Mom Life

Inside: Does your body feel so foreign after giving birth? Find out the ways different your postpartum body changes so you can bounce back easily!

I was not prepared for my postpartum body. It hurt to sit, hurt to stand, hurt to cough, hurt to pee. Having a baby is no joke. And let’s be honest, the aftermath of having a baby can be equally challenging!

But you overcome the postpartum body changes with knowing how to prepare for them and what you can do to help you heal quicker.

Today I want to talk to you about the 5 things that shocked me about my postpartum body AND how to cope with them. These are the things that I was utterly unprepared for and was like a fish out of water trying to figure out how to survive.

But knowing the different postpartum body changes, how to cope with the challenges, and how to heal faster will help you bounce back to your normal self in no time!

A lot of these things are the things that NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT.

Granted they are unpleasant topics that don’t come up in normal conversation, but I still wanted to give you a chance to be more prepared than I was!

Want a checklist of postpartum essentials? Check out my ultimate Postpartum Essentials checklist so you can be prepared and heal faster!

Let’s get down to it!

 

5 Shocking Things Postpartum Body Changes and how to cope!

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1. Hemorrhoids

Man oh man, I was NOT prepared for hemorrhoids. I had them during pregnancy but after pushing a 9-pound baby out for over an hour they really intensified.

And my postpartum body with plagued with the horror of hemorrhoids. And it was one of my most shocking postpartum body changes!

I never hear of anyone talking about hemorrhoids. I feel like it’s one of those “ugly truth” topics in life that everyone seems to ignore.

Here are the 2 ways to battle hemorrhoids:

First, Prevention:

One of the greatest ways to fight hemorrhoids is PREVENTION!

If you only have a tiny hemorrhoid and you don’t want it to get worse, or if you don’t have hemorrhoids and want to keep it that way, this is what you do:

Keep your bottom moisturized–

I know this sounds really silly but one of the things that helped me prevent hemorrhoids in the early stages was keeping my bottom slathered in cream. You basically don’t want your booty to get to the point where I can become red and inflamed.

This cream is awesome! I have it on my monthly automatic order because I use it and love it so much!

Take stool softener–

Another way to prevent hemorrhoids is to make your stool soft. (I know, I told you this wasn’t going to be a “pretty” conversation! But I promise it will be worth it!)

You can use Colace.

Go when You have to-

Another tip is to go when you have to go. As soon as you feel the sensation to use the bathroom, do it. When you hold it in it becomes hard and backed up and can cause hemorrhoids.

Second, Proper Care:

But if you are one of those poor souls that are a victim of hemorrhoids (like I was!), then this is how you can combat the pain and discomfort:

Donut Pillow

Instead of putting pressure on your bottom when you sit, a donut pillow helps you to sit without “sitting on your bottom”. This will relieve all of that awful pressure that you feel when you sit down. You can use this donut seat cushion pillow for any type of surface- chairs, cars, work, cough, anywhere!

Extra Strength Pain Killers

This may be obvious, but when you are in that much pain over hemorrhoids (and it CAN be really, really painful.)

Baths

Baths are an amazing pain reliever. The warmth of the bath with sooth the pain and irritation of the hemorrhoid and also even “shrink” them. (Be sure to get the okay from your doctor before you take a bath!)

Cream

Every time you use the bathroom apply this cream. It will instantly provide relief and soothe the pain AND make it easier to use the bathroom because you won’t be afraid to actually use the bathroom!

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Check out this post all about how to deal with the oh-never-so-fun bathroom troubles!

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Stool softener

Like I mentioned above, you want to make sure you are taking a stool softener! This helps with prevention AND healing. Anytime you strain to use the bathroom or the stool is hard it will hurt. So, prevent that pain by taking the softener. Trust me, you are going to thank yourself!

Peri Bottle/Wipes

Your bottom area is so tender, raw, and inflamed that even the graze of a piece of toilet paper can send you into a pain frenzy! To prevent making any of the pain worse, I suggest using a peri bottle with warm water and “rise” your bottom with the water instead of wiping.

