Last Updated: 29/7/25
Let’s start with this: You matter too.
After birth, it’s so easy to slip into survival mode — nappies, feeding, visitors, night wakes, more nappies. And suddenly, your body (which just grew and birthed a human) is expected to bounce back, keep going, and cope with everything, all while sleep-deprived and stitched together. No pressure, right?
So if you’ve landed here feeling overwhelmed, tender, or unsure how to take care of yourself after giving birth — you’re in exactly the right place.
This isn’t a checklist. It’s a conversation. One that honours your body, your emotions, and your need for support. So let’s talk about what recovery really looks like — the gentle, human, not-always-pretty version. The one where you get to feel seen and supported too.
How to Take Care of Yourself After Giving Birth — Without the Pressure
Let’s be honest — most advice on how to take care of yourself after giving birth either feels too clinical or completely unrealistic. What you really need is gentle, practical support that meets you where you are. This guide isn’t about doing more — it’s about helping you feel more held, more grounded, and more like you, one small step at a time.
Why Looking After Yourself Isn’t Selfish — It’s Foundational
There’s a common thread I hear from new mums: “I feel guilty putting myself first.”
But here’s the truth: You can’t pour from an empty cup. Taking care of yourself after giving birth isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity. Your baby doesn’t just need milk and cuddles. They need you — regulated, rested, supported you.
This isn’t about bubble baths and spa days (although they’re lovely). It’s about:
- Restoring your strength
- Supporting your mental health
- Giving your nervous system time to settle
- Healing your body (on the inside too)
- Rebuilding your sense of self
It’s not selfish. It’s survival — the soft, sacred kind.
What Really Happens After Birth (That We’re Not Told Enough)
Let’s take a moment to talk about what actually goes on in those first weeks postpartum, because the books often skip this part.
- Your uterus is shrinking (that can feel crampy)
- Your hormones are doing a major reset
- Your breasts are sore, leaking, or rock hard
- You might be bleeding for up to 6 weeks
- Sleep? What’s that again?
- You may be healing from tears, stitches, or a C-section
- Your core and pelvic floor are in recovery mode
- You might cry for no reason. Or all the reasons.
So yes — taking care of yourself after giving birth needs to go beyond “nap when the baby naps.” (Honestly, who came up with that?)
1. Rest Like It’s Medicine (Because It Is)
We live in a world that glorifies “bouncing back.” But your body needs deep rest after birth — the kind of rest that supports tissue repair, hormone balance, and emotional regulation.
Here’s how to make rest more possible:
- Create a nesting space: Think comfy pillows, water bottle, snacks within reach.
- Limit visitors: You don’t need to entertain. You need to heal.
- Say yes to help: Let people cook, clean, or cuddle the baby while you nap or shower.
- Lower the bar: If you got dressed, fed yourself, and kept the baby alive? That’s enough today.
FYI: Healing isn’t linear. Some days you’ll feel strong. Others you’ll feel weepy and slow. Both are normal.
Related Post: From Swelling to Stress: How Epsom Salt Baths Benefit Pregnant Women
2. Nourish Your Body with Comforting, Healing Foods
After birth, your digestion may be sluggish, your appetite unpredictable, and your energy all over the place. What you eat can help stabilise things and support healing.
Focus on:
- Warm, easy-to-digest meals (soups, stews, oats)
- Iron-rich foods (lentils, leafy greens, red meat if you eat it)
- Protein and healthy fats to rebuild tissue
- Plenty of water, especially if breastfeeding
Batch cooking in late pregnancy can be a lifesaver. So can saying yes when someone offers to bring food.
3. Tend to Your Scar or Stitches With Care
Whether you had a vaginal birth, a C-section, or a forceps/ventouse delivery, chances are your body’s been stitched or bruised in some way.
Support healing by:
- Keeping the area clean and dry
- Using warm compresses or Epsom salt baths (after midwife clearance)
- Resting flat when you can to take pressure off
- Wearing loose, breathable clothing
- Using silicone strips or scar oils once fully healed (I recommend Scarban and Nadaya Scar Saviour — use code PAULAKEMP for 10% off)
You don’t have to touch your scar straight away. Gently reconnecting with your body can come when you’re ready.
