What Is Postpartum

The term postpartum refers to the time after you’ve given birth, during which time the mother's body adjusts and recovers physically and emotionally from the demands of pregnancy and childbirth.

How Long is Postpartum?

The postpartum period lasts for about the first six-eight weeks of your baby’s life, until most of the major physical and mental changes that happen to your body because of pregnancy and birth have gone back to how they were before you were pregnant.

Are Postnatal And Postpartum The Same Thing?

Yes, postnatal and postpartum are generally the same thing and are both used interchangeably to refer to the time after you’ve given birth.

However, there is a slight difference – the term postpartum is used to reference the mother's health and recovery, while the term postnatal can be used more broadly to describe the period after birth for both the mother and baby.

What Do You Need For Postpartum Recovery?

During the postpartum period, your body will undergo immense physical, hormonal, and emotional changes as you recover from pregnancy and childbirth. You are also looking after a new baby, and potentially breastfeeding, while your sleep is disrupted. There’s a lot going on during this time!

The key to a good postpartum recovery is to take it slowly and gently. Don’t feel under pressure to get back to ‘normal’ when you are postpartum, it is important to make sure you take as much time as you can to rest and let your body recover and heal while you get up to speed on newborn life.

Postpartum can look and feel different for everyone, so try not to compare yourself with other parents.

The postpartum time will also vary if it’s not your first child, as, although having a newborn won’t be such an unfamiliar concept, you’ll be dealing with the challenges and joys of finding out what works for your growing family. It’s easy for second-time mums to feel like they need to rush back into everyday life, but remember that you need time to recover, too.

Here’s what can help during postpartum, to assist your recovery:

Do As Little As Possible

Remember a slow, gentle recovery is key to helping your body heal. Do as little as necessary, or as much as you feel able to do. Listen to your body – if you feel like you need to stay in bed for longer, or lie on the sofa, then do that. Don’t feel like you must be out and about as soon as possible.

Ask For And Accept Help

Accept any offers of help, if available, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. This could involve anything from donations of food from friends and family, having someone hold the baby while you have a shower, or visitors helping with housework when they come to meet the baby. This will give you more time to recover, hopefully with less things to worry about.

If you have older children, help could also involve childcare or playdates from other parents, to give yourself one-on-one time with the new baby.

Rest Or Sleep When You Can

While ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’ is often meant as well-intentioned advice, it can be irritating to hear when the time the baby sleeps is the only time you have to yourself, to shower, eat, and do a million other things around the house.

However, make sure you do take time to sleep when you can when you are postpartum and your body is recovering. This might look like handing the baby over to someone else while you nap, it might look like going to sleep for the evening at the same time the baby does – even if it’s a time pre-baby you would have found unspeakably early!

If sleep is in short supply due to your baby waking up frequently, make sure you rest and relax when you can and don’t exhaust yourself unnecessarily even further.

Get Out And About

Once you feel physically able, it can be a good idea to get out of the house for a short walk each day in the postpartum period, even if this only involves walking down the street, or a quick trip to the local park. It’s good for both you and the baby to have some fresh air and gentle exercise.

Meet With Other New Parents

If you know other new parents, or met parents-to-be via a baby group or app, try and meet up with them while you are in the postpartum period. It can be helpful to have regular contact with other adults, and showing off your baby and swapping stories is a good reason for you to get out of the house.

What Foods To Eat During Postpartum

You don't need to eat a special diet as a new mum or while you are breastfeeding your baby, but it is a sensible idea to eat a healthy, balanced diet.

The basics of healthy eating after birth remain the same as during your pregnancy and healthy eating at any other time – make sure that that you are eating enough of the essential nutrients, for both you and your baby if you are breastfeeding, including a wide range of foods from different food groups including:

- Starchy carbohydrates (wholemeal bread, pasta, cereals, rice etc.)

- At least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day (this includes fresh, frozen, tinned and dried fruit and vegetables)

- Dairy foods (milk, cheese, yoghurts etc.) as these contain calcium and are also a source of protein.

- Protein (meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, soya, pulses etc.)

Your energy needs will be higher so you may need to include regular snacks in addition to meals if breast-feeding. Always keep a healthy snack to hand for when you’re feeding and the hunger hits.

Not only are you providing your baby with vital vitamins and minerals, but you will also be replacing those lost from your body during pregnancy. It is important for both of you that you eat a healthy, varied diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals.

Find out more about a healthy diet when breastfeeding.

Postpartum Vitamins & Supplements

If you’re looking for the best postpartum vitamin and supplements, our Pregnacare postnatal supplements range from our pregnancy collection is here to support you and your baby in the postpartum period, during breastfeeding, as well as helping to support your skin and hair after childbirth.

Pregnacare Breast-feeding Supplements - If You’re Breastfeeding

A healthy, varied diet is vital for new mothers, to help produce nutritious breast milk and maintain their own health during the demanding postnatal period.

Many women choose to continue taking a one-a-day multivitamin and mineral supplement that is suitable for breast-feeding to support their diet and for peace of mind that they are safeguarding their diet with all the nutrients they need.

Pregnacare Breast-feeding contains essential vitamins and minerals including calcium which contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. Plus, 10µg vitamin D, which is recommended by the Department of Health during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It also includes an Omega-3 capsule which provides DHA. Maternal intake of DHA contributes to the normal brain and eye development in breast-fed infants*.

If you have taken Pregnacare in pregnancy, then Pregnacare Breast-feeding is an ideal follow-on once your baby has arrived.

To find out more about the Pregnacare Breast-feeding, visit the Pregnacare page on our website.

* A beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 200mg DHA in addition to the recommended daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids for adults.

Pregnacare New Mum Supplements - For New Mums

A healthy, varied diet is vital for new mothers, to help maintain their own health during the postnatal period. Pregnacare New Mum contains vitamins B6 and B12 which contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. It also contains biotin which contributes to normal skin & hair.

If you’ve taken Pregnacare in pregnancy, then this is an ideal follow-on to help safeguard intake of nutrients following pregnancy. Pregnacare New Mum also contains calcium which is needed for the maintenance of normal teeth and bones.

To find out more about Pregnacare New Mum, visit the Pregnacare New Mum page on our website.

Once you’ve read our post on what is postpartum, you can also read our post on the postpartum essentials that you’ll really need, the useful items that can help when you have a newborn.

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional regarding any medical condition. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in the blog and to describe best generally accepted current practices we cannot accept any liability for errors or omissions or for any consequences from application of the information given.