Or you can use these amazing wipes that are designed to soothe hemorrhoids and discomfort. They are called Tucks cooling pads and even have witch hazel in them!

Don’t forget to get my free postpartum recovery essentials checklist to you are 100% prepared and ready for easy, pain-free postpartum recovery!

2. Hair loss

I was completely shocked to have to deal with hair loss and the dryness of my hair that came along with my postpartum body! Pregnancy made my hair glow and postpartum made my hair die (or at least it felt like that!). Here are some things you may experience:

• Hair loss
• Dry hair
• Dry “patches” in your scalp
• Dandruff

If you are struggling with postpartum hair then these are the tips that I was told and it’s starting to work.

What to do:

Do not use the same hair products or shampoo for more than 3 months in a row

I was told that using the same shampoo and condition consistently for a long period of time can dry out your hair. The thought behind this is that your hair becomes “used to” the product and therefore doesn’t work properly. So, if you are using the same moisturizing shampoo for the past 2 years then it can be counterproductive.

Find a shampoo that is moisturizing but that doesn’t have a lot of chemicals

The more chemicals, the more damaging. Research some products that have fewer chemicals because it will less likely dry out your hair.

Use Aquaphor on the dry areas

If you have dry patches or areas on your hairline or scalp, you can apply Aquaphor ointment to it regularly to keep it hydrated and moisturized.

Talk to your doctor or (maybe even hairstylist) before using any “dandruff” products

At the first sight of dandruff in my postpartum body, I automatically used shampoo designed for dandruff. But it was actually the worse thing I did. The shampoo caused my hair to fall out and my head to flake! So be sure to ask a specialist before you start using new products.

Use essential oils

Essentials oils are pretty much amazing for anything! And your hair is no exception! You can use peppermint oil to lather into your scalp and it will relieve any itchiness or redness. But be sure you don’t have open wounds or cuts before applying!

 

3. Weak bladder

Another postpartum body change is a weak bladder. Do not feel like you are alone when you go to sneeze or laugh and accidentally start to tinkle. Weak bladders are very common amongst moms! Your body goes through so much and so quickly that your bladder is still recuperating as well!

What to do:

Kegels

A really good tip to help you prevent leaks is to strengthen your pelvic floor. You want to do some Kegels and practice strengthening your muscles down there. One you start to do that, you’ll have more control!

Wear Liners

Another tip is to be sure to wear liners. I was still wearing mesh hospital undies for like 3 weeks after delivery with those gigantic pads! But when I started to bleed less I switched to 100% cotton underwear and regular thin liners. It worked like a charm!

 

4. Brittle nails

Your nails are not exempt from the postpartum body trauma. I learned this the hard way! In about a day’s time your nails can go from strong as ever to weak like paper.

What to do:

Prenatal vitamin

To keep yourself healthy, you want to continue to take a prenatal vitamin, and this well help a lot with nails, hair, and overall health. I took this one and its organic PLUS has folate!

Cut and buff nails regularly

Of course, you have a newborn so you can’t spend endless time on your nails! But about once a week or every other week I cut my nails, file them (so I’m not scratching baby!), buff them a bit (with this buffer), and then put on a coat of this strengthening clear polish.

5. Backaches

Unfortunately, a constant backache is another postpartum body change. If you had an epidural, the site that the epidural catheter was inserted can be sore or painful for up to a couple of weeks. Some women experience lower back pain for year after pregnancy, especially if you had a “back labor” and had issues with your back during pregnancy.

The good news is that there are a couple of things you can do to prevent that pain and keep it minimal.

Here’s what to do:

Wear a girdle or back brace

A back brace or high lined postpartum girdle can definitely help lower back pain. It gives your back much needed support and relives pain.

Warm baths with Epsom salt

A warm bath can work wonders! The warm water and the added Epsom salt soothes aches and pains. (Be sure not to submerge in water until your doctor gives you the all-clear at your postpartum appointment.)

Magnesium

Magnesium is a great natural supplement to help with muscle aches and pains. Especially if you don’t want to continue to take pain relievers constantly. Once magnesium is in your system, it helps you sleep better, have more energy, and even regulates you!

