Many women, having enthusiastically prepared for their new arrivals, are surprised by the world awaiting them on the other side of childbirth. The pediatrician is everything they had hoped for; the infant safety and CPR classes prove a definite boon; and the new furniture and baby gear are ready for action. The moms themselves, however, are not. They are overwhelmed and unable to find the time or space to tend to their own well-being--perhaps the greatest gift a mother can give her children. Well cared for ourselves, we become physically and psychologically equipped to care for our young, and to portray strong role models that will inspire them to take good care of themselves in the years ahead.
Based on what we know of our evolutionary past, women did not always journey into new motherhood feeling alone, uncertain, and distressed. Indigenous cultures had joyful postbirth rituals and well-established support systems in place to care for new moms. By reclaiming these mothercare customs from our not-so-distant past, and combining them with late-20th-century research findings plus a dash of modern common sense, we can find it not only possible but a lot of fun to take care of ourselves after giving birth.
And this was after a C-section in the early '90s, when new moms stayed in the hospital for almost a week, visited by lovely lactation nurses and baby-care specialists. Lily had a touch of jaundice, so we stayed even longer.
Just taking care of a newborn is tough enough; you also have to find ways to take care of yourself, like solo walks around the block, zoning out under ear-phones blasting Neil Young, or long-distance chats with Judy. Figure out what makes you feel good and try to put those tricks in place before your baby is born. Doing so may stave off PPD and give you the peace you need to cope with having a newborn in the house.
