Postpartum Recovery 101

Written By Carly Fleming

postpartum is a lot, but following these tips will make it feel a little more manageable 🫶🏻

love, postpartum and newborn nurse Carly

Recovering from growing a baby (or babies!) from scratch and then birthing them is a literal marathon. But unlike a marathon, you don’t get to rest after- it’s time for postpartum recovery and healing. And postpartum recovery is another marathon, just one that never ends.


But postpartum, or as I like to refer to it as your fourth trimester, deserves just as much care and attention as you had during pregnancy. Postpartum is a time where it is so easy to focus on baby, that forgetting about yourself is common. But I am here as a postpartum newborn nurse to change that change that. 

However your baby was born, vaginal or cesarean, in a hospital or out of hospital, first baby or fifth, epidural or unmedicated, with your birth plan or completely opposite, you deserve to feel supported and prepared.

As a postpartum newborn nurse, certified breastfeeding specialist and mom myself, I have 5 tips for postpartum recovery. I wish I could call them hacks, but there are no hacks, its all hard, 

  1. Listen to your body- The dinner plate sized wound inside of your uterus on top of a potential wound on your belly or in your perineum, your body needs a minute, more like weeks. Having a gush of bleeding, a wave of intense emotions, pain, feeling dizzy/lightheaded, are all signals from your both that it needs more rest. Staying on top and regimens for pain relief are huge. My personal favorite after my vaginal birth was Dermoplast Postpartum Spray. My personal favorite for after my Cesarean birth was Motrin and Gas-X.

  2. Ask for help- You were not meant to do postpartum alone. Ask for help, even it feels funny to do so. Asking not just your care team, but your support system: partner/support person, family (near or far), close friends, neighbors. This is your time to take those people who said “let me know if you need anything”, that you need something. 

  3. Education- Seeking out what to expect postpartum for baby AND you postpartum are crucial. It may be harder for what to expect for your body postpartum, but good thing you’re here because I’ve got you covered there (start now). Using this education to then create a plan for your postpartum is a bonus, but a bonus I recommend if you have the time. 

  4. Nourish your body- Fuel your body with what it needs and craves for postpartum healing. You lost a lot of blood, no matter how your baby was born, and you are going through the quickest hormone shift of your entire life. Eat that sub/sushi, hydrate like no other, enjoy those warm comfort foods and move your body. Nourishment works best when paired with small movements/walks to aid with digestion. 

  5. Minimize comparing yourself to others- No one postpartum experience is the same, even your own. Do not let comparison steal your joy with baby. Your timeline will look different than everyone elses. A 6 week time frame, for example, does not mean you need to feel ready for anything more than baby snuggles and naps. 

Your postpartum & newborn nurse besties of Fourth Trimester Foundations here to support you during your pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

How we can support you:

Carly Fleming
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