If you are in the third trimester of pregnancy or have recently given birth, it is a good idea to know the do’s and don’ts of postpartum recovery. Especially the things not to do after giving birth!
Just like prenatal care during pregnancy, after birth care is really important postpartum. You will not have nearly the same amount of postpartum doctors appointments but your body will need a tremendous amount of rest and recovery following delivery of your baby.
In addition to having the postpartum essentials ready to go after delivery, it’s important to understand the things not to do after giving birth. This post covers the top ten things to avoid after giving birth, which will greatly help your postpartum recovery.
This post is all about things not to do after giving birth.
Things Not To Do After Giving Birth
As a mom of two, I have a lot of experience with pregnancy and postpartum. Both have their challenges but I think it is extremely important to have some understanding of what to expect during your postpartum recovery.
This is not your typical postpartum essentials list or postpartum checklist. It includes things I recommend you avoid during the first week to a few weeks after the birth of your baby.
1- Forget To Eat
I purposely have this as #1 because it is so easy to forget to eat (or take care of yourself) when you are caring for a newborn around the clock.
But like the saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.”
One of the main goals during postpartum recovery, in addition to caring for your child, is to make sure you are taking care of yourself. And that includes eating and staying hydrated. Dehydration and feeling hungry will only magnify the exhaustion you will feel and may intensify baby blues or postpartum symptoms.
There are a few things you can do to make eating and drinking easier:
- Keep a big, reusable water bottle filled with water. Try to use one with a handle so you can easily carry it around the house with you.
- Prep freezer meals during the last few weeks of pregnancy. This will help you and your partner get dinner in the oven and slow cooker with minimal effort.
- Ask friends and family to bring food over (trust me they want to help!) or stop at the grocery store for you.
- Keep snacks on hand that are easy to grab and go. You can also keep snacks in a cart or basket in your bedroom or where you will be feeding the baby. This makes it easier when you need a midnight snack!
2- Assume your baby will sleep through the night
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but most babies are not born knowing the difference between daytime and nighttime.
For this reason, most babies will be extra sleepy during the day but be up every few hours overnight. That makes for some sleepy parents the next day!
But I think it is important to know that this is totally normal and part of newborn life. You aren’t doing anything wrong and there is nothing wrong with your baby. Your baby actually needs to eat overnight when he or she is just born.
Eventually, your baby will start sleeping longer stretches at night but until then just know that this phase is short lived.
And if you’re looking for some sleep tips for this newborn stage (not sleep training), check out my favorite sleep courses from Taking Cara Babies and Little Z Sleep for some assistance.
3- Rush back into your pre-baby routine
A lotttt will have changed in a matter of a few days after the birth of a baby.
In the first week to month, try to rest when your baby naps instead of being productive. It is incredibly tempting to pick up the house, wash dishes and do laundry but when you are up all night with a newborn, it is really important that you find time to sleep too.
Plus you need to recover from delivery too!
For the first few weeks, I highly recommend you really focus on rest and recovery. This includes soaking up all of the newborn snuggles without guilt and trying to sleep when you can.
Related: New Mom Survival Guide: How To Get Sleep With a Newborn
4- Forget about postpartum care
Postpartum care is such an important part of your postpartum recovery.
In addition to the things discussed in this article, here are a few of the best postpartum tips for brand new moms:
- Say “yes” to the stool softener
- Use a peri bottle after going to the bathroom – this is my favorite!
- Take a postpartum sitz bath
- Rest, rest, rest!
- Stay up on pain medicine (if prescribed)
- Don’t lift anything heavy after c section
- Accept help from friends and family
- Take short walks once you feel up to it
- Get fresh air daily
5- Feel bad about saying “no” to visitors
You call the shots when it comes to visitors. Family and friends will be very eager to come meet your new baby but ultimately it is up to you who visits and when.
Some new moms love visitors in the hospital and others don’t. You will just have had birth and are still getting acquainted with your new baby so if you choose to say “no”, it is totally warranted.
Even when you return home from the hospital, it can feel hard or even rude to tell people “no” but the same logic applies. You get to decide if and when.
Other things to consider are the hospital’s visitor policy (many have changed in recent years) and whether or not it’s cold and flu season. You will want to keep germs to a minimum around your new baby so depending on the time of year, you might want to stay in your newborn bubble a little longer.
6- Wear tight, restrictive clothes
You will be sweating, leaking and bleeding for the first week to a few weeks so I recommend you hold off on jeans and stick to loose, flowy clothing. Especially if you are recovering from a c section!
Some clothes I recommend you wear after birth include:
- Comfortable, high waisted underwear
- Nursing bra
- Bathrobe
- Pajamas
- Leggings, joggers or stretchy pants
- T shirts
- Cozy socks or slippers
7- Put anything in your vagina
This is a big no no until you have your six week postpartum visit with your doctor, regardless of if you gave birth vaginally or via c section.
You will still have a wound where the placenta joined the wall of your womb so there is a big risk of infection in the first few weeks postpartum.
You can expect to bleed for several weeks after birth but it is recommended to use pads until your doctor tells you otherwise. Bacteria can form around internal products like tampons and lead to infections.
There is less of a risk of infection from having sex but it is still recommended to avoid it until your doctor clears you. Your body needs time to recover from delivery (vaginal or c section) which may include stitches from an episiotomy or tear.
8- Ignore signs that you need to see a doctor
After birth care also includes being aware of and monitoring yourself for signs that warrant a call to the doctor. Things that you should be aware of after delivery include:
- Heavy bleeding or clots larger than a quarter
- Fever of 101 or higher
- Severe headaches or any type of visual disturbance
- Pain, warmth or tenderness in your legs
- Swelling, redness or discharge from your c section incision or episiotomy site
- Inability to urinate, burning while urinating, or extremely dark urine which can be caused by dehydration, an infection or other complication.
- Frequent nausea and vomiting
- Trouble breathing – Call 911!
9- Google everything
A friendly reminder that if you have any questions or concerns about your postpartum recovery or your baby, you should always call your doctor.
It is tempting to rely on the internet for advice, but your doctor and baby’s pediatrician are the experts. Plus, Google has a way of freaking you out even if there isn’t really a problem in the first place.
This post was all about things not to do after giving birth.