How I plan on taking this postpartum differently

Baby T postpartum was not easy, we entered the hospital without our family and came home to what seemed like a Walking Dead scene. I still remember as if it was today the drive from the hospital to our home, one of the busiest streets of Lisbon completely empty, not a car in sight, only us. The Vasco da Gama shopping center closed, not a single person crossing the street to the always crowded train station. I think I cried the whole trip.

Spending the challenging first months of being a mom while dealing with a pandemic lockdown was extremely difficult for me, so when we decided we were finally ready for a second little one to join our family, I knew what I wanted to do different this time around. I wanted to have a Mentally, physically strong and happy postpartum.

Here are a few of the things I plan on doing different and how I’m preparing for it:

Follow the 5-5-5 rule

First things first, I will take it slow. Last time, with the pandemic and having to depend on only us, I know I was too rough on my body. I was up and baking bread in a couple of days, although my body was still in pain. I didn’t want André to have to do all the things by himself, and especially, having to go out to buy things I could make at home. This time around, I will give myself 5 days in bed, 5 days on the bed and 5 days around the bed, while accepting all the help from our loved ones. During this time, I will be 100% focus on taking care of myself, our little one and seizing the first few weeks as a family of 4.

Be active daily

After this period and as soon as my doctor says it’s okay, I want to start going out of the house regularly (more on that, on the next point), but more importantly, I want to not only enjoy the outdoors with baby F, but I also want to walk daily, start by focusing on the 100 days walking challenge. Catarina Gouveia was a big inspiration for this during my postpartum preparation, so I’m ready to take this new habit in the mornings or end of day with our new stroller (which I bought with this goal already in mind) or carrying our baby in a babywrap. There is no excuses. Only 25 minutes a day. As Arnold Schwarzenegger says: there is no plan B!

//READ MORE: A letter to my kid

Go out with baby as much as possible

Together with the above, I told everyone this: please, show up, call me for hanging out, let’s do stuff together after baby’s first month. Meanwhile I learned that it can also start before the first month, avoiding crowded places and such… So I will seize the spring weather and make the point of going out of the house with baby as much as possible. It’s good for him and I know it will be good for my mind too.

Go out for lunches

Yes, another thing we weren’t able to do with baby T until he was… 3 months old? This time around, I want to enjoy the good weather (again), go out for lunch, spend time in outdoor restaurants, with baby F in his stroller, while enjoying some good yummy food with André.

//READ MORE: What I plan on doing this Spring

Have family and friends help and visit

As already mentioned, this time around I recruited all the help from our loved ones I could. I was not ashamed, I just asked and of course they were more than welcome to help, especially after not being able to do it in the way they wished the first time around. This time I asked my mom’s and mother-in-law help with food, spending time with baby T, visiting… especially during the first 15 days, all they are able to help. I have my father also near to support with anything we need and even a great-grandmother that is ready to jump in to help clean and cook. We have a village ready. And this makes me feel so, so happy and grateful. Plus: all the visits and love from everyone. They will be able to go to the hospital and making us company. Which we are really excited for it. As a pandemic baby mother, I don’t take this for granted.

Go out for picnics and hangouts with friends

Aligned with the above, and following the no-crowded places for the first month, and wanting to enjoy the outside, I’m already thinking of having picnics and hangouts with friends. We did this with baby T when he was 3 or 4 months old for the first time. It was actually the first time some of our friends met him. And it was lovely! Even with my pandemic anxiety on high at the moment, I still remember to enjoy part of it: being outside, having the baby experience the outdoors, catching up with our friends. Now I will be enjoying all the benefits and I’m sure I will be doing this a lot. The first one is already in talks.

//READ MORE: This is the regular Self-care Routine you need

Keep my morning routine while still focus on sleeping the 7 hours

As part of my goal of having a Mentally, physically strong and happy postpartum, and following again the Cherish the Six Weeks baby sleep routine, I will go back to my 5:30 morning routine. But this time around I will not deprioritize my 7 hours of sleep. I will have my self-care morning routine, start the day on my terms before the little ones, and then taking all the naps I will need to fulfill the 7 hours of sleep, in the morning. I researched a lot on this and had actually already tried it during the worst parts of my pregnancy where sleep was really tough for me. It worked. So I’m focusing on having the same priority for the first months.

Go out for sushi dates

Oh my, this is the thing I’m most craving! Just as baby T pregnancy, sushi was the thing I missed the most. I can’t wait to go out for sushi dates with André and baby F. We already have a new restaurant we want to try and a pick-up one I may be picking on my way home from the hospital. During baby T postpartum I had to wait until I was home to order in, now I will be able to have it in the hospital (depends on the birth I have, of course) or pick it up on the way home. I’m happy.

//READ MORE: Why you should take yourself on a date

New take on breastfeeding

Due to all the stresses and anxiety we were all feeling during 2020, breastfeeding was difficult for me. I blame it especially on the state of my mind, so that is a big why I wanted to prepare so much better for this time around. I studied a lot, I focused on having a positive, mentally strong, calm and happy mind, on being excited and having the right tools ready for me to take on breastfeeding in a totally different way this time. I learned a lot on the subject, I’m taking different choices for the hospital stay, I bought an electric awesome breast pump for after the breastfeeding is set, I have a schedule with blocks for taking care of me and get my oxytocin right before each feed. I’m ready. And if it doesn’t work, which I don’t want to even think about it, I know I did my best. But I have everything to succeed this time.

And that is all. I hope this blogpost was helpful!

No matter what postpartum you had in the past, I hope you feel motivated to change the rules and decide on what kind of postpartum you want to have now. You don’t need to follow any of my choices above, but please, take all the time you have during your pregnancy to choose what it will make you happy and calm and strong during the first months of being a mom. You have all the right and your baby deserves a happy and peaceful mom.

See you next week for a new maternity-scheduled blogpost!