After completing your pregnancy as a surrogate for you Intended Parents, you will need to allow some time to readjust. Your body underwent a wide range of changes, physically, mentally, and hormonally. After returning home, it is important to follow a postpartum health and fitness plan. This plan should help you regain your strength and energy and get back to the things you enjoyed prior to becoming pregnant.
Step 1: Allow Time for Recovery
It is perfectly normal to give yourself a few days to up to a week to just relax, rest, and not do anything overly strenuous. Most surrogates will several weeks off work or school after birth. Your body can be sore from giving birth, so recovery time will help.
Step 2: Address Your Feelings
You may notice your emotions swing from one end of the emotional scale to the other. It is perfectly normal to feel happy and upbeat one moment and weepy and sad the next after giving birth. The reason for this is that your hormones are once again changing after giving birth.
If you notice feelings of anxiousness, sadness, or depression are lingering for more than a few weeks, schedule a visit to see your doctor. Do not wait until your postpartum checkup. You may be experiencing a condition called postpartum depression, which is treatable.
Step 3: Meet with Your Doctor
It is important to follow up with your doctor with regular postpartum visits after giving birth. Your hormones are still often out of sync. You could be experiencing vaginal discharge, menstrual cramping, water retention, and other issues.
In addition, your body will have started producing milk, which could cause your breasts to become sore, tender, and even leak milk. Your doctor can help prescribe the right treatments to address these and other issues you may be experiencing.
Step 4: Adjust Your Exercise and Diet
During your pregnancy, it is not uncommon to cut back on exercise and change your diet for a healthy pregnancy. Now that you have given birth, you should start to slowly implement different exercises to get back into a normal fitness routine and schedule. For exercise, start with something easy like walking or swimming and slowly work back into more intense workouts.
You will also want to review your diet and cut out any added calories that you may have been eating while pregnant. Altering your eating habits and diet gradually is a good idea since it will make it easier to get back into your prior healthy diet patterns.
Most surrogate health and fitness recovery plans cover a period ranging from six months to up to a year. Many surrogates find the slow and steady pace is more beneficial and provides lasting results, rather than attempting to do too much too soon.
To learn more about how to be a surrogate for an intended family, or for help in finding a surrogate, please feel free to contact 3 Sisters Surrogacy at 877.976.9483 today!
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