New mums: my top tips to navigate the early days and weeks with your baby

Close-up of a new mother gently cradling a newborn's head with both hands. She is wearing a blue cardigan, and the baby's head has fine, dark hair. The background is softly blurred, giving a serene, intimate feel.

Becoming a new mum is completely life changing and incredible in equal measures. Expect a rollercoaster of emotions and physical needs, especially during the first few months of becoming a mother. There are moments where everything is beautiful, where everything feels exhausting and overwhelming, and where you feel every emotion in between. 

Sometimes it can be incredibly tough, especially if you have a touch of the baby blues, you feel weak or you are in pain, or you don’t have a strong support network close by. If you are just out of hospital with your new-born – exhausted, sore and overwhelmed – here are my top tips to get you through the first few days and weeks.

Nowadays, the expectation is that we, as new mums, should instinctively know how to care for ourselves and our babies when they arrive. However, this could not be further from the truth. Our mums have usually forgotten what they did when we were born, and our friends may not be at the same stage as us. You can read every baby book, attend all the antenatal classes and, there will still be plenty of questions that you don’t quite know the answer to, and that is all completely normal! 

I remember coming home with my first baby less than 24 hours after he was born. My mum was in hospital herself so she couldn’t help, and my husband and I didn’t have a clue what to expect. I wish I had all the information below at my fingertips back then, as this knowledge would have been golden for me. The lack of information and support for new mums led me to research and learn as much as I could, and then pass on this information to other new mums and mums to be. 

This evolved into running post-natal classes in Chelsea when my kids were tiny, and I worked alongside the NCT and private antenatal groups to give the new mamas and babas that little bit of extra post-birth support and reassurance that they needed. I keep in touch with some of these families, which is truly wonderful, and that is what NatureDoc has evolved to be – holistic family nutrition and wellbeing support all the way through from bump to young adults and beyond! 

Here are some of the essential things that I wish I had known at the outset of becoming a mum.

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Soothing discomfort down below

After a vaginal birth, a warm bath with a couple of drops of tea tree oil can help soothe the perineum, as tea tree is naturally antiseptic and calming. It makes such a difference! If you are in a lot of pain and discomfort down there, then try applying soothing calendula cream which will help to the relieve the discomfort of stitches, tears and haemorrhoids.

Constipation 

Ooh la la! Going for a No.2 after birth can be more painful than childbirth itself. To help you to ‘go’ eat a couple of kiwi fruits a day or some prunes and add a heaped tablespoon of flax seeds to yoghurt, porridge or fruit puree. Drink some kefir or yoghurt to keep your bowel soft and easy to pass. Remember to keep well hydrated and drink plenty of water, herbal teas and coconut water. If it’s still troublesome consider adding a magnesium citrate supplement. 

Poor milk supply 

Not having enough milk can understandably be very worrying for a new mummy, and getting breastfeeding established often takes a lot of time and patience. Alongside the guidance from your midwife, there are also natural ways to support your milk supply. 

Hydration is key, try drinking herbal teas containing herbs and spices such as fennel, rosemary, nettle and lemon verbena. Remember to drink at least 500ml of water with every feed as enough water is key for a decent milk supply.  

Add herbs and spices like fenugreek, dill, fennel seeds, caraway and aniseed to your meals as well as eat plenty of oats, oat milk, barley, meat and poultry, asparagus, beetroot, apricots and sesame seeds (tahini/houmous) to help with your milk supply.

Sore or cracked nipples 

When your baby latches onto your nipple, it can really hurt and even bleed. When this happens, it can naturally put a lot of new mothers off breast feeding, but most of the causes can be fixed (hurrah). Breastfeeding should not be painful, so if you are struggling, it might be worth working with a breastfeeding specialist to ensure a good and efficient latch. This is critical to get right if you want to breast feed in the longer term. It’s also important to get your baby checked for tongue-tie or lip-tie which is very common in babies and can be corrected easily. 

Also invest in an organic nipple balm and if they are really sore spending time braless can help them heal. Another option is to wear a silk pyjama top which is pure bliss as silk is very healing on chaffed skin, because of its natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Breast engorgement 

This is when your breasts are too full of milk, and it can cause breast tenderness. Engorgement can also stretch the nipples flat, causing them to split and crack. If an infection kicks in this can lead to mastitis which may present as a light fever as well as well as a painful breast. 

One of the best ways to help reduce breast engorgement is to gently massage the breast using one or two fingers which can move some of the swelling away from the nipple with some essential oils like Geranium, Peppermint, Cypress and German Chamomile. 

You can also apply chilled green cabbage leaves to your breasts after breastfeeding or expressing, as this can help to reduce the pain and swelling. Applying warm flannels can also be a very soothing and relieve engorged breasts. Consuming sunflower lecithin as a food supplement is recommended to help with plugged milk ducts and milk blisters. Just stir a tablespoon into your porridge, yoghurt or a smoothie or fruit puree. 

Exhaustion 

The post-natal period is demanding and exhausting. This is when eating for two really is a thing – aim to eat at least 5 x per day and snack on lots of nutrient-dense foods like avocado, nut butters, seed mixes and bowls of porridge, scrambled egg or dhal and rice. 

Take a really good post-natal breastfeeding multi vitamin which contains iron, zinc, folate and B12.  If you have a history of low iron or B12 levels, thyroid issues or blood sugar issues then do seek advice from your GP and ask for blood tests as it is critical to get these optimised during the post-natal stage.

Nap or rest when the baby is napping (if possible!) as this will help you so much, we all need to grab that precious sleep where we can. It is important that you take the time to recover too – your body has been through a lot. 

Supporting immunity  

Remember to take your Vitamin D. The NHS advises you take vitamin D yourself and to make sure your baby gets enough of it during the winter. We have had grey and bleak summers in the UK recently, so keep on taking up to 4,000iu per day when it is gloomy or rainy weather or you are stuck indoors.  Your baby can take 400iu of vitamin D from birth and you can drop this into their mouth or onto your nipple. If they are formula fed and consuming more than 500ml of infant formula a day they will be getting some daily vitamin D and there is no need to supplement over and above this. 

Managing your mood

Despite the baby blues being normalised, it shouldn’t continue much past two weeks of giving birth, if it does, it might be postnatal depression, and you should speak to your GP, midwife or health visitor as soon as possible. Remember to keep your Iron, Omega 3’s and folate levels up as these are vital during the post-natal period. This means eating plenty of liver, red meat, pulses, beans, green vegetables, eggs, oily fish and seafood. 

Feeling lonely

If you are navigating motherhood alone or you are feeling lonely then it is important to get out and about and get some human contact. Call your parents or a friend or listen to a podcast or some soothing music. Find local baby groups, breast feeding support groups or even online groups as sharing the highs and lows of being a mum can be so helpful and comforting. 

Feeling overwhelmed

Take a walk round the block for a few minutes leaving your baby with your partner (this helps now that so many people are working from home). Sit outside in your garden and enjoy the fresh air and nature for a few minutes and breathe deeply. Prioritise a warm comforting bath when your baby is sleeping. All of these things will do you the world of good.  

Round up

Becoming a mummy is the most wonderful experience and the love for your baby will be a type of love you have never experienced before. I hope that my tips for the early days and week will help you navigate motherhood with a bit more resilience and build your confidence. 

If you feel that you need some extra care and nutritional support, my NatureDoc clinical team are here to support you if you are going through a tough time. You’ve got this! 

Lucinda Recommends

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