Being a Mother Changes You: Here’s How
Congratulations heroine! You’ve just done a remarkable job: grow another human inside you. After 9 months of pregnancy, you are super excited to meet the fruit of your womb. The next couple of months will see you caring for your newborn, but remember that you also need to take care of yourself.
Recovery from pregnancy and child delivery is not always straightforward for new mums. It can take months before your body returns to its best form. During this time, you will be experiencing three forms of changes; psychological, physical, and social.
Psychological Changes
Changes in mood and emotion are commonplace in women after childbirth. The phenomenon is referred to as baby blue. These changes start within the first four days after delivery and may extend up to two weeks. Several factors such as stress and pain during childbirth are responsible factors for baby blue.
Prolonged baby blues that fail to resolve after two weeks are called postpartum depression (PPD). Postpartum depression is a global health concern that is prevalent in new mums. It affects one in every eight women within the first six months after birth. The symptoms of postpartum depression include severe anxiety and sadness. This experience is associated with the chemical and hormonal imbalance that surrounds childbirth.
While post-pregnancy mood swings are not preventable, it’s good to know that they can be treated and managed by medical practitioners. There is a lot of supportive therapy new mums can enroll in to manage their after-birth mental health.
- Physical Changes
Looking at your post-baby body, “Ooh no, this is not so me” can be the thought that runs through your mind. Your body undergoes a significant transformation during pregnancy. On top of that, labour and delivery equally add some weird bodily twists you never signed up for.
You may be worried that the super-fit model figure you’ve worked hard to earn is out of the window. A grown belly, sagging breasts, and swollen face may take time to firm up. The stretch marks and pigmented skin may not be ready to go soonest. That’s the ugly reality you have to face as a mother, at least in the first six months.
Despite all those body reforms, you can redefine your physical appearance. With procedures like mommy makeover by Dr. Rady Rahban, you can get that chubby tummy to firm up first. Your swollen face may put up the radiant shine, and you can work on your breasts to get it back in place.
Lifestyle Changes
You’ve just welcomed a new baby. It’s time to adjust your lifestyle round the clock to care for your newborn. Having a new baby means you have to bid farewell to your old lifestyle.
Many aspects of your life will take some hits. Your education, business, and social life will need to be adjusted to meet your new mum’s role. You will cry over diapers blowing out. Your baby’s sleep pattern will determine when you sleep and when you wake. The thought of breastfeeding sessions will always force you to replan.
There’s no way around this other than getting all the support you can. From your husband, friend, relatives, and even co-workers, getting all the help you need is a known way to ease your post-birth burden. After all, doing it solo can’t cut it- it’s about your mental and physical health.
Conclusion
Nothing can be truer than the saying: “being a mother changes you”. You might not be able to prevent most changes. Nonetheless, you can get yourself back to what you were psychologically and physically before giving birth, at least with
