After your baby arrives, taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do for either of you. You cannot take care of a baby if your body is falling apart and stressed out. Postnatal exercise and spa treatments can help your body heal and relax so that you will be able to perform even better. As a mother, your body needs to be in the best possible shape, and your mind needs to be prepared as well.
Postnatal Spa Treatments
Postnatal spa treatments can be the perfect weapon to fight the postpartum blues. Many women face sadness or mild depression after their babies are born. This can be absolutely normal, and it does not always need therapy or medical intervention. With that said, you should consult with a doctor if interventions such as spa treatments or time away do not help. Some women will need medical intervention. There is nothing wrong with that. You must do what is right for your body. Not all spa treatments will help, so let’s visit a few and how they may be helpful.
Deep Tissue Massage
Not everyone will enjoy deep tissue massage, but not only can they help you relax, but they can also help your muscles to heal faster. Deep tissue massage can stimulate circulation, combat depression, and decrease stress. While you will inevitably feel stress as a new mother, you can benefit from the deep tissue massage. Your partner can give you gentle massages at home, but a deep tissue massage should be done by a professional. They have been trained to massage the body without injury. If possible, seek a masseuse with experience treating women who have recently given birth. Your postnatal body will need focus in different areas, and these masseuses have extensively studied how best to treat you.
Skincare and Other Treatments
Skincare, manicures, pedicures, and other spa treatments can also help you relax after giving birth. Many mothers find that the time away helps them rejuvenate. Constant hand washing and using baby wipes can dry your skin and hands. Often, a manicure can help the skin on your hands heal, and SNS or acrylic nails can minimize scratching with thin nails. These treatments are not always great for your nail beds, but if you are a fan of these treatments, you should maintain them regularly so that you do not chip them or build up fungus underneath. Otherwise, there is no reason they will harm the baby. Lotions, wax treatments, and other skin softeners used in spas and salons often make your skin feel better.
Other Skin Treatments
Some women experience “pregnancy mask” or melasma during and after pregnancy. This condition is pigmentation that darkens the skin around the face of pregnant women. Some women notice that as the hormones regulate after birth, the melasma gets lighter. For others, the melasma seems to last forever. Spa treatments such as microdermabrasion, laser therapies, and lightening treatments can help, but they are not guaranteed and may take many visits. If you are concerned about skin color changes, you may choose to visit a medispa to learn what treatments might help you return it to the previous state.
Stretch marks are another skin discoloration that many women worry needs to be hidden or removed. Keep in mind that no one escapes a war without battle scars. Your stretch marks show how your body expanded, stretched, and shifted to accommodate another human. If, though, they bother you, you should seek treatment to remove or minimize them. Spa treatments can also help with these. When you are pregnant, taking care of your skin can minimize them. Dry skin has less elasticity, so keeping it moisturized can help your body stretch with fewer marks.
Benefits of Postnatal Exercising
It is no secret that exercise is good for the mind and body. Most people agree that exercise can help increase endorphins, which are good for mental health and improve heart, lung, and muscle health. However, exercise when pregnant or shortly after childbirth can be more challenging. You will want to check with your doctor before beginning any exercise regimen to ensure that your body is prepared for your intended workout. There are endless benefits to working out, though. Let’s look at some of those benefits and some gentle exercises that may help you recover.
Balance
As your body is recovering from creating another life (or two or more), you have probably noticed a different center of gravity. Walking, sitting, standing, and lying down have all been different for you. You may have even noticed that these things were more difficult, and you did not feel stable on your feet. Swelling and weakened joints can exacerbate these feelings. Exercising is a good way to restore the sense of balance to your body.
Return to Prebaby Body
While your body may never fully return to its pre-baby shape, exercise can help you get back into shape. Women who have experienced cesarean sections or other complications may notice that their post-baby pooch is still there. Embrace your new body while returning to a healthy weight.
Improve Your Prebaby Body
If you were not in great shape before your pregnancy, you can improve your health now. Exercising can help strengthen your muscles and decrease your weight. Weight loss of just ten percent of your body weight (when obese or larger) can help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart-related illnesses. You can also improve lung function and muscle tone.
Endurance
Ask any new mother; fatigue is one of the hardest parts. Exercise can increase your endurance and provide more energy and help you go the distance. Eating a healthy meal full with fiber and carbohydrate can also replenish your energy level.
Pain Management
Because of the increase of endorphins and hormones, you may even notice a decrease in pain. Oxytocin is a natural pain treatment that your body produces. This chemical is powerful, and new moms need plenty. Holding your baby using skin to skin contact can make those levels skyrocket. However, you cannot walk around topless with your shirtless baby strapped to your body. You can squeeze a few moments of exercise into your day. When you combine that with the optimal skin to skin contact with your baby, you will be producing plenty of oxytocin.
Improve Mood
Because of the hormone production associated with exercise, many women report better mood and improved depression symptoms. Every woman may not experience these changes, so if you are having problems with depression or anxiety, please speak to your doctor. Endorphins are responsible for your mood, though, so exercise may do quite a bit to raise it.
Stronger Pelvic Floor
After childbirth, your pelvic floor is often weakened. This can be true, even if you had a cesarean section. Your body has grown and stretched and developed another person. Strengthening the pelvic floor can reduce hip pain, menstrual cramping, and pain during sex.
Types of Exercises to Try
As stated before, when you are beginning an exercise routine, you should clear it with your doctor. However, exercising gently is often recommended. Here are a few ways you can usually start exercising that will minimize the risk of injury.
Walking
Start with a leisurely walk in your local park or neighborhood. You can even push the stroller with the baby for a little added resistance. Some babies simply love being outside. Taking them with you can help you get them out in the fresh air while getting yourself some exercise. Don’t forget the sunscreen for both of you!
Yoga
Yoga helps relax the mind and improve balance. Stretching is also good for muscles, especially as they are returning to their prebaby shape. You need to improve arm, core, and back strength as well for lifting your baby. Yoga can help you improve all of these things and provide gentle stretching.
Lifting Weights
No, you are not trying to look like a professional bodybuilder. You only want to strengthen your body and muscles. Lifting a lightweight can improve muscle tone and increase strength. In fact, many fitness experts are beginning to recommend lower weights with more reps. Lifting can also help improve core strength.
Bottom Line
Improving your health can include both spa days and exercise. You need to build your strength and maintain a healthy weight as well as reduce stress. Stress can decrease physical and mental health, so finding healthy ways to decrease stress and anxiety while improving physical health will allow you to be the best parent possible. New moms often find it challenging to exercise with a new baby, so taking your baby for a walk near naptime might allow you to walk while the baby is sleeping. Lifting weights while cooking dinner might be a few curls with a water jug. Each step you can take to improve your health will also benefit your baby. He or she is going to depend on you for years to come.
