What Not to Do After Giving Birth: 14 mistakes to avoid making

Last Updated on 03/02/2021 by Mama Must Have

As the days draw closer to your due date, you’re probably tired and ready for the baby’s arrival. You’ve prepped and planned, laid out your birth plan and then just wait until it’s go time. The focus has probably been on the delivery. If you are a first time mom you probably don’t know what to expect. While you’re busy prepping the nursery and preparing for labor, it’s important to remember to also prepare for the moments after the birth and the time spent at the hospital. Giving birth is something that you can’t be completely prepared for because each experience is different. Here are some lessons gleaned from giving birth and what not to do after giving birth in a hospital.

What Not To Do After Giving Birth At The Hospital

1. Don’t expect it to go exactly as you planned – Instead, hope for the best but plan for the worst. Try to not hold on too tightly to your birth plans because it’s very likely that things will have to change. If things don’t go as expected, show yourself some grace and be proud of yourself because you’ve just given birth! Take time to consider the alternative to your birth plan. This will help lessen the anxiety if things take a turn.
2. Don’t forget to eat – Instead eat up because you’ve just burned a heck of a lot of calories giving birth. You’ll likely be very tired and worn out but take some time to eat. The meal right after you give birth is one of the most glorious experiences, especially if you weren’t allowed to eat during labor. You will be famished. If you’re planning on breastfeeding, definitely eat that meal!
3. Don’t make plans for a lot of visitors – Instead, enjoy the time with your baby and support person(s). It might sound great to have your closest friends and family come to visit right away but you’ll be tired and probably sleep deprived. Enjoy this time with your new babe and no distractions. If you must have visitors, limit the amount that come and the time that they spend there. There will be plenty of time for visitors once you get home.
4. Don’t forget to take a shower – Instead, allow your body to receive the soothing relief of a nice hot shower. You might not want to think about a shower because you’ll be so tired and your body will be in pain but do it anyway. This will also give you a little bit of time to yourself to process what just happened and how life has just drastically changed for you. As a new mom, your daily showers just might become your place of respite.  
5. Don’t leave the hospital early – Instead, enjoy getting the extra help because things are about to get real when you get home. Nurses generally check in on you every 2 hours around the clock. While that may sound annoying and be annoying when you’re trying to get some sleep, they’re also very willing to do all the diaper changes and help in any way.
6. Don’t forget to take pictures – Instead capture these moments because this time may be a blur pretty soon. Let your support person know what pictures to take.
7. Don’t forget to ask questions and ask for help – If you’re a first time mom, this is all new and the nurses and doctors are there to help you. It doesn’t matter if you think the question is stupid, ask it anyway.
8. Don’t strain when it’s time for the dreaded first poop. – Instead make sure you’ve been taking your stool softener and when its time, use a little hypnobirthing technique to breathe your poop down just like you breathed your baby down! It quite likely that you’ll realize the poop wasn’t as bad as you feared it was going to be.
9. Don’t get overwhelmed by what’s ahead – Instead just enjoy what you have just accomplished and be present in the moment. You really just need to take it one day at a time because it’s going to be overwhelming at first.

What Not To Do When You Get Home From The Hospital

10. Don’t try to get back to everything right when you get back home – Instead, rest and let your body recover. There will be plenty of time to do everything later.
11. If you choose to breastfeed – try not to give up too quickly. Those first few weeks will be challenging because it probably hurts and your nipples will likely be cracked and very painful.  Do coat your nipples in lanolin or nipple butter, use a nipple shield while nursing to help ease the pain. Even consider pumping a few sessions in place of nursing because it may be slightly less painful.
12. Don’t jump back into a strenuous workout routine – Instead give your body time to heal. You grew a baby over a 9 month period, there should be no pressure on you to get right back into shape.
13. Avoid taking a bath too soon and avoid sexual intercourse – Instead…again, give your body time to heal.
14. Don’t beat yourself up if you need to breakdown and cry. You might have moments of wishing you could go back to your prebaby life. This is normal and it will pass.

Remember to take every moment in, the highs and the lows. Before you know it the birth may be just a blur and you’ll be smiling at yourself feeling proud of what you’ve accomplished and the life you’ve brought into this world.

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