This one is really great because it’s a powder that you can put in smoothies and drinks or even water!

Good pillow (& mattress)

Don’t underestimate the power of a good pillow! After I had my daughter I had to invest in a new mattress and pillow and it worked WONDERS! It relieves pressure from certain pain points in my back and neck and allowed me to have restful sleep (when I was able to sleep!).

I purchased the MyPillow and absolutely love it! Totally worth the investment.

And there you have it!

Missed Something?

Here is the list of overall products that will help your postpartum body (I have used ALL of these items and they continue to be tried and true!)

Hemorrhoid Cream: 1) Preparation H        2) Earth Mama Angel Babe Organic Perineal Balm

Hemorrhoid Pillow: Donut Seat Cushion Pillow Memory Foam

Hemorrhoid Care: 1) Peri Bottle     2) Tucks Cooling Pads

Essential oil: Peppermint oil

Buffer: 4 Step Buffing Block

Strengthening Nail polish: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Instant Nail Hardener

Prenatal/Postnatal Vitamin: Garden of Life Vegetarian Prenatal Vitamin Supplement with Folate, Iron & Probiotics

Stool softener:  Colace

Hair Healing Ointment: Aquaphor

Back brace: 1) Postpartum Belly Girdle Wrap 3 in 1 Support Recovery Band    2)  Copper Compression Recovery Back Brace

Magnesium: Garden of Life Magnesium Powder

Epsom salt: Epsoak Epsom Salt

Panty Liners: Carefree Scented Thin Liners

Good pillow: MyPillow 

 

Download my ultimate list of postpartum recovery essentials!

The checklist includes everything in this post PLUS some extra items to add further comfort for you!

Don’t feel like you need to remember all of these items, instead of download the list so you know for a fact that is getting all of the items you need for a quick and easy recovery!

There’s nothing worse than being in pain and feeling uncomfortable and you don’t have anything to bring your relief. Let me help you recover easily, quickly, and in the most pain-free way so you can feel better in the blink of an eye!

Download the Postpartum Checklist now!

 

I hope I was able to prepare you for these shocking postpartum body truths as well as give you some tips to help you heal faster!

Have any tips that you used to help your postpartum recovery go smoothly? Let me know in the comments below!

Keep Going! Read more #MomLife Tips & Hacks!

• Conquer Postpartum with these Ultimate Essentials to Help You Heal Quicker and Pain-Free!
• The Best Survival Tips to Improve Mom Mental Health
• 7 Killer Mom Make-Up Products

Please know I am not a doctor or medically trained. All tips and advice given is based on my own experience and given to me by my own specialists and doctors. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your doctor. This post is solely to offer encouragement from my experience and not designed to offer medical advice or treatment.

Ever had a goal, started it, and then forgot about it?? You are not alone! The hardest part of any goal is actually going through with it. But the best way to reach your goal is to work at it daily- no matter how big or how small it is!

There are 3 ways to reach your goals fast and actually keep them: make action steps for each goal you have, create habits to help you accomplish those action steps, and stay motivated!

By doing these 3 things you can easily accomplish each of the goals you have!

Don’t forget to actually WRITE DOWN your goals! Writing down your goals is the key to success—no seriously! It is proven that you are 3 times more likely to achieve your goal is you write it down! Crazy right?!

Use my FREE #MomGoals 2021 Goal Planner to write down each of your goals you have for the year and even for each month!

Get your free goal planner now!

Let’s get down to business!

3 Ways to Actually Reach Your Goals and Keep Them

1. Make Action Steps

I feel that action steps are the secret key to reaching your goals!

Action steps are the steps or the plan of action that you will do to actually achieve that goal.

For example, if your goal is to lose 10 pounds then some of your action steps will be to cut carbs, exercise 2 at least times a week, drink more water, etc.

Without an actual plan for each goal, your goal is sure to be a bust.

To make lasting action steps for each of your goals, you want to think of the goal and think of the realistic things you have to do to reach your goal.

