How Much Rest You Need And Its Importance After Giving Birth

Bringing a new life into the world is a miraculous and transformative experience. As new parents, the initial days are often filled with a mix of joy, exhaustion, and an overwhelming sense of responsibility. Amidst the sleepless nights and round-the-clock feedings, the idea of stepping out of the house with a newborn might seem like an impossible feat. However, it's crucial to acknowledge the importance of rest and recovery before venturing into the great outdoors.

 Rest – The Foundation of New Beginnings

 Your placenta, that vital organ that’s nourished and sustained your baby throughout pregnancy, is approx 9mm - the size of a dinner plate. When it detaches it leaves a dinner plate size wound. Just like any other major surgery, giving birth leaves behind a substantial wound. This means REST is not merely a luxury; it is a necessity for postpartum recovery. In the early days, prioritize sleep (easier said than done) and moments of repose. Your body has undergone a tremendous feat, and adequate rest is the key to healing. This phase is not only about physical recovery, but also about mental and emotional rejuvenation.

Understanding the Dinner Plate Analogy

The placenta, often referred to as the baby's lifeline during pregnancy and is a remarkable organ. It provides oxygen, nutrients, and filters waste products from the baby's blood. The dinner plate analogy underscores the scale of the placental wound left after childbirth. This wound requires time and care to heal properly. Just as you wouldn't rush into strenuous activities after major surgery, it's essential to approach postpartum recovery with the same mindset. Allow your body the time it needs to heal from the inside out. Rest, nutrition, and self-care are the cornerstones of a healthy recovery along with our organic plant-based kit that soothes all your aches and pains. Postpartum is not a walk in the park. You’ll need our CODDLE postpartum recovery kit to help you in the early days. 

 The Importance of Rest for New Parents

 1. **Physical Healing:**

The body undergoes significant changes during pregnancy and childbirth. Rest is crucial for the healing of perineal tears, cesarean incisions, and other physical strains associated with delivery. Adequate sleep and relaxation aid in reducing inflammation and promoting tissue repair. What better way to relax and reduce inflammation like doing a herbal sitz bath. Our sitz bath is made with centuries old healing herbs that soothes bruises, tears, hemorrhoids, stitches and swelling. Soaking fights inflammation and speeds up healing.

 In the aftermath of childbirth, the body grapples with the aftermath of this monumental event, facing challenges such as perineal tears, cesarean incisions, and various other physical strains inherently associated with the birthing process.

 Perineal tears, a common occurrence during childbirth, involve the tearing of the skin and tissues between the vaginal opening and the anus. This natural outcome of the birthing process requires meticulous attention and care for optimal healing. Adding our perineal balm to your postpartum care regimen is a sure way to not only include some self-care but helps your body heal as well. You will get magical witch hazel and cooling peppermint that not only soothes but cools. Similarly, cesarean incisions, necessary in certain delivery scenarios, represent a surgical intervention that demands a unique healing trajectory. Well hello..soreness kit.. 

Acknowledging the intricate nature of these physical strains, it becomes evident that rest is not just a fleeting luxury but an indispensable component of the postpartum recovery equation. Adequate sleep and deliberate relaxation serve as the linchpins in the recovery process, playing a pivotal role in mitigating the aftermath of childbirth-induced physical trauma.

 2. **Emotional Well-being:**

The postpartum period is a rollercoaster of emotions. Lack of sleep can contribute to mood swings, anxiety, and even postpartum depression. Rest plays a pivotal role in stabilizing emotions, fostering a positive mental state, and enhancing the overall well-being of new parents.

Sleep deprivation, a ubiquitous challenge for new parents, extends beyond mere physical fatigue, permeating the delicate balance of mental and emotional well-being. The symbiotic relationship between rest and emotional stability is pivotal, underscoring the indispensable role that adequate rest plays in cultivating a positive mental state during the postpartum period.

As the body recuperates from the profound physical toll of childbirth, the mind undergoes its own reparative processes. Quality rest becomes a sanctuary for the mind, offering respite from the relentless demands of parenthood. This respite is not merely a temporary escape but a fundamental component of nurturing a healthy and resilient mental state.

3. **Bonding with Your Baby:**

Rest allows for quality bonding time with your newborn. The early days are precious, and being well-rested enables you to engage more fully in the joys of parenthood. Establishing a routine that includes restful moments with your baby promotes a sense of security and connection.

By incorporating strategic periods of rest into a well-thought-out daily routine, you not only prioritize your physical recovery but also contribute to the establishment of a secure and nurturing environment for your baby. These moments of repose become intricately woven into the fabric of your shared experiences, fostering a sense of security and connection between you and your little one. The consistency of a restful routine instills predictability, offering your baby a stable foundation upon which they can develop a profound trust in your care. Through these intentional intervals of rest and bonding, you lay the groundwork for a robust parent-child relationship, characterized by mutual understanding, comfort, and a shared sense of closeness.

4. **Building Stamina:**

Parenthood is a marathon, not a sprint. Rest is the training ground that builds the stamina required for the long journey ahead. As you recuperate, you'll find yourself better equipped to handle the demands of caring for a newborn, including sleepless nights and frequent feedings.

As you engage in the process of recuperation, a multifaceted transformation transpires, rendering you progressively more adept at navigating the multifarious challenges inherent in caring for a newborn. This metamorphosis equips you with a heightened resilience and adaptability, empowering you to gracefully confront and manage the arduous demands of parenthood, encompassing the endurance required for sleepless nights and the rhythmic commitment demanded by the regimen of frequent feedings. Through the deliberate investment in your own well-being, you not only fortify your physical endurance but also cultivate the mental fortitude essential for the sustained and enriching odyssey of raising a child.

Understanding the 5-5-5 rule for rest. 

In many cultures around the world, it's customary for mom to get 40 days of complete rest. However, in the United States, the postpartum period is often looked at as an afterthought. The focus is more on 'bouncing back' and not on acknowledging the need to rest. We want you to focus on rest, recovery and restoration by understanding the 5-5-5 postpartum rule 

The basics of the rule consists of 5 days in bed, 5 days on the bed and 5 days around the bed. This recovery plan may look different for you and your family so just do what works for you! 

5 days in the bed

You spend your first 5 days at home laying in bed. Your focus will be resting, skin-to-skin and bonding with your baby, breastfeeding, napping, reading and more resting! Your spouse, partner, doula or support person bring your meals and water right to you in your postpartum space. This will be hard for some but truly try and allow yourself to be pampered and cared for. 

5 days on the bed

During these next 5 days, you can start to sit up and do things on the bed. You should continue to feed, bond etc but the idea is still to be on the bed. Essentially reducing time on your feet. 

5 days around the bed

While your focus should still be on resting, during these 5 days, you can stand up and move around the bed. If you feel up to it, light activities around the bed or in your room, limit standing to 30 minutes at a time. Definitely no going to the mall, the plan is to be home. The 5-5-5 postpartum rule is great to add rest and restoration to your recovery plan!

Did you focus on rest during the first weeks home? Share how you incorporated rest.