My 6 Months Postpartum Recovery and Update

postpartum care postpartum health Jun 07, 2022

6 Months Postpartum

Just like no pregnancy is the same, there is no-one who goes through an exact postpartum journey like you do. Today, I want to share with you my 6 months postpartum recovery.

It's special in that way (and let's face it, frustrating too!) all at the same time.

Look, it would be nice to have some more predictability, that's for sure. But to be truthful, it really is part of the adventure that makes the highs the highest, and the lows sometimes the lowest when it comes to Motherhood and the postpartum journey.

As Mothers we have so much going on.

It’s a juggle to say the least.

Recovering from birth, looking after a baby, feeding a baby, connecting with new Mother's in the same boat, staying connected to old friends, time with family, time with your partner, time for yourself.

And then there's the other 'stuff' like how long you'll spend on maternity leave, do you even like your job, do you want to go back? When do you need to apply for childcare, do you want to have your child in childcare?

Financial pressure, social pressure and then of course the ultimate....…

How your BODY recovers postpartum.

Your appearance. What others think of you. What you think of yourself.

Your body, your mummy tummy, the extra wobbly bits, the scars.

All of the 'sacrifice' you made to grow and birth your baby.

It's a lot.

I've been through it all myself twice.

Two healthy pregnancies, two amazing births and two beautiful boys that I can call my own.

I have a baby, a toddler and a much less toned body than I used to have.

It's taken longer to recover this second time around and now that I'm at 6 months postpartum, I know I've come a long way, and I still have recovery to do.

You see, it's not a steady increase upwards with postpartum recovery.

Hormones, sleepless nights, emotions, unsettled babies, non-napping toddlers – it all gets in the way of an 'easy' recovery.

So don't judge yourself, and don't judge others either.

I could just post up my highlight reel. But I'm choosing to be very real about my recovery with the idea that it will help other women see that we all have good days and bad.

One thing I am grateful for are my postpartum recovery compression tights.

I'm not a huge fan of tight-fitting-can't-sit-down style clothes, but these compression tights have been awesome.

I often get asked about compression garments and which are the best to wear.

I actually wish I had these postpartum tights when my firstborn arrived.

Which is why I'm here happy to tell Mamas my inside tricks and tips.

They're good because they don't just focus on the abdomen. There's support through the thighs, groin, pelvis and abdomen regions.

Certainly a win for me!

I hit 5 months postpartum with my first when I started to feel a bit more 'me.' To really start to see some progression in my fitness and feel a bit more in-shape.

5 months came and went with my second and I was no where near that same feeling.

At 6 months now, I'm starting to feel more like it, but still it's the sleepless nights or one of the hundreds of other obstacles that pops up.

So I do my best.

I keep hydrated. I walk most days. I move to feel good.

And I focus on what's important.

Those extra few kilos aren't important.

The fact that my 'abs' don't look like they used to isn't important.

The knowledge that I am doing my best for me and for my boys is what is important.

And that's where I'm at. At 6 months postpartum, I'm enough.

I recently met a Mother who has two children and when her second was just 8 weeks old she was diagnosed with cancer. It's been a battle, there's been a lot of ups and downs, but her complete strength and resilience blew me away.

And they take home message from her was that 'those extra few kilos don't matter, what matters is that I'm here. I get to kiss my kids good night every night. I get to be there for them. That's what matters'.

So, girl, shift your focus on to what you have and what you’re grateful for.

Don't compare yourself to other's nightlight reels.