The hardest part of a goal is to actually keep it and do it- so to make this part easier the best thing to do is write down your goal and each step you want to take for that goal.

My FREE #MomGoals 2021 Goal Planner is designed to help you write down your action steps for each goal that you have for every month of the year! Be sure to download it now!

2. Create habits

The next thing you want to do to reach your goals is to create habits that align with your goal.

To keep the same example as above, if you want to lose 10 pounds then some of the habits you would want to start is to eat out less and buy fresh food ingredients.

Your habits and action steps will begin to coincide and your goal reaching will feel less like a battle and more like a lifestyle!

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Creating actions steps and making habits to achieve your goals will help your goal reaching feel less like a battle and more like a lifestyle!” quote=”Creating actions steps and making habits to achieve your goals will help your goal reaching feel less like a battle and more like a lifestyle!”]

3. Stay motivated

The next way to reach your goals is to STAY MOTIVATED! This, in my opinion, is the hardest thing to do.

You want to keep yourself motivated and on track for each of your goals. Here are some ways you can keep yourself motivated:

• You can write motivational quotes and inspirational quotes on sticky notes and stick them your bathroom mirror or on your closets.
• Set a reminder on your phone of some of your daily habits and action steps for your goals.
• When you feel exhausted and overwhelmed- take a step back and breathe and know it’s okay to change some of your action steps.
• Make a “get motivated” playlist and listen to it at least once a day.
• Take a few minutes a day to work on your action steps. Maybe even plan out 15 minutes in your planner to focus on that goal!
• Have an accountability partner who can help you stay on track and stay motivated!

Self-motivation can be hard but it all starts with your mindset. Keep yourself encouraged, have confidence in yourself! All success and failure start with knowing that YOU CAN DO IT!

GET YOUR FREE #MOMGOALS 2021 GOAL PLANNER NOW!

The Free #MomGoals 2021 Planner is designed to help you:

• Brainstorm the goals that you want to achieve that month
• Plan your monthly goals
• Achieve your monthly goals by helping you create action steps
• Complete your goal action steps with easy to use trackers
• Plan your month at a glance
• Create an attainable “to-do” list with prioritized sections
• Make goals for not only yourself but your children and spouse
• Write your notes for the month so you never forget to do anything!
• Help you break down all of the goals you want to accomplish in 2019 in an easy to accomplish way!

The MomGoals 2021 Goal Planner is a 24-page printable calendar workbook to help you master your goals this year! Start the year off right with creating, tracking, and accomplishing your goals!

The awesome thing about this planner is that you’re not just making a bunch of goals all at once, but you have the option to create new goals each month or break up your list of annual goals month to month so you’re not overwhelmed with everything you want to accomplish this new year!

So, there you have it! Don’t forget- the 3 ways to actually reach your goals is to make action steps, create habits, and to stay motivated. I know it’s really easy to SAY but the effort that you put into it will be SO WORTH IT!

Want to learn more about how to make, keep, and accomplish your goals?? Check out this post here!

Happy goal setting and goal achieving!

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Inside: Want to know how to finally keep your new year mom goals? Keep reading for the ultimate tips!

Last year,  I swore I would change.

I wanted to be more energetic, more patient, more organized, and healthier.

But it was January 25th and I was sitting on my couch, completely frustrated, with dark circles under my eyes, eating Ben and Jerry’s out of the container– basically, I was still a hot mess.

It didn’t even take 2 weeks for me to forget about my new year’s goals!

But instead of feeling like a complete failure, I learned a very important lesson.

Goals are more than just writing down things that you want to do.

The key to accomplishing your new year mom goals is to make goals that are attainable, create habits that are easy to achieve, and to track your action steps and progress.

Most of the time when we want to accomplish a goal we start out strong and then slowly forget to finish or find that the goal was too hard to achieve.

But you want to create goals you KNOW you want to achieve and then actually PLAN to achieve it.

I found out the hard way that a goal without a plan is basically a wish- it only comes true unless you work for it. (Or you somehow find a fairy godmother!)

Accomplishing goals take a lot of work but you can most certainly achieve anything you want by putting your heart and mind into it!

