Hey Mama! Whether pregnant, a new mama, or surrounded by a bunch of rambunctious toddlers or crazy teens – we ALL have been there…the infamous stage of POST PARTUM!
For some women, it goes by quickly without too much notice. For others, it feels never ending.
For me, I was very blessed by a crazy worldwide pandemic and had my husband home with me for the first 5 months of our son’s life. I was so thankful to have hands-on help every single day.
However, there were some immediate challenges, and some I discovered along the way, that took me by surprised. It took me some trial & error, lots of Google searches and loads of PATIENCE to find solutions.
I don’t YOU or ANY other mama to take as long as I did to find the answers, so here below, I’ve written 5 of my POST PARTUM STRUGGLES & how I overcame them.
Please feel free to comment below with your OWN solutions/ideas and SHARE this post with other mamas you think who could use this extra TLC!
- Hair Loss
AH! Where did all my beautiful, shiny & voluminous pregnancy hair go?! I remember hearing the stories of other women dealing with this – but I REALLY never thought I’d be one of them! Well, here I am to share with you that I WAS! Just a month or so after giving birth, I noticed I was having lots of hair come out in the shower & I started seeing bald spots in every photo I took. I have NEVER had issues with balding or thinning hair before, so this came as a shock to me!
SOLUTION: I started taking 10,000 mg of liquid Biotin a day & also using this special Shampoo & Conditioner. I got BOTH off of Amazon! Links below!
Liquid Biotin -https://www.amazon.com/Strength-10000mcg-Servings-Friendly-Absorption/dp/B07FJQ32BG/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=biotin+liquid+10%2C000+mg&qid=1601383753&sr=8-2
2. Sore Knees
For many years now, I’m been a very avid runner. I hadn’t run much in the last two months of my pregnancy, so when I was cleared to exercise again after birth, I was anxious to get back out there. However, my first few runs (and workouts) quickly caused my knees to ache a few hours after I had exercised. This too, I had never struggled with before I was pregnant. Some people shared with me that the hormones that are released for up to 6 months postpartum could be causing it!
SOLUTION: I took the jumps out of my HIIT training workouts at home for a while, always wore good sneakers when exercising – and especially running, and I started to elevated my knees with ice at night. This worked wonders! I also began sleeping with a pillow between my knees at night (I STILL DO), and I now, almost 6 months post partum, have NO knee pain.
3. Aches & Pains in Muscles
Ah, these started to show up everywhere – especially in my joint areas! AGAIN HORMONES!? I was noticing extra pain in my shoulders & neck – which, I’ve come to also understand can be from all the baby feeding…and gazing. Yep, gulity of lots of that.
SOLUTION: What worked for me was incorporating A LOT of stretching, yoga & also some physical therapy. I went & saw a physical therapist about 12 x post birth and she worked wonders! I also would recommend, for an easy at home fix, to rub arnica lotion on your sore spots It’s an awesome way to encourage a massage from your husband too – remember to recipurcate!
4. Falling Asleep
Can I get an AMEN!? I know ALL new parents struggling with sleeping – however, I was shocked to see how hard it was for me to settle down and relax for the evening. My hubs would be snoring next to me, and I’d be wide awake – waiting for our sweet boy to cry out. I realised I needed to learn to let go, relax and ease into sleep.
SOLUTION: First & foremost, I would begin to PRAY! As the Bible says, I would cast ALL my cares on God. Emptying my mind before Him before bed really helped settled my spirit and mind. Then, I also would put lavender oil on my feet and pillow before going to bed (this also helps baby have a restful night of sleep). Lastly, my husband and I LOVE listening to this meditation series before bed & IT REALLY helps us relax and often, fall asleep! LINK BELOW!
https://encounteringpeace.libsyn.com
5. Itching On My Belly
Ok, so my sweet baby boy was out, that means by itching should go away, right?! WRONG! During my final trimester, I experienced SO much itching (especially at the top of my belly), from all the stretching my body was doing to make room for my big boy. I constantly was scratching! I thought when I gave birth, that would go away – however, it didn’t for several weeks after.
SOLUTION: Once again, lavender to the rescue! I blended that oil (you can get from me if you’d like!) with some coconut oil, and it was an amazing relief! A double bonus is that I ALSO now use this combo for my baby to either fall asleep or help with any sore diaper rash.
There you have it! I happy to say that where all of these things were really bothering for a while postpartum, they are no ALL gone. If you’re a new mama right now reading this, please know that your postpartum troubles don’t last forever. You WILL get through this! Stay strong, mama!
XOXO,
Mama Chey
PS If you love my content, don’t forget to subscribe & bring your other Mamas along!
Leave a Comment