The first weeks after delivery are probably one of the most complex and difficult stages in a mother's life. It is a period of adaptation in which you must now adjust your rhythm and lifestyle so that you can adequately meet the needs of your new baby.
The postpartum is without a doubt a stage that must be valued and respected, it is the moment in which our body recovers from all the changes that occurred during the nine months of pregnancy and the birth of our children.
Regardless of whether each woman lives her postpartum differently, the process we all go through is the same and from my point of view it is a process that we should take more seriously from which it is regularly given.
The postpartum period in the old days
Personally, although being a mother is much safer and surely has hundreds of advantages today compared to previous decades or centuries, we do have something to envy to moms of ancient times in a particular detail: the free postpartum time they enjoyed.
Short or conditioned maternal losses? Before that did not exist because it was not necessary. Mothers gave birth and gradually returned to their lives, adjusting to new changes at their own pace, without pressure. Or at least that's how I like to imagine it.
Currently, many women choose to work outside the home, some of their own conviction and others because they feel that if they do not, they are committing high treason to feminism and the rights for which our ancestors fought so hard.
In Babies and more According to the AEPap, maternity leave should be extended to at least six monthsBut after all, we are somehow forced to return to our jobs too soon and to leave our babies a few weeks old born in a nursery with strange people or if we have any luck, with grandmother or a family member who does us the favor. The care, rest and attention that we gave ourselves so much and gave us during pregnancy, seem to disappear at the moment when our children are born.
The emotional and physical importance of maternity leave for moms
While it is a very important period for the baby since it requires all possible care, it is also a necessary time for mothers in which they can adapt to their new lives and thus prevent perhaps the feeling of guilt for returning to work quickly and leaving their children or postpartum depression for not allowing adequate rest after having given birth.
I'll be honest: when my daughter was born, I didn't see him that way, I still had the mentality of "having to go back to work" and I was more worried about it and about taking care of my newborn daughter than about resting or recovering properly. Now years later, I realize that Postpartum time is a period that we must respect and appreciate, almost as if it were something sacred.
It is the time in which your body recovers from all the transformation it experienced during nine months of pregnancy, in which he gave his life and was forming your baby perfectly, and culminating in the birth of that small and helpless human being who is now completely your responsibility.
In Babies and more Nine things a mother wants in the postpartumWhat mothers need during postpartum
In addition to taking care of your baby, you must also take care of yourself. The postpartum should be a time to heal, to meditate, to rest (of course, when you have the opportunity), to be alone with you and your baby, as well as to gradually return to feel that your body is yours and accept that it is wonderful.
The postpartum should be a space where mothers can meet our baby and recognize ourselves. Accepting that we need help and asking for it is something that should not be frowned upon, but quite the opposite, it is a smart option to not allow depression to pass through and be able to recover physically and emotionally properly.
How long is enough?
When my daughter was born I felt as if someone had changed my body and now lived in someone else's. I completely ignored him and although I valued what I had done, I didn't feel comfortable in it. It took almost a year for me to feel again that this body was mine and it was the same, it had only changed.
It took our body 9 months to prepare for the great event. We cannot wait to heal and close the delivery in just a couple of weeks.
For me, quarantine as a recovery time is not enough to feel "us" again after delivery. I think that the ideal would be to have at least 8 to 12 months to be able to return to a normal life rhythm. That is why it is important that let's keep fighting and looking to have longer maternity leave.
In Babies and more Quarantine is a myth: postpartum lasts one yearWhat can we do to take better advantage of maternity leave?
An important part of this period is knowing how to use it as well as possible, so you can follow these tips:
Ask for privacy. Although surely our relatives can not wait to meet the newborn, talk to them and explain that we want to have space and privacy during this time is something we can do to make the adaptation process easier.
Ignore unsolicited advice. You become a mother and suddenly everyone becomes an expert in the field. The best thing you can do without being rude is to listen to them and in the end make the decision that best suits you. No one better than the mother herself to know what a baby needs.
Do not worry about extra kilos or looking flawless. Although getting ready is definitely something that lifts our spirits, if for some reason you don't have time or energy, don't get overwhelmed if you don't. There will be time to get rid of these new curves, or to accept them and learn to love them.
Enjoy that time with your baby. This is the time when you can stay attached to your baby all day and nobody can tell you anything. Take advantage of every moment, enjoy every movement and that nice smell of baby that only lasts for the first months. Embrace it, kiss it and enjoy it.
Whether we have a few weeks or enough months to recover from childbirth, it is a time that will not return and that we must value, respect and take advantage of.
Photos | iStock
