With it being the Month of May and Mother’s Day around the corner, we need to face the reality of why sleep is most important to new mom’s and why it is not often spoken of. The biggest benefit of sleep for new moms is that it wards off feelings of depression. Moms who sleep well at night are at lower risk for postpartum depression. They also report feeling less stressed by their new role as caregivers.
It has been well documented that women experience significant sleep changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Hormonal fluctuations can interfere with sleep during early pregnancy, the growing foetus makes it difficult to sleep comfortably later in pregnancy, and newborn care typically requires frequent nighttime awakenings during the postpartum period. Childbearing women have also been found to experience increasing levels of fatigue during pregnancy and postpartum, although the relationship between fatigue severity and sleep quality appears to be complex. These sleep changes and accompanying increases in fatigue have implications for women’s physical and mental health, relationships, employment, and parental competence.
Here are 6 tips to maintain your mental health as a new mom:
1. Sleep
2. Better nutrition and liquids
3. Vitamins and fatty acids
4. Walking
5. Baby breaks
6. Adult time and laughter
Being a new mom can be scary and especially knowing that someone small depends on you can take its toll, just remember to be kind to yourself and take the time to remember yourself. In order to be the best mom, you need to take care of yourself too.
The SpineAlign Team
