Tackling a New Season: Prenatal & Postpartum Self-Care Ideas
This week we're reflecting on some healthy ways our Freya Movement community can start a new season off on strong footing whether you're waiting for your little one to arrive or just welcomed them.
We know you're busy focusing on yourself and your family, so just in case you haven't had the chance to sit down and start sorting through the mental laundry list of your to dos, we've gone ahead and created a list of prenatal and postpartum self-care ideas as a jumping off point for you.
Here are 3 Ways to Tackle this New Season: Prenatal and Postpartum Edition
3 Ways to Nest:------
1. Get a head start on spring cleaning:
If you’re feeling that itch to start sorting, organizing and purging, use the energy of the new year to get started on your “spring cleaning” for your little one to arrive.
Feeling overwhelmed? Set a timer for 25 minutes and choose one thing: one corner, one drawer, one stack of papers… Work on that predetermined area for 25 minutes and then re-set the timer for 5 minutes to take a break and do anything else: have a dance party, check your email, meditate, complete a small, unrelated task.
Then, repeat by either completing the work you have to do on the one thing you started or if you completed that one thing, begin another “one thing” for this 25 minutes.
Using this “pomodoro method” will be helpful in getting started, taking stock of how much you were able to accomplish in one 25 minute sprint, and continuing on by using the momentum of each sprint without getting stuck in an all or nothing mindset.
If you’re feeling like there are so many things to do before your little one arrives and you just don’t know when it’s all going to get done, now is a great time to make your calendar your BFF.
Find a time when you’re not stressed by other choices, activities and responsibilities (maybe use that pomodoro technique again so you can make sure you have a) enough time to get into some detail-orienting planning and b) stay on track with your energy and motivation), set yourself up in a location in your home where you feel cozy, safe and happy, set your phone to the side to avoid distractions and get our your calendar to start penciling things in such as:
Childbirth education course
Meetings with potential doulas
Pelvic floor PT appointments
Family coming in/out of town to meet and help with baby schedules
OOO time for maternity leave
Etc.
Getting your to do list on the calendar for you to return to when it’s appropriate, maybe even with some initial outreach being completed and relevant notes/websites to return to listed for each deadline, will help to put your mind at ease and clear up some mental space so you can focus on other day to day tasks moving forward.
3. Begin brainstorming how you want your L&D experience to go
Again, maybe in a calming, safe meditative space, take out a journal and start writing out what your most ideal birth experience might be. As you come across details you don’t know, don’t understand or have questions for, write those down and determine who you want to be in contact with to help provide you guidance for those topics.
It’s true, you can make all the plans in the world and they may all completely become obsolete when the day arrives and you are not in control of how your little one needs to come into the world. But, if you have a plan that you believe in and share with those who will be in the room with you for your L&D experience, this can help make any quick decisions you need to make during that experience a little simpler/more clear to make, or at least help to guide the decision making process.
Visualizing this experience and accumulating a list of questions you have so that you can seek out answers prior to going into labor will also help you find a great sense of comfort as you get closer to your due date.
Remember, this vision can always change for any reason at any time.
3 Ways to Welcome Your New Addition------
1. Prioritize rest
It feels like this may be a core pillar of the Freya Movement Studio ethos at this point. You’ve heard us say it before, and we’ll say it again… our bodies need rest. Rest is a productive thing to do. Rest will allow you to be a better parent in the first several days/weeks/months (forever?) of parenting. Rest is required to heal.
Now, we know it may be hard to achieve this thing called rest as you’re adjusting to your new normal. However, we don’t believe it is impossible. How can you, your partner and the rest of you support system work together to find a way for you, the delivering person, to have some time for your own R&R on a regular basis? It’s everyone’s job to help you achieve this in order to support the entire family unit. We’re giving you all the permission in the world to ask for this and find it wherever you can.
2. Take photos/keep a journal of the early days
Again, maybe not at the top of your to-do list as you are in the foggy state of new parenthood. However, what a lovely gift to you, your little one and your family, to chronicle this special time. We think we’ll remember everything, but, with such heightened emotions, a stress placed on your sleep and energy levels and SO MUCH change happening all at the same time, you may be so happy in 1, 3, 5, 30 years to look back and see and/or read about what you were feeling, doing and what everyone looked like loving on the littlest member of the family way back when.
3. Start connecting with other babies and parents
Remember how exciting it was when registration day rolled around for classes in college? Was that just me?… If you’re like me and find the idea of taking a class or attending a social gathering with like-minded people exciting, start checking out local classes and playgroups you and your little one can attend together. There are so many fun ways to fill up your days (which can sometimes feel so long) with your little ones and put you in spaces that are nurturing both your baby and you and helping you get out, about and meeting other new parents. There’s music class, baby gym classes, play spaces, story times… the list goes on.
A sense of community can feel so incredibly important during the postpartum period, when your day-to-day concerns, activities and routines have changed so much it may feel like you’re so far away from your social circle and your sense of self. At Freya Movement we’ve learned that being in a room together with other people who are in the same season of life as you and connecting to share your experiences and time is invaluable when you're feeling the entire rainbow of emotions that this time of life comes with: whether it's your first or fourth time.
Again, we hope this list is just a little food for thought that can help you feel inspired to set aside some time and do something for YOU! And, remember, if you're in the phase of life right now where getting through the day is the win, we are here to validate that for you, too!
We see you, and we think you're doing an AMAZING job!
The article was written by Jenny, Morgana and Amanda
Comments