Prepare for a Positive Birth with THE BIRTH CLASS
What is infertility?
The Two Week Wait
Thoughtful Christmas Gifts for your Pregnant Friend.
What is Pre-eclampsia?
Positions for labour and birth
What is Shoulder Dystocia?
Cracked Nipples: Causes, Treatment and Prevention
5 Tips for Travelling With Kids
We need to shift the emphasis to the mother because we know that sleep is a preventative to perinatal mental illness. Psychiatrists and psychologists are now prescribing sleep to prevent severe mental illness, especially for those mothers with a history of depression or a diagnosis of bipolar or schizophrenia.
This isn’t a conversation to have once your baby is in your arms. Instead we encourage you to talk about sleep with your partner or support person in pregnancy (after all, there’s less chance of interruption). Planning blocks of solid sleep is a proactive way for you to protect your mental health. In postpartum, when your hormones are haywire, your body is actively healing and your brain is rapidly learning, sleep makes everything that bit easier.
As the saying goes: an hour of sleep before midnight is worth two afterwards. The best way to plan sleep is to roster it – that way it’s non-negotiable. Granted, newborns can be erratic and your days and nights will be dictated by their needs. However, if your partner can step in and take over all caring responsibilities from 8pm-11pm, you’ll be able to get that solid block of sleep early on so you’re in a better headspace to navigate the rest of the night.
Commonly referred to as a ‘reverse sleep-in’, simply being in bed where you’re more likely to be relaxed and settled, is a form of active rest that’s beneficial for your mind and body. You’ll likely do this in the first few weeks after birth but it can be helpful to embrace it right through the fourth trimester and then a few times a week when your baby is a bit older.
Sleep is always a good idea but prioritising rest is also recommended so you are giving your body the best opportunity to recover and heal from birth. There are many different forms of rest and they don’t always involve lying down (although we highly recommend horizontal rest in the fourth trimester as it’s the best way to heal and strengthen your pelvic floor and core). It’s good to consider:
Sun on your face first thing in the morning helps to reinforce your circadian rhythm (healthy sleep patterns). This may seem frivolous considering you’re likely not getting much sleep but it can help wake you up in the morning and encourage you to fall asleep quickly and easily at night (when your baby allows). Shaking your limbs, staying hydrated and deep breathing definitely helps, too.
Up to 80% of parents co-sleep, even if they don’t talk about it. That’s why leading safe sleep organisations, like SIDS, now actively endorse co-sleeping and educate new parents around how to do it safely. If you’re pregnant or in early parenthood and you still have absolutely no intention of co-sleeping, it’s recommended that you understand how to do it safely so on a particularly bad night, you can co-sleep if need be.
You can learn more about Your essential postpartum needs here.
Episode 458
postpartum · 45min
Episode 434
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Sore, cracked and irritated nipples are a common symptom in the early days of breastfeeding. However, cracked nipples are usually a sign that your baby isn’t latching correctly. Because your baby will feed frequently in the first few days and weeks (expect to feed 8-12 times in a 24 hour period), sore nipples will get progressively worse unless you seek expert advice and guidance. This is vital as nipple pain is one of the reasons why new mothers stop breastfeeding earlier than they intended.
Travel is a priority for my Australian/Fijian family. We try to get back to Fiji once a year so the boys can better understand and have a strong sense of pride in their cultural heritage. I’m also partial to a margarita by the pool.
If you’re recovering from a caesarean birth (c-section) it’s helpful to remember that your body needs to heal after major abdominal surgery. Caesarean births are common (roughly one in three in Australia) but significant surgery requires adequate recovery time. Here's what you can expect in your caesarean recovery.
There is so much talk about baby sleep - ‘is he a good sleeper?’ ‘How many naps does he have during the day?’ ‘Is she sleeping through the night?’ but we’re missing the conversations about maternal sleep.
If you had a caesarean birth and you’ve noticed an overhang or a bulge over your scar, we want you to know that it’s completely normal and a natural part of birth recovery. It’s not dependent on whether you had a planned or emergency caesarean nor is it a result of a bad incision or hindered healing process; it’s simply a common side-effect of wound healing.
If you’re in the third trimester you’re no doubt thinking about all that’s to come; labour, birth, and a precious newborn baby. There is so much to look forward to and prepare for. But often, we spend so much time thinking of what our baby needs that we rarely think about ourselves. So, we’re here to gently encourage you (read: implore you!) to start thinking about your post-birth recovery. It’s generally quite a slow process and for many women, especially first-time mothers, it can be quite confronting. We don’t want to scare you but research shows that realistic expectations pave the way for a positive postpartum experience
Engorged breasts are normal and expected in early postpartum. If you’ve just birthed your first baby and you're shocked at the firmness and fullness of your breasts, don’t be alarmed. This is your body doing its job; making and storing breastmilk after birth.
You may have heard some nightmarish stories about mastitis and frankly, it’s not something you want to contend with at any stage of your breastfeeding journey. It’s most common in the first three months postpartum but it can strike at any time, particularly if your baby has reduced their feeds, is starting to sleep for longer periods at night or you’re weaning.