Pregnancy is definitely a new and beautiful phase in a woman s life. During this time, the woman s body goes through multiple changes during the nine months and post-delivery, extra care is needed for the body to get back to its pre-pregnancy state. The following are some tips to care for your post-partum body immediately after delivery and through the first six weeks after childbirth.

Perineal soreness: The area between the vagina and the anus stretches a lot during labour and can be sore for quite a while. In some women, this area may even be cut to enable easy passing of the baby (episiotomy). This would be more painful and can be managed with topical creams, ice packs, Kegel exercises and warm baths.
Uterine shrinkage: The uterus enlarges to accommodate the developing baby shrinks back to its original stage after delivery. This causes severe cramps, especially during the first six weeks and if required, pain medications can be taken for the cramps.
Breast fullness: The breasts fill with milk after birth to enable feeding, and the woman feels engorged. This is relieved with feeding, but if the baby is not on mother s milk, warm soaks on the breasts and a supportive bra can help. It will stop once the breasts stop making milk.
Constipation: This is common post pregnancy, and so foods rich in fibre should be consumed. Lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains should be included in the diet. If required, stool softeners can be used.
Body swelling: In preparation for the delivery, the hands and feet swell due to fluid accumulation. This naturally subsides over the first week to 10 days. Lying on the left side and keeping the feet elevated can help.
Urination problem: Experiencing a burning sensation or pain while urinating and inability to start or stop a stream of urine are common urination problems, especially immediately after childbirth, which will subside in a couple of weeks. Drinking lots of water, Kegel exercises and warm baths are helpful measures that can be undertaken.
Fatigue: Taking care of the newborn can leave you drained. Get adjusted to the baby s routine and try to sleep with your baby. Get friends and family to help you take care of your child so that you don t feel the entire strain.
Emotional health: Changes in the hormone levels again affects your emotional health, so try and stay positive. Post-partum depression is very common in women, as they feel overwhelmed with caring for the newborn.
It is important to realise that while pregnancy is an important phase, it is a natural process. The body will adapt to these short-lived changes and allow you to bond with your baby by staying close to your child, responding to its needs, spending time together, and taking care of your newborn.

Post-Partum - How To Take Care of Your Body?

Women who have recently given birth and are aiming to shed the extra pounds gained during pregnancy are in for quite a struggle. You not only have to adjust your life to a new schedule but also need to recover physically from the stressful effects of pregnancy.

The ideal time for losing weight-

According to health experts, you should ideally aim to come back to your original weight in at least, 6-12 months after the delivery. Women, who are careful about their fitness levels, try to regain their original weight by the end of 6 weeks time.

As is normal in the case of losing weight, all you need to do is incorporate a healthy diet as part of your daily meal plan coupled with regular exercise. Breastfeeding also aids in losing weight post-pregnancy.

Do not rush!

During pregnancy, a woman's body goes through a lot, not just physically but mentally as well. Therefore, you need to give yourself ample time to recover. In order to do this, you should wait until your 6-week check-up to find out if you are healthy once again. Many doctors recommend waiting for a period of two months if you are planning to breastfeed your baby. This period helps to normalize the milk supply. On receiving the thumbs up from your doctor, you should concentrate on cutting down your calories.

What if you are breastfeeding? 

Women who are breastfeeding their baby, or are planning to do so should aim to lose weight slowly and gradually. Losing weight drastically will make you produce a lower quantity of milk that might hamper the growth of your baby. According to doctors as well as dieticians, breastfeeding helps the body to burn calories.

Meal plan for weight loss-

Follow a few healthy tips to lose weight slowly and safely without putting either your life or the life of your baby in jeopardy.

  Oftentimes new mothers now frazzled with the responsibility of a baby forget to eat or consume their meals very late. This should not happen. If you do not give time to yourself for meals or intend on crash dieting by not eating, you will not have enough energy, and may even fall sick.

  Try to eat smaller meals from time to time to harness more energy rather than having three big meals.
  Eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast is very important as it gives you the necessary energy that you need to perform physical activities throughout the day.
  Eat slowly with your entire focus on your meal. This way you will be able to avoid overeating.
  Avoid consuming dairy products or try to consume those, which are low in fat.
  Consume foods such as lean protein or those that are rich in fibre. You should also ensure to have them either boiled or broiled.

The only way you can become a healthier and happier version of your previous self is when you accept the fact that often it is not possible to return completely to your former self. Pregnancy is likely to leave lasting changes on your body. So, be accepting of yourself as well as realistic.

Postnatal Weight Loss - All You Should Know!

