Beccy Hands - The Little Book of Support for New Moms

Beccy Hands and
Alexis Stickland

This book is intended as a general information resource. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Every woman is different and will react differently to and recover differently from childbirth. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any new therapy or procedure and before doing any new physical activity. Also check with your healthcare provider before you add any new food or ingredient to your diet, especially if you are diabetic or taking antibiotics or any other prescription medication. Some foods and ingredients, even natural ones, can lower blood sugar or cause other physical reactions in some people and some can cause adverse effects when combined with medications.

URLs displayed in this book link or refer to websites that existed as of press time. The publisher is not responsible for, and should not be deemed to endorse or recommend, any website other than its own or any content, including any app, that it did not create. The authors, likewise, are not responsible for any third-party material.

Copyright 2018 by Beccy Hands and Alexis Stickland
Illustrations copyright 2018 by Kay Train

First American Edition 2020
Originally published in Great Britain under the title The Little Book of Self-Care for New Mums

All rights reserved

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, The Countryman Press, 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact W. W. Norton Special Sales at specialsales@wwnorton.com or 800-233-4830

Cover design: LeAnna Weller Smith

Cover illustration: Kay Train

The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:

Names: Hands, Beccy, author. | Stickland, Alexis, author.

Title: The little book of support for new moms / Beccy Hands and Alexis Stickland.

Description: New York, NY : The Countryman Press, A division of W. W. Norton & Company, [2020] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019050075 | ISBN 9781682685327 (cloth) | ISBN 9781682685334 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: MothersHealth and hygiene. | Puerperium. | Self-care, Health.

Classification: LCC HQ759 .H237 2020 | DDC 306.874/3dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019050075

The Countryman Press
www.countrymanpress.com

A division of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com

From sore breasts to tender bottoms, extreme tiredness to anxious insomnia, weve seen it all. During our combined years working as a midwife and doula, we have sat beside hundreds of women as they journeyed into the world of motherhood. We have celebrated with families as they welcomed their little ones into the world, watched our ladies transform into mothers, and marveled over the tiny humans they created. But we have also wiped away plenty of tears, given out hugs, and offered tons of TLC. We have made endless cups of tea, hot buttered toast, and iron-boosting smoothies for tired new moms who sometimes just, you know, need a break.

Over more than a decade spent with amazing moms just like youand from looking after our own typically unpredictable newbornswe have collected many a trick up our sleeves to help ease those postnatal discomforts and new-mom worries. We have tucked moms up in bed when they needed to rest, shown them gentle stretches to soothe their aching muscles, and nagged them when they hadnt been eating properly.

While you were pregnant, you probably read at least one book on what to expect during those nine long months. And then there were the apps to track your trimesters, the regular midwife appointments, antenatal classes, ultrasounds, check-ups, pregnancy yoga classes, and all your new fellow preggo friends to talk to about how you were feelingwith maybe the sneaky massage or pedicure along the way to treat yourself when things got a bit too much (well, you cant reach your toes, can you?!). While you were pregnant, it was all about you and how best to look after yourself and stay healthy and relaxed to provide for your growing baby.

However, once your baby is born, it is really noticeable to us how the focus shifts dramatically to parenting and the needs of your little one. There are hundreds of books available on how to raise your child and the developmental milestones your baby will go through during their first year, and youll probably find that most of your local postnatal classes are very baby-focused too. It seems to us that somehow society has forgotten about the sensitive needs of our new moms. Where did their care go and why is there no longer any focus on them?

Just because your baby has now been born, he or she still relies on you 24/7. So its just as important that you continue to care for yourself as you did in pregnancy. By giving you the tools and knowledge to take care of your postnatal body and mind, we hope you will feel empowered to practice the self-care you need. Be kind to yourself as you adjust to this momentous experience. Our motivation is always to hold you tightly, to ensure you feel supported and nurtured, so you can really enjoy those early weeks and months of getting to know your new babyjust how it was always meant to be.

We know that those early, hazy days can be incredible and beautiful but they can also be overwhelming and exhausting. They can feel as if they are happening outside of time and space, where days and nights merge, our bodies dont feel like our own, and our lives have been turned upside down. As time passes, you will adapt and you will begin to feel a little bit more in controlwe promise! But be patient with yourself and your baby. Dont try and rush the process.

Weve divided the book into three key chapters: Healing a Mother, Minding a Mother, and Guiding a Mother. To us, these represent the essential areas of recovery and adjustment in the postnatal period.

In Healing a Mother, we share our tips for those days and weeks immediately following the birth, and then on throughout the months that follow. It wont surprise you that we are not coy about the subject of lady parts: we talk you through the changes that are happening in your body, including down below. Regardless of how you birthed your baby, your postnatal body is going to take time to heal and it is helpful to be responsive and sensitive to your needs during this time. We have also included some fantastic easy stretches, massage techniques, and a simple restorative yoga sequence. Dip in and out of these when you need to combat any aches and pains from carrying that lovely little bundle!

As you and your brand-new baby spend precious time together during the initial settling-in months, it can be easy to forget to nourish yourself properly because your focus is on making sure your little one is getting all that they need. We have lost count of the number of new moms and dads we see existing on toast and the occasional takeout. However, it is very difficult to care for someone else when your own fuel tank is running on empty. Although the occasional package of cookies is a new mothers prerogative, filling yourself up the right way will really boost your energy levels and help you feel healthy and welland youll also be better able to cope if things get a little tough. We dont expect you to spend hours in the kitchen cooking up a feast when you have an adorable newborn to cuddle and you havent had a full nights sleep for what seems like forever! Instead, we have plenty of totally delicious and nutritious yet completely effortless ideas for smoothies, snacks, and hearty meals to help you regain that pre-baby spring in your step.