Recently, I did an Instagram Live with Tara Whelan from Resilient Emotions. Tara is a GP practice nurse, mum of two, a Perinatal Emotional Well-being and a Havening Techniques Practitioner. In this live we discussed the importance of postnatal physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing and easy steps you can take to build these up.

Something that struck me during the conversation is that when we are pregnant, especially the first time, we are very good at treating ourselves well and allowing others to treat us well too, but then when the baby is born all of a sudden it can be like we no longer matter and everyone else needs come first. And while a newborn baby's needs are great for us to be able to meet those needs to the best of our ability we also need to have our needs met. 

Afterwards I was thinking about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and while Maslow has his critics I still feel its a helpful theory in most areas of life. If we consider the postpartum period often women's most basic physiological needs are not fully met. The need for nourishment (skipped meals?) , the need for water (where's that water bottle again?), the need for rest/sleep (hello newborn sleep timetable!) and the need for physical and health safety (lack of healthcare support when recovering from birth). When our basic needs are not met it makes it much harder for us to perform in the other areas of need. It makes it harder for us to focus on our relationships (including the relationship with our baby) and to to feel confident and happy. 

So if there is a take home form my musings it is that a mothers basic needs must be prioritised, just as much as a babies basic needs must be. If you are currently pregnant have you discussed a postpartum plan to ensure your needs are met? If you have a baby are your needs currently being met and if not what support can you access to change this? 

Tara has a lot of tips on this and you can watch the full recording here