One's child birth is a joyous and emotional time. After nine long months of pregnancy, one greets the arrival of baby with great anticipation. It is absolutely normal that the time post delivery marks a drastic change in sexual desire. While both women and menexpect changes in their sex life immediately after the birth of a child, but as time passes by, it is normal for both partners to wonder when things will ever return to normal. It is a fairly common condition to have a decreased sex drive after giving birth and this feeling can last for months which can be attributed to many factors. Refer to the following tips to get your drive back.

 Consult your gynaecologist: one should take gynaecologist into confidence to discuss how one's libido has changed after child birth, who will in turn help to rule out any physical issues if any. 
 Emotional &amp; physical fatigue: nursing a new born is no joke and it drains you physically. In a post delivery scenario, ones libido has to fight with overwhelming emotional as well as physical fatigue that results from nursing of a new born. One can share the night-time feeding with one's partner and try to catch up on the sleep with day time nap. One simply cannot look forward to sex if one is deprived of sleep.
 Release the pressure and guilt: the body is still recovering and one may get a feel that one is not attractive as before, which makes a dramatic impact on body image. Communicate honestly with your partner about the lack of drive. It is likely that he will also be experiencing similar issues and conflicting emotions. Giving reassurance that one is working on increasing the libido can help ease the pressure on both the individuals.
 Prepare for sex: do anything to relax and get into the mood before hitting the bed. It can be as simple as a hot shower or a refreshing drink, but it is important to help your body transition from mother to lover.
 Use a lubricant: it is hard to look forward to something that is painful. Breastfeeding plays a significant role in the decrease in libido. Oestrogen is an important hormone that decreases with breastfeeding which affects vaginal tissues. The most common vaginal side effects of decreased oestrogen are dryness hence it's important to use lubricants to minimize the discomfort of vaginal dryness and make sex more enjoyable.

Libido is a complicated and there will be times one has to do even if one is not in the mood. Sometimes it takes a little nudge to get the libido back into gear. Once one gets over the hurdle of not being in the mood, one may just realise that one is enjoying the act. The good news is that this decrease in libido is temporary. With time and patience, one can rebuild a satisfying sexual relationship with their partner.

Tips on How to Get Back The Female Sex Drive After Giving Birth

Post-pregnancy weight can be difficult to get rid of. It is a gradual process and often takes time. Experts are of the view that hormonal imbalance and a sudden increase in the diet are the major cause of the additional weight. This being said, shedding weight is possible if a consistent effort is made on a daily basis. Here is a list of hat tips to get you started:

Walk every day: Walking 5 minutes a day does the world of good in the endeavor of shedding weight. Post the 6-week check-up after the arrival of the baby, the duration of walking can be increased. Brisk walking for half an hour can help the body to weight as much as 300 calories a day.
Weight training- Weight training is one of the best forms of exercise to lose weight quickly. If hitting a gym is a problem, a personal trainer can be hired for working out. Certain exercises such as lifting small weights, doing lunges is a good way to start.
Breastfeed: Breastfeeding for a time duration of 30-45 minutes (about3-4 times a day) helps to lose 600-800 calories per day. Some women even report of shedding all their extra weight just through breastfeeding. This is by far the easiest way of losing weight.
Say no to calories- Calories, by all means, will have to be avoided. Certain fast food items such as soda, chocolate, and chips should not be consumed at all. Instead, meals rich in nutrient, fresh vegetable, fruits, whole grains etc. should be consumed on a daily basis.
Frequent meals- 2 to 3 heavy meals a day are detrimental to a person trying to shed weight. Frequent meals, on the other hand, maintain a steady blood sugar level, reduce the tendency of over-eating and do not let fat store in the body.
Frequent naps- Studies show that frequent naps can help a great deal of weight. It reduces the craving of eating food with high calorie. It also revitalizes the metabolism and refrains a person from long term self-deprivation. Naps will also help to gather enough energy to perform other physical activities.
Healthy snacks- Home-made snacks containing whole wheat, low-fat milk and yogurt are good snack options for post pregnancy weight loss. These snacks block hormones that are responsible for storage of fat in the body.
Yoga or meditation- Yoga has proved to be extremely effective for women trying to shed post-pregnancy weight. It especially helps in toning down the fat in the upper and lower abdomen which is extremely difficult to get rid of. Yoga also relaxes the mind and helps to focus more.
Consumption of warm water- Drinking warm water after every meal serves two purposes. 
It doesn t let the fat store inside the body.
It helps in better digestion. It has to be ensured that the water is mildly warm and drinkable.
Avoid stress- Nurturing a baby is exhausting enough. Stress on top of this can be disastrous. It leads to depression resulting into junk eating. It has to be ensured that stress is avoided by engaging in activities such as cooking, painting or listening to music.