Related Post: What is C-Section Scar Massage and Why Does it Matter?
4. Support Your Pelvic Floor (Even If You’re Not Ready for Exercises)
Your pelvic floor has been through a lot. Whether you pushed or not, the weight of pregnancy alone affects those muscles. Supporting your recovery doesn’t need to mean intense workouts — just gentle awareness.
Try this:
- Breathwork: Inhale and gently relax your pelvic floor. Exhale and lightly lift. No force.
- Posture check-ins: Slumping affects healing. Sit with support.
- Avoid heavy lifting (including laundry baskets!) for at least the first 6 weeks.
- Book a postnatal pelvic health check with a women’s health physio when you feel ready.
Your pelvic floor deserves love, not pressure. Go gently.
5. Care for Your Mental Health (Even When It’s Not Obvious)
Not all postnatal challenges show up as dramatic breakdowns. Sometimes, it’s just a low hum of “I’m not coping but I don’t want to say anything.”
Signs to check in with yourself:
- You feel persistently low, tearful, or numb
- You dread the night times
- You can’t sleep even when the baby sleeps
- You’re anxious, panicked, or hyper-alert
- You feel disconnected from your baby or yourself
These are not signs that you’re failing. They’re signs that you need — and deserve — support. From a GP, therapist, or someone who won’t minimise your experience.
Postnatal depression and anxiety are incredibly common — and incredibly treatable. Please don’t suffer in silence.
Related Post: 11 Powerful Ways to Cope With Anxiety
6. Create Micro Moments of Reconnection
In the early days, you might feel like your body isn’t your own. You might miss who you used to be. That’s valid — and incredibly common.
Try this:
- A warm cup of tea, drunk slowly (even if it’s gone cold)
- A short walk in fresh air, baby in sling or pram
- Five minutes of music you love
- Lighting a candle while you feed
- Writing one kind thing about your body in a notebook
These tiny rituals aren’t silly — they’re sacred. They remind your nervous system that you’re still in there.
Related Post: How to Use Journaling to Relieve Stress at Bedtime
7. Boundaries Are a Form of Self-Care
Not everyone needs access to you right now. And that includes social media, group chats, and “just popping by” visitors.
It’s okay to say:
- “We’re not having visitors this week — we’re resting.”
- “Can you drop meals at the door?”
- “I’d love some help with laundry.”
- “No photos right now, thanks.”
Protecting your space protects your healing.
8. When to Ask for More Help
Taking care of yourself after giving birth sometimes means knowing when to call in backup. You don’t have to do this alone — and you don’t get a medal for struggling silently.
Get extra support if:
- Pain isn’t improving
- Bleeding increases suddenly
- You have signs of infection (fever, chills, redness, discharge)
- You feel persistently low, anxious, or overwhelmed
- Breastfeeding is painful or stressful
Your GP, health visitor, midwife, or women’s health physio are all part of your postnatal support team. Use them.
Real Talk: What I Wish More Women Knew
After years of supporting postnatal clients, here’s what I really wish every woman knew:
- You are allowed to grieve your birth experience and still love your baby.
- You don’t have to love your body to care for it.
- Rest is productive.
- Numbness, tightness, and pain after birth are common — but they’re not things you have to put up with.
- You deserve support even if others say you’re “lucky.”
- Healing looks different for everyone.
And finally: You’re doing better than you think. 💛
Final Thoughts: Taking Care of Yourself Is Not One More Thing on the List — It Is the List
You don’t need a perfect routine. You don’t need to fix everything. You just need reminders — that your body matters, your emotions matter, and your needs deserve attention too.
So whether today you:
- Eat something nourishing
- Let the dishes pile up and rest
- Ask someone to hold the baby while you shower
- Cry in the bathroom and text a friend
That is care. That is healing. That is enough.
When you’re ready — whether it’s week one or month six — and you want a space to reconnect with your body, feel held, or ask the questions no one warned you about, I’m here.
With warmth,
Paula x
Need support with scar healing, postnatal massage, or just want to feel seen and heard? My treatment room in Walton-on-Thames is here when you need it — calm, gentle, and completely free of judgement.
Want to read more like this? You can follow me on Instagram for tips, support, and gentle reminders to put yourself back on the list.
