How To Cope With The Physical Challenges Of Being A Mom
Pregnancy and motherhood can be very challenging. In fact, when pregnant a woman can be at one of her most vulnerable stages. The changes that accompany pregnancy generally take a toll physically and, often, emotionally and mentally. When motherhood comes on the heel of this, the combination can have a severe impact on the body. Interestingly, some women report that they experience much more physical discomfort after giving birth than they did while pregnant.
To try to minimize the physical stressors that come with being a mom, here are a number of suggestions.
The Ideal Way To Nurse Your Baby
Babies must be fed regularly and the position you assume while you feed your baby is very important. If you bend forward too much while you either breast or bottle feed then it could cause back strain. Always sit upright and use a supporting pillow to elevate your baby to breast level. Propping your feet up using a footstool, a sturdy low box or the like will help reduce the burden on your backbone. Keep your back straight and avoid movements that bend your spine in one direction or the other.
Holding Your Baby
When lifting your baby to be as close to him/her as possible and to lift without bending your spine; instead bend at the knees and use your thigh muscles to stand back up rather than your back. When holding your baby, avoid holding him or her away from your body. Instead, keep the baby tight to your body and preferably centered on your torso. Never carry them on your hip as this can cause a variety of injuries to areas that bear the burden in that position (the back, shoulders, hip). Always try to stand in an upright position, shoulders squared and abs tucked in.
The Ideal Way To Push The Stroller
You may not have given it much thought but there are better - and worse - ways to push a stroller. It is better to resist the urge to bend or arch your back when pushing the stroller. Keep your back straight as you push your chest forward while you pull your abs in. Do not slump over the stroller (this is, unfortunately, a rather common practice), especially if the stroller is too short for you (yes, the stroller has to be the right fit for you too, not just your baby). If you are tired, rest a while but resist the urge to use the stroller as a means of support because this will result in a strain on many important muscles.
Postpartum Challenges
Pregnancy can bring many aches and pains. Postpartum is no different. Joint pain, backaches, and extreme fatigue. In order to alleviate some of these issues, it would be wise to take vitamins and supplements to fill the gaps in your deficiencies. A problem that plagues many new mother is varicose veins. You can see one such supplement review here.
You Can Do It - Coping With The Physical Challenges Of Being A Mom
Pregnancy and motherhood can be physically draining but applaud yourself for surviving the whole ordeal. That in and of itself makes you a superhero. Maintain the healthy diet that you employed while pregnant; remember that while some babies move on to bottle feeding early, you are still eating for two in the sense that you need adequate nourishment to deal with the demands of raising a young baby. Drink water and keep hydrated.
When it is safe to do so, reintroduce some exercises in. Be sure to keep it simple and increase the difficulty level little by little. If you are in no position to do anything vigorous, then simply go out for a stroll.
You should also focus on strengthening your pelvic muscles by consciously squeezing and releasing them on a regular basis (it should feel as if you are holding in your pee; release and repeat). While you want to get your body back to some semblance of what it was before pregnancy, keep it simple and steady.
Finally, while this can be a rather taxing period in your life, it is also fulfilling and that little of bundle of joy, who plays with your heart strings with every smile, is well worth it.
