use them so you can forget all about what had just happened.
Alongside this, get some disposable underwear. It’s much better to get rid of stained underwear during the post-partum process.
Yoga
We can’t stress this enough, but yoga, mixed with other self-awareness exercises, will do wonders for you. It can quickly dissolve any depression and anxiety issues you might have after childbirth, and it can be one of the best things you can do when you have some alone time for yourself.
Yoga can also help you burn out some of those flaws you might have retained after childbirth. This is fairly common for mothers who needed to gain some weight to sustain their children. Furthermore, yoga is going to help you recover your lost self-esteem during the birthing process.
Yoga’s an exercise that will help you become a better person and a better mother for your child, so make sure you do it whenever you have free time.
More Closet Place
Right after childbirth, you’ll notice that you’re going to need a lot more closet space. This is because now, you’re sharing your closet with your newborn, and as they grow up, they’ll have more clothes and require more space to store them.
What we suggest is to renovate or remodel your home so that it can have a walk-in closet. No matter how small it is, any unused room can be converted to a walk-in closet, given enough creativity. You can also make it your personal hobby room if you have the space for it. As a first-time mother, that space will make a difference in your lifestyle. It can be your sanctuary for a couple of minutes every day.
Closet space is important for us mothers, and it’s even more important for our children. But the best part about this is that you can buy a walk-in closet design franchise. Once you’re experienced enough, you can make this part of your side gigs so that you can earn extra money for your baby. In addition, it’s a low-cost start-up, so you don’t need to burn through your savings in the process.
Ice Packs
For some reason, we moms tend to be easily bruised during post-partum recovery. It seems that every poke or bump will hurt us, and it will eventually turn into purplish overnight. This is why we suggest you get a couple of ice packs when you can.
Ice packs are soothing for any bruise you might have gained during the recovery period. It’s also great for the backaches you might be experiencing right now. Your life will be so much bearable now that you’ve invested in some ice packs.
Pain Reliever
Much like ice packs, some pain relievers will do wonders for you. First, it will ease you at night, especially if you’re still experiencing some pain in your lower body. Second, it will hit parts of your body that ice packs can’t reach, and it will certainly make a difference when you’re trying to get a good night’s sleep.
Preparation is one way to avoid postpartum depression. These are the essentials you need if you want to avoid them entirely. It will help you recover much faster and with minimal hassle.
