After my peaceful, unhindered births I enjoy all the lovely hormones that facilitate optimal bonding between mother and baby in my own environment with my own (very few) people. I settle in my own bed for days, only getting up to use the bathroom. Baby stays skin to skin with me, except for when she's being held by other family members, even at night. This can also enable a great start to breastfeeding. Both my babies had gained above their birth weight a few days after birth and my milk supply was plentiful. Vaginal birth, skin to skin, and breastfeeding are also three ways to help baby establish an optimal microbiome.
From the birth tub to the bed, and there I stay!
Sweet baby, skin to skin the following morning.
Ideally I like to stay in bed for about a week. Then I wander out to the living room couch for another week or so. After that I might venture downstairs or right outside to get some fresh air. It's usually a few weeks before baby and I even go in the car anywhere or take a walk. I wear pajamas or comfortable lounge clothes. My favorite is those flannel pajamas with the button down tops so baby and I can stay skin to skin but my arms stay warm.
I also took it easy after birth because I was healing a second degree tear without stitches (again). That meant: bed rest while keeping my legs together, soaking my bottom twice a day, frozen herbal compresses made by my midwife, and no stairs for a few weeks. Once again, I healed great and am very glad to not have had stitches!
Even if you aren't healing a tear, it's very important to rest as much as you can after birth and have others mother you. It's essential for optimal physical and emotional recovery after pregnancy and birth and also to adjust to the new family dynamics.
We expect way too much of women after they have a baby.
First postpartum days. Baby is skin to skin, I have my flannel pajamas on, and Audrey is keeping me company along with the stack of books on the shelf.
Daddy and his girls (Mommy was taking a shower). Baby moons are for partners and siblings too!
What do I do during all this time in bed? Watch movies, tv, read books, sleep, nurse the baby and change diapers, eat, play with Audrey (so much coloring and Sofia the First!) I really enjoyed the slower pace and all the time to rest and cuddle my family. I also had a few visitors but I am very picky about who I allow in during this special time. Our immediate family visited and a few of my close friends when they came to drop off meals. I love to post a lot of pictures on social media but prefer to keep my postpartum environment like my birth environment.
Birth is a very spiritual and sacred experience and that naturally carries over into the postpartum time.
One of my first meals from a wonderful friend, complete with a baby skin to skin and flannel pajamas.
A few weeks later, now I'm in the living room and baby has clothes on.
Ryan has been very fortunate in being able to take several weeks off for both girls. It was a bit more difficult after Deidre was born because he was also doing an internship for his master's program, so we hired a postpartum doula to help on those days. She was amazing and did laundry, meal prep, dishes, took care of Audrey, etc.
My awesome postpartum doula, Jessica!
After Ryan went back to work my mom, who is retired, came up from Florida. She stayed for two weeks and took over doing everything Ryan was doing: housework, errands, meals, taking care of Audrey and the dog, etc. I gradually started doing more and going out more at the end of her stay.
My mom taking Audrey and the dog to run off some energy.
My favorite thing to eat during this baby moon was breakfast sandwiches I made and froze ahead of time and placenta smoothies! My friend Jody, who was Audrey's sibling doula at the birth, prepared my placenta for raw smoothies. She drained the blood, pureed it in the blender, and froze it in an ice cube tray. Ryan put one cube in each smoothie along with strawberries, banana, and juice. I tasted no placenta, just fruit. But I did crave those sandwiches and smoothies every day I woke up during the first week postpartum. Then my placenta was gone. And so were my cravings for them.
I ate all of this, except for the cord. Doesn't it look delicious?
After my mom left I felt pretty confident in resuming my usual tasks and taking care of two children. Here is a picture of a typical day when Deidre was young: babywearing in lounge clothes, hair in a messy ponytail, toys all over, Audrey painting at the table. Gotta love the #momlife
I know this kind of postpartum isn't possible for a lot of women. Especially if they don't have help from partners or extended family. But if there's any way you can take a traditional baby moon, do it! It's such a short, sweet time during your life. You won't regret it.
