Women, especially those going through the postpartum period undergo lot of physical, mental as well as emotional stress. The following are some of the measures of physical energy management for postnatal women.
- Don’t hesitate to involve your husband in daily chores. Convince your husband to share some of your responsibilities. Involve him in baby grooming as well.
- Maintain at least one room neat and tidy in your home, so that whenever you feel like doing your exercises you can go there and start exercising.
- Ideally, a nursing mother should not skip the night feeding. But a mother needs adequate rest too. So, if you feel exhausted and can hardly stay awake, never hesitate to take the help of a willing friend for attending the feeding job of your child.
- Go to bed very early, going to bed early is quite essential for a postnatal mother.
- If you cannot sleep properly during night, at least try to sleep during the day. Generally babies tend to sleep for long hours after bath and feeding. So, try to sleep during this time.
- Plan your night feeds well in advance. If you are breastfeeding and the baby is sleeping with you or in bassinet near by, you can nurse while lying down. If the baby sleeps in another room, arrange a comfortable chair, pillow, a snack and drink for yourself. Arrange a lamp with low wattage bulb.
- Take your pregnancy vitamins and mineral supplements regularly without fail.
- Try walking outdoors for an hour everyday. This is very helpful in maintaining your physical energy high all the time.
- Have recreation rather than merely taking rest. Recreation gives you the opportunity to interact with your family and friends and is thus better for relaxation.
- Good, nutritious diet is essential during the postpartum period. Take less fats and more carbohydrates. Never diet during this period.
- If your fatigue still persists it might be a medical condition such as anaemia, potassium deficiency or even thyroid malfunction. All these also lead to low energy levels. You may need to consult your doctor regarding this.
