Exquisite Self-Care in the First 6 Weeks

By Kimberly Johnson

The most difficult but most important part of the post-partum period is taking care of ourselves.  Ideally we would have a team of women, our mothers, mother-in-laws, women friends surrounding us so that while we care for our baby, they care for us!

Our whole being is programmed to be fully absorbed with our new baby.  We should nurture that instinct for bonding and overall health. At the same time, it is crucial to remember this simple rule, we cannot give what we do not have. We may not be able to control all of our circumstances, but we can create a peaceful environment with as little stress as possible.

Here are simple concrete steps you can take to protect your precious babysphere and bolster your reserves, so that you and your baby can get to know each other intimately and you can truly rest.

Minimize visitors.

Have other people do household chores.

Rest when your baby rests.

Eat whole foods.

Drink enough water.

Surrender to the space of non-doing.

Write your birth story, with the real emotions, without protecting anyone.

For five minutes each day, connect to your breath.