Nothing can fully prepare you for labor.

After having gone through my detailed pre-labor checklist and doing all the birth preparation courses – which helped me feel confident in myself and my body’s ability to get through labor – one can never be entirely prepared for what can happen during birth. After all, it is called “labor” for a reason and was probably the hardest work I have ever done (next to raising a my child “alone” and away from family as an American living abroad in Germany). While it was not the birth experience I had planned, I managed to stay healthy both physically and mentally post-partum by doing a few simple things in my day-to-day life that had a huge impact on my recovery and overall well-being.

After 32 hours of labor, which ended in an emergency C-section, I knew that after giving birth I would need to spend time focusing on not only looking after my child but also on my own recovery. Here are some things I did daily that helped me heal and stay healthy post-partum both physically and mentally:

Went for Daily Walks!

I made it a point to go for daily walks. Though my daughter was born in January and the weather was not ideal, I tried to motivate myself to get outside every morning – even if it was for only 15-20 minutes. There is a lot of research out there that proves that getting sunlight and daily movement is beneficial both physically and mentally – and I really felt the difference in my overall mood when I went on a went vs. when I did not. I did try to set realistic goals with this and not push myself too hard at the beginning as I was still healing from my c-section and walking long-distances took some time.

Focused on Nutrition

In Dominican culture, we show our gratitude and take care of one another, especially birthing mothers, through food. Eating hearty, healthy, and protein-rich meals, especially during the first weeks post-partum was important for me and my recovery. I also made lots of homemade veggie juices (with small amounts of fruits to avoid all the sugar intake). Of course, time is very limited with a baby and preparing meals takes time and effort so I tried to keep the meals simple and not overcomplicated. Oftentimes, my husband and I tried cooking and freezing extra food to easily reheat later – specially on the days we were too tired to cook (there were plenty!) Focusing on nutrition helped me in my post-partum recovery and also helped me to keep up with breastfeeding.

Stayed Connected with Family and Friends

I called my mom and family every day. Not only so they can see the baby but also, so I can have some interaction and take a mental break from being in the “bubble” of motherhood all day. The motherhood load feels heavy sometimes so staying connected to my community of support – both near and far – was crucial for my recovery and health as a new mother. I would try to phone friends to catch up while my daughter was asleep and tried to focus the conversation on how they were doing. This helped me step away from my own “problems” and rather, discuss other topics outside of motherhood. On the days where I felt disconnected from the rest of the world (motherhood can feel lonely and all-consuming sometimes), calling a friend or visiting loved ones specially during the first weeks post-partum, helped me feel connected.

Bath Time Became a Daily Spiritual Ritual

We had a rule in our household that, when the other person would be in the bath, this was uninterrupted time for ourselves. Setting those clear boundaries – even with my own husband – gave me the space to be alone for a moment and relax. Even if I was in the bath for only 15-20 minutes, these minutes were precious for me. It was my time to disconnect, turn on a candle, play some spa music and have alone time. When you become a parent, you might come to notice how little alone time you have and when you do have it, you want to be able to enjoy it without interruptions. Alone time for me, became part of my daily ritual towards recovering post-partum and adapting to my new life as a mom.

Labor Recovery Course (die Rückbildungskursgymnastik)

Labor recovery courses or die Rückbildungskursgymnastik for birthing mothers in Germany are usually covered by health insurance. This is a type of post-labor exercise course you can participate in (both online or in person) once you have been cleared by your Gynecologist (typically 6 weeks after birth). I participated in my labor recovery course online as this was during COVID times and was led by a hebamme. The course I participated in ran for about one month (1x per week, about 1 hour each class, for a total of 8 classes). While this is not mandatory, it definitely helped me get back into the flow of working out and gaining physical strength.

While time is limited especially as a new parent, these simple everyday activities can have a meaningful impact. In post-partum and as a new expat parent living abroad in Germany, it has become increasingly important for me to carve out short daily rituals to take care of myself both physically and mentally. Whether that is taking the longer walking route to get those extra steps in or eating my fruits and veggies – these simple daily tasks have been essential for my recovery and have helped me stay healthy both physically and mentally. After all, parenting is a balancing act and prioritizing my health is important, specially during those first few weeks post-partum!

childbirth in Germanyhaving a baby abroadpregnancy in Germany