10 Tips To Lose Post-Pregnancy Weight

Amid this exceptional time of Post partum when the body is exploring such a variety of changes, ladies regularly encounter migraines, fatigue, issues with nursing, and emotional episodes. Some of these homeopathic cures are entirely basic and can astonish in getting you through the knocks that can happen baby blues.

    Pulsatilla: Pulsatilla is produced using the wind-flower. It is a homeopathic solution for the touchy mother. She is regularly sad, gentle (however persistent in some ways), and now and again bashful. Pulsatilla can be entirely tender and regularly needs to be consoled by her accomplice that she is cherished at times to the point of being requesting. She can feel effectively pitiful, alone, or relinquished when she can't get this consolation. Pulsatilla can be resigned and need to please others.
    Phytolacca: Phytolacca is a plant also called pokeweed. Its fundamental activity is in recuperating Mastitis and I have seen it rapidly and viably help numerous ladies with both analyzed and undiscovered symptoms. What's more, this helpful cure is incredible for nursing challenges due to yeast, torment in the nipples, or split nipples. Phytolacca can be dreadful with a propensity to envision that she is going to kick the bucket when physical symptoms go ahead. She is regularly black out or woozy while getting up.
    Sepia: This homeopathic cure, made of the ink of the cuttlefish, is ideal for the depleted mother who is overwhelmed to the point that she truly simply needs to be allowed to sit unbothered. She is normally depleted, however her vitality unmistakably enhances from activity. Sepia is drained and drawn, regularly with a yellowish paleness to the skin, particularly the face.
    Caulophyllum: This is the homeopathic arrangement of Blue Cohosh, a plant identified with Berberis. It's an extraordinary solution for have amid pregnancy, amid and after work, and baby blues. It can likewise be useful if comparative symptoms are available amid lactation. There is an apprehension and edginess on the mental and enthusiastic level. Caulophyllum is cold, extremely eager, and parched.

Amid work, menses or straightforwardly baby blues there are inconsistent, shooting or meandering torments. The torments can feel unendurable, with nausea and retching. Amid work, the torments are irregular, sharp and crampy. Caulophyllum feels inside shortcoming, weariness and debility after labor, amid pregnancy and menses. The torments amid work are powerless and frequently unpredictable, bringing about little movement. After-agonies are intolerable after a long and debilitating work. The lochia is abundant and delayed.

Postpartum Stress - How Homeopathy Can Manage it 

In today's world, the number of working moms all over the world is more than ever. Such women have a huge two-fold task of balancing between work and home, which includes looking after their children and managing their work at office. Balancing the two ends can make life hard for a working mother.

Here are some effective ways to find balance in motherhood for working mothers:

Find good child care: While you are out for work all day, it is very important for you to get a good babysitter or nanny for your child. You could should seek references from people and find a patient and quality babysitter for your child. It is important to manage and evaluate the babysitter on all the criteria you require. An experienced and friendly sitter would make your child comfortable.
Keep the morning easy: Get things organized at night so that you can keep the mornings hassle free. Use the mornings to prepare your child s lunch and laying out clothes. Plan all kinds of family schedules during this time.
Maintain a family calendar: You should maintain a calendar to figure out the priorities of your family. You can maintain bill payment dates, a chore calendar for your kids, a list of all important events and other required charts. This will enable you to maintain everything, in spite of your busy schedule and enable you to strike a better balance.
Stay connected during daytime: You should try to stay connected with your children, even when you are away. You should call them frequently or send them cute messages or voice recordings and videos. This will keep them happy and they will miss you less. They will be more comforted and feel loved that you are near instead of being away at work.
Keep away from distractions and time wasters: You should stay disciplined and maintain a limit on making phone calls or checking mails. Try to do these activities when your children are asleep. Cut down your television watching time and spend the evenings with your partner. When you are spending time with your children, do not multitask and give them your total attention. At work, try not to waste time and return home as soon as work gets over.
Arrange family activities: You must make time for your kids in order to nurture your bond and get along with them. During their growing up phase, your child requires a major chunk of your time. Make special family dinners, watch movies with your family in the home theater and engross in different games. Spending time with your partner is also very important.
Life is quite difficult for working mothers who have to balance work and family together. In order to maintain a balance, follow the above-mentioned measures and lead a happy and fulfilling life. 

Lifestyle Balance Of A Working Mother!

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