Eight ways to recovery after birth

Giving birth is one of the most traumatic things your body can go through. So take good care of yourself with our eight top tips for recovery, and you'll feel much better, much faster 

Get plenty of rest

Even if you feel terrific immediately after the birth, getting enough rest and relaxation now will pay dividends, both physically and mentally, later. ‘Rest is very important. Many new mothers feel emotionally overwhelmed at first, and getting very tired exacerbates this,’ says midwife sister Chris Salvage.

When friends visit, ask them to make their own tea – and a cup for you, too! Catch up on sleep when your baby naps, and staying in your nightie for the first week will signal to the rest of the family that you are ‘recovering’.

Eat healthily

Your diet after giving birth should include plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit, high-protein foods (for example, meat, cheese and pulses), and starchy foods (such as bread, pasta and rice).

Making sure you drink plenty of fluids is especially important if you are breastfeeding your baby, but try to avoid tea, coffee and cola, which all contain caffeine. As an alternative, opt for water, diluted fruit juices, herbal teas and milky drinks.

Stay regular

Your bowel may be sluggish due to the pregnancy hormones relaxin and progesterone. Eat healthily to help avoid constipation, and keep your fluid and fibre intake up. Don’t strain when you're having a poo, and try holding a pad of clean toilet paper firmly against your perineum (the area between your vagina and the anus) when you go.

Breathing deeply, extending and contracting your stomach muscles (see Tone your stomach, below) will stimulate your bowel. Avoiding constipation will also help prevent piles – which may appear for the first time in pregnancy or labour. In the meantime, your pharmacist can recommend a cream to relieve any sore or itchy piles.

Soothe stitches

Pouring a jug of warm, salted water over your perineum while you're having a wee, and drying yourself gently afterwards, will help the healing process. For bruising, try one 30c homeopathic arnica tablet (available from health-food shops and selected chemists) every two hours for up to six doses. Don’t use arnica cream on any stitched areas, as this could cause some irritation.

A warm bath, or bidet, with a little salt or lavender essential oil is soothing, while an ice pack wrapped in clean cloth and held against your stitches will help reduce both swelling and discomfort.

Tone your stomach

After giving birth, your stomach muscles will feel very weak, but you can start gentle exercises within a few days. Jane Newman, a specialist physiotherapist in women’s health, recommends doing the two following exercises three or four times each, around every two hours. They are best done lying on your back with your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floor.

1. Contract and relax your abdominal muscles (don’t worry if they aren’t very responsive!), breathing deeply in and out, and pulling your stomach in when you breath out

2. Repeat the exercise above, this time with gentle pelvic tilts. As you contract your stomach muscles, gently tilt the pelvic bones on either side of your navel towards your upper body and hold there for the count of five. This should help alleviate any backache, as well as tone your stomach muscles.

Work your pelvic floor

You can start pelvic floor exercises as soon as you feel ready after the birth. Your pelvic floor muscles are the ones you would use to stop the flow of urine when weeing. Exercise these muscles by contracting and releasing them regularly. ‘At first, the exercises will have little effect,’ says Jane Newman.

‘But it’s worth persevering, because it stimulates blood flow to the area, which helps repair damage to the soft pelvic tissues and ligaments. Build up gradually, doing a few at a time, at regular intervals.’

Watch out for your back

The relaxant effect of pregnancy hormones on your muscles and ligaments can last for several months after the birth of your baby, so be sure to guard against back strain and other injuries. Take care when lifting and carrying your baby. If you use a sling, make sure it isn’t too low: you should be able to kiss the top of your baby’s head with ease while carrying her.

Watch out for your posture if you have decided to breastfeed, and keep a small pillow between your knees when sleeping on your side to help keep your spine in a straight line. If you suffer from aches and pains in your back or pelvis six weeks after the birth, ask your GP to refer you to an obstetric physiotherapist.

Lose your bump

It takes six to eight weeks for your uterus (womb) to return to its pre-pregnancy state. Breastfeeding helps, as the hormone oxytocin, produced when feeding, encourages your uterus to contract. ‘These contractions may increase blood loss and be uncomfortable,’ says Chris Salvage. ‘Breathe deeply and take the normal dose of paracetamol if the pain gets too much.’