Childbirth: how to manage your time in the maternity ward?
It is both a parallel bubble in which the world seems to stop or a few days during which we can't wait to get home. Time seems to be long or passes by at full speed, depending on our perceptions. Between impatience and discovery, how to manage this time of encounter and magic in motherhood? We talk about it.
This is it, you're there. The big upheaval, the wave of love and fatigue. Your baby is here and you are entering a new world: that of parenthood.
During your stay in the maternity ward, usually between 3 and 5 days, you will go from long periods of time, where the minutes pass slowly, to a whirlwind of information where the midwives, pediatricians and nursery nurses teach you the basics of caring for your newborn. Bathing, hygiene, breastfeeding or feeding, changing, vaccinations, everything is reviewed like an accelerated training for parents in apprenticeship.
Our ideas for activities to pass the time at the maternity hospital
To make the most of this extraordinary break, here are a few ideas for activities to pass the time gently:
● Watching your sleeping baby and taking pictures of him or her from every angle should take up a good chunk of your time! Why not think about a polaroid for some candid shots to stick in your next album.
● Sleep...when you can! Sleep is one of the fundamental keys to a serene postpartum, so don't neglect this step. It may be short, but it counts at the end of the day.
● Take 10 minutes for yourself: what a joy to be able to take a shower after so much effort! Even if this passage under the water is sometimes dreaded by mothers, it is nevertheless so pleasant. The warm water and steam relaxes tension and the body that has been stiffened by the effort. After drying, apply an oil rich in fatty acids to the body to moisturize and soften the skin while preventing possible stretch marks. While your baby is sleeping, apply a face mask to your face. Happiness!
● Take a tour of the Santé Publique France website "1000 premiers jours": it is full of information for first-time parents (a mobile application also exists). Development, parent-child relationship, feeding, breastfeeding, new life with baby...you will get many keys to manage your postpartum in a gentle way. A special Baby Blues questionnaire is also available to evaluate your emotion and mental health of the moment, an essential for every parent!
● Take a few minutes to do some breathing and heart coherence exercises. Ask your spouse to bring you some lavender essential oil, apply a drop to each wrist and inhale on 5 counts through your nose, sitting upright in bed, in a lateral chest breath. Your ribs will open and move away. Then exhale on 5 beats through the nose, again counting slowly. Cardiac coherence is ideal for regulating your stress level, it influences your autonomic nervous system. Repeat the exercise for 5 minutes up to 3 times a day to feel the benefits.
● Practice "Journaling " by writing down all your emotions of the moment. The story of your arrival at the maternity hospital, the first vision of your child, the details of his face, his smell, your desires and projections for the future. This logbook will be precious to you in a few months or years, you will reread it with emotion and will even be precious to analyze your state of mind / mental of the moment. Do not hesitate to add pictures of these magic moments.
● Eat and in good quantity! A rich, varied, colorful, natural diet to fill up on vitamins, nutrients, micronutrients and therefore energy. This is not the time to go on a diet, far from it. To recover from 9 months of creation (you're a queen, you know that?), your body needs quality food - especially if you're breastfeeding, where you'll need extra intake to support lactation. Vegetables, as much as possible, at every meal and fruits with oilseeds. Ask your family and friends or your partner to bring you some good homemade food to get you back on track from your maternity room!
Back home, remember to drink a lot (2L) of water, herbal teas, but also Matcha for an immediate boost without caffeine. Don't hesitate to supplement your diet with micronutrients (especially vitamin D, omega 3, magnesium and probiotics).
● Take notes: during your few days in the maternity ward, you will receive a lot of information to care for and monitor baby's development. With fatigue, short nights, and the stress of this new role, it is not uncommon to forget things. Take note of the information you are given as much as possible to be reassured later on and don't hesitate to ask questions. Remember that love does the rest!
What about you, how did you manage your time in motherhood?