Get my FREE #MomGoals 2023 Planner

Truly accomplish and plan all of your new year mom goals with my awesome, totally FREE Mom Goals Planner!

The planner is designed to help you plan and achieve all of those amazing goals that you have.

Create your goal, plan your goal, track your goal, and accomplish your goal all in one place for every single month of the year! Download the free #MomGoals planner now!

So, let’s get down to it and talk about the awesome step by step process of creating, keeping, and accomplishing your new year goals!

Who has some new year goals that you want to crush??

I do, I do!!

How to Make, Keep, and Accomplish Your New Year Goals

Create Awesome, Attainable Goals:

The key to actually keeping goals is to create attainable goals.

Goals that are possible and reachable.

You want to think of things that you want to accomplish this year, things that you have tried and failed at or new things that you would like to achieve. Make sure to choose goals that are actually reasonable to complete, and not things that you know would be absolutely impossible.

For example, an impossible goal would be to fly a plane- meanwhile you have no intention of ever taking a class or learning to fly. I know this sounds like a silly example, but you get the idea!

You want to create goals that are attainable and achievable, even if that means it’s going to take some strong determination and willpower.

But also, don’t sell yourself short! Just because you want to create attainable goals doesn’t mean that you can’t dream big and choose big goals! As long as you have a plan of action to achieve your goal and KNOW you can do it- then go ahead and goal big!

Write down your goals

Another super important tip to keep your new year’s goals is to actually WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS!

Did you know that you are 3 times more likely to complete a goal if you write it down?? Crazy right!

That’s why I created the #MomGoals 2023 Goal Planner- to help you write down your goals, track your goals, create action steps that lead to habits, and actually accomplish the goals you wrote down!

Get my FREE #MomGoals 2023 Goal Planner Now!

How to Keep Your New Year Goals

Once you created your new year mom goals and wrote them down, it’s time to keep them! I know, the hardest part!

Fun Fact: Did you know that people who set goals are 10 times more successful than people without goals?!

Be the percentage of people who are 10 times more successful and keep your goals! The key to keeping goals are action steps.

Action steps are the steps or the plan of action that you will do to actually achieve that goal.

For example, If your goal is to lose 10 pounds then some of your action steps will be to cut carbs, exercise 2 times a week, drink more water, etc.

Action steps are the number one thing people forget to do when they create goals! It’s all fine and dandy to create awesome goals, but don’t forget to actually keep them and make a plan of action to complete them!

Your goal is not going to be miraculously accomplished without putting some work into it. That’s why its called a goal!

My #MomGoals 2023 Goal Planner is designed to help you create your goals and then form a plan of action steps for each of your goals! So be sure to download it below!

Time to Accomplish and Crush Those Goals

Once you have created goals, wrote them down, and formed action steps to complete that goal then you will definitely find yourself accomplishing those goals!

Accomplish those goals throughout the year by using your action steps to create habits! Track your action steps and even adjust them as you go. Not all things are going to work at first so be sure to give yourself some room for growth and change.

Download the Free #MomGoals 2023 Goal Planner Now!

The Free #MomGoals Planner is designed to help you:

• Brainstorm the goals that you want to achieve that month
• Plan your monthly goals
• Achieve your monthly goals by helping you create action steps
• Complete your goal action steps with easy to use trackers
• Plan your month at a glance
• Create an attainable “to-do” list with prioritized sections
• Make goals for not only yourself but your children and spouse
• Write your notes for the month so you never forget to do anything!
• Help you break down all of the goals you want to accomplish in 2023 in an easy to accomplish way!

The MomGoals 2023 Goal Planner is a 24-page printable workbook to help you master your goals this year! Start the year off right by creating, tracking, and accomplishing your goals!

The awesome thing about this planner is that you’re not just making a bunch of goals all at once, but you have the option to create new goals each month. It can help you break up your list of annual goals month to month so you’re not overwhelmed with everything you want to accomplish this new year!

Of course, not all goals are going to be easy to accomplish. But with these steps, you can accomplish any goal that you put your mind to!

Happy goal setting!