Postpartum recovery: a gentle guide to the weeks after birth

The weeks after birth are a recovery, not a test. Check with your OB or midwife before you start any exercise, and let them guide the pace. This is general guidance, not medical advice.

What the first weeks are often like

Your body has just done something enormous, whether your baby arrived by vaginal birth or by caesarean. Bleeding after birth is expected and usually tapers off over time. Your belly, breasts, pelvic floor and sleep all change quickly. Many new mothers also feel sore, stiff from feeding and carrying, and very tired.

None of this is a sign that you are doing it wrong. It is what the early postpartum period tends to look like. When you are cleared, gentle yoga after birth can be part of it, but rest comes first.

Rest comes first

Rest is part of recovery, not a reward for finishing everything else.

• Lie down when you can, even if you do not sleep. Lying on your side with a pillow between your knees is comfortable for many people.
• Let others carry the load. Accept help with cooking, laundry, visitors and older children.
• Lift as little as you can beyond your baby, and ask your OB or midwife what is sensible for you.

Feeding and eating

Whether you breastfeed, pump, use formula or combine them, feeding takes a lot of time and energy. Keep water and a simple snack wherever you usually feed. Eat regular meals, even small ones. If feeding hurts, your baby is not feeding well, or you feel worried, ask your OB, your baby’s paediatrician or a lactation consultant.

Sleep

Sleep comes in short pieces for a while. Try to rest when your baby sleeps at least once a day, share night feeds if you can, and keep the room dim and quiet at night. A few slow breaths as you lie down can help you settle, even if sleep does not come straight away. There are more gentle breathing exercises to try.

Your feelings matter too

Many new mothers feel tearful, anxious or up and down in the first days. It is common, and it often eases.

Sometimes it does not. Postpartum depression and anxiety are common, and they are treatable. Tell your OB or doctor if the low mood is strong or lasts, if you cannot sleep even when your baby sleeps, if you feel hopeless or unable to cope, or if you have frightening thoughts. They can refer you to a psychiatrist or a counsellor. You are not failing by asking. You are looking after your baby’s mother.

Please do not wait if things feel unbearable. If you are in crisis, or you have thoughts of harming yourself, reach someone today. In the Philippines, the National Center for Mental Health crisis hotline is 1553, and emergency services are the other number to call. If you are outside the Philippines, call a local crisis line or emergency services.

When movement comes back

Gentle movement usually returns when your doctor or midwife clears you, and not on a set date. After clearance, start small and build slowly, and notice how your body answers the next day.

These pages go into more detail:

• When to start yoga after birth
• Postpartum exercise
• C-section recovery
• Diastasis recti exercises

When to call your OB, midwife or doctor

Contact them promptly, or seek urgent care, if you notice:

• Heavy bleeding, large clots, or bleeding that gets heavier instead of lighter
• Fever or chills
• Pain, redness, swelling or discharge at a stitch or wound
• Pain or swelling in one calf
• Chest pain or shortness of breath
• A severe headache or changes in your vision
• Pain when you pass urine, or leaking you cannot control
• Low mood, anxiety or thoughts that frighten you

If something feels wrong and you are not sure, ask. You do not need a better reason than that.

How I teach postpartum lessons

I am certified in prenatal and postnatal (postpartum) yoga through Doula School International, and what a prenatal and postnatal yoga training covers is set out in a guide. I am not a medical professional, so I only teach a new mother once her doctor or midwife has cleared her, and I ask what they said before our first lesson. The page on postpartum lessons at your home explains how they work: slow, mostly on the floor, at home, and paced by how you feel that day.