Dr. Tiffany Wall DC | July 2025
We spend so much time prepping for a new baby and typically get showered with gifts for baby which is wonderful but we need to talk about YOU! We are going to talk about how to prep for the major transition of going from being pregnant, giving birth and the process of healing from birth as well as all of the changes that pregnancy brings to your body.
This first list is for those of you still pregnant as you prep for birth and early postpartum days!
- Go make some PADSICLES!! They are easy and trust me, feel amazing in those first several days. The “recipe” is below!
- Padsicles Instructions:
- Pads- preferably Maxi (disposable or reusable)
- Witch hazel 1-2 tablespoons
- Aloe Vera- preferably with no additives, remember this is in a very absorbing region of your body, generous amounts
- Unfold the pad, spread on witch hazel and aloe, fold it back up and stack in the freezer until after you give birth. Your vagina will thank you!
- Meal/Snack prep!
Prep some meals that are easy to pull out, thaw and throw in the oven(or go buy some). Get high protein and fat snacks to help fuel when the breastfeeding hunger hits! It is also perfectly fine for you to set up your own MealTrain so you can put specific allergies, sensitivities or preferences in the bio. It is not weird to do it yourself, people want to help with meals. Don’t know what Meal Train is? Check out this link (MealTrain). You can set up the frequency and a tentative start date and then wait until you have baby and edit to the day you want them to start.
- Decide and set boundaries with family and friends.
This might be a no-brainer for some and an unheard of concept for others. You get to decide when and for how long you have visitors and even if they visit, if they hold your baby. Some of you may be great with people coming over right away and back to back or your mom might come to stay for a few weeks. Some of you may choose to have no visitors for the first few weeks while getting settled as a family. If you need the reminder: it is okay for you to make your other family members mad that they can’t come meet the new bundle right away. This time is not about them. This is about what is right for your immediate family only! Everyone else can shove it.
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This next part are the suggestions for after giving birth!
- For the moms: Most of us easily fall into putting all our energy into caring for the tiny bundle that is our new baby (because they NEED a lot of attention and care). But Mama, SO DO YOU! Your body not only grew another human being, it changed to accommodate that growing baby. Now your body has the task of healing, not only from birth, but from ALL of the changes it made during your pregnancy. THAT. TAKES. TIME. And to be honest, a lot of intentionality. We see it all the time, moms coming in, sometimes years later, with issues stemming from pregnancy changes that did not return to pre-pregnancy status. We are NOT talking about “bouncing back” or “getting your body back”. We mean structure, posture, biomechanical accommodations your body made during pregnancy, returning to positions that make sense now that you’re not growing a tiny human. New Beginnings Chiropractic wants to provide you with resources, information and tools for this journey of recovery. It can take a FULL YEAR for your body to regain posture, muscle engagement etc like before. Be patient and have a lot of grace with yourself. Nutritionally, it can take 2 years to fully build back the deficiencies that are normal in pregnancy and to recover from the state of adrenal fatigue that happens by the end of pregnancy and birth. That is why you cannot be passive with your healing. Fuel yourself, love yourself and allow healing to happen well. We are here to walk through this phase with you, so if you have questions about anything, reach out!
- A rough rule of thumb for the first couple weeks after giving birth is 5 days in bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days near the bed. There are many moms who jump back into doing as much as they can really quickly because they feel like they have to. Trust me, that will slow your healing down and make it take longer for you to heal, not only in the nether regions, but the entirety of your body. There are also some moms that take this rule almost too seriously. Your body is designed to move and if you lay wonky in bed for 5 straight days, you might feel worse off than you should. Gentle range of motion of your arms, legs, back and neck will do you a world of good. I am not saying do jumping jacks, but on your way to the bathroom, stretch out your pecs by leaning through the door frame (find this stretch here). There is balance! If you have questions reach out, we’re here to help!
- So many of the dads or partners or supportive family and friends are begging for a list of ways to help. They can’t breastfeed and sometimes can’t comfort this new baby in your life. Here are some practical things they can do to help you on this journey to healing.
- Keep her fueled! Wherever she is feeding baby, make sure there is a full water bottle and a protein and fat filled snack within reach.
- Similar but different, meals! Plan them, make them, deliver them to her in bed if she wants. Nutrition in this phase is VITAL.
- PILLOWS– holding even a 6 pound baby up with just your arms will cause fatigue and soreness. There are loosey-goosey hormones for at least 6 months postpartum, so help her out by keeping baby propped on a boppy or all the pillows to help keep her upright!
- Change. The. Diapers. All of them. If you are home, you’re on diaper duty.
- Watch her standing posture. After being pregnant, she will tend to hinge back (see the below picture) while standing. Remind her gently to stand up over her pelvis. She will fatigue back into that position so it might mean hand baby off or time to sit and hold. She might not notice that she is doing it so help be her accountability partner. Again→kindly.
- Please know how important your role is. It might feel like you can’t do much in this, but know that the healing, growing, bonding is so much easier with a competent and participating support person. You make all the difference in this journey. So thank you!
You’ve got this! And for everything in between, we’ve got you! Use this link to access our resources page for anything from lactation support to mental health support to pelvic floor support. Even if it’s not chiropractic related we are here to help give you support and direction on this new adventure of postpartum! Remember it’s a journey, not a race; heal, rest, and take care of yourself!