Welcome to Justalittlescrunchy blog, where we inspire and empower individuals to embrace a healthier, low-tox lifestyle! This post, inspired by our latest podcast episode, reflects on my most recent and most holistic postpartum journey. As I celebrate my youngest son’s first birthday, I take a moment to share personal challenges, triumphs, and the lessons learned from this unique period in motherhood.
Ditching Toxic Cleaners: Simple, Affordable DIY Solutions – The 80/20 Holistic Home
Reflecting on the Postpartum Journey
Even as a seasoned mom of three, each postpartum experience offers unique challenges and joys. One of the most unexpected trials during my third child’s infancy was breastfeeding. Despite previous experience, my son presented new hurdles that shifted my expectations and taught me resilience.
Breastfeeding Lessons
With my first child, breastfeeding was intense and required the guidance of lactation consultants. My second child was a natural at breastfeeding, which led me to believe my third would follow suit. Instead, we faced issues such as lip and tongue ties, leading to numerous appointments and stress. This experience underscored that every child is different and flexibility is critical.
Adapting to Life with Three Children
Integrating a third child into our lives was more profound than expected. The age gap between my second and third presented logistical challenges, balancing the needs of an infant with school routines and extracurricular activities. The changes highlighted the importance of adapting family dynamics and the impact of divide-and-conquer parenting. And while that works for a time, overall the experience prompted my husband and I to decide that we feel “done” after our third was born.
Holistic Practices for a Better Postpartum Experience
Planning and preparation transformed this postpartum journey into the most positive yet. Embracing holistic adjustments led to numerous successes:
Chiropractic Care
Regular chiropractic visits prepared my body for pregnancy and eased postpartum recovery, alleviating conditions like SPD which plagued me for all three pregnancies. This was my first pregnancy and postpartum implementing chiropractic care, and it was a GAME CHANGER! I can’t recommend this enough to any expecting mom that’s dealing with aches and pains or conditions that are typically dismissed as “common” – like back pain, sciatica, and SPD.
Focus on Nutrition
I adhered to a diet rich in nutrients that support postpartum recovery, incorporating foods like beef liver and bone broth. Pregnancy and postpartum deplete women of so many nutrients and minerals and making sure that my stores were full and I was replenishing as quickly as possible made SUCH a difference in how I felt!
Intentional Physical Activity
Staying active with daily walks and strength training fostered a smooth physical recovery. This, of course, was only possible because I was so intentional with my chiropractic care. During my second pregnancy, my SPD was so bad I couldn’t even maintain daily 20 min walks around my neighborhood. Maintaining physical fitness this time around made for such a quicker recovery.
Postpartum Rest and Support
Implementing the 5-5-5 strategy, along with help from family, facilitated healing and adjustment to our expanded family. If you aren’t familiar, 5-5-5 is a style of postpartum recovery which promotes 5 days in bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days around the bed after having a baby. Essentially, rest and stay in bed as much as possible. While I didn’t quite hit 5 days for each phase (multiple kids makes this one a big challenge), I definitely succeeded in slowing down especially in that immediate period and resting more than I did in my other postpartum journeys. I think that early intentional recovery really helped me feel great physically.
Natural Remedies for Healing
Exploring alternatives like red light therapy and homeopathics such as Arnica made my physical recovery smoother and pain-free.
Conclusion
Reflecting on this postpartum journey reminded me of the importance of self-care, adaptability, and holistic practices. For anyone anticipating a postpartum period, I hope these insights offer inspiration or comfort. Remember, every journey is unique, and what works for one may not for another. Evaluate what fits your lifestyle best as part of embracing your personal 80/20 approach to wellness.
Thank you for joining me in this reflection. If this resonates or you have suggestions, I would love to hear your thoughts!
One response to “Holistic Postpartum Journey Reflections”
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