Day #4: Fresh & Fresher

Focus of the Day

• Go outside in the fresh air at least twice a day.

• Drink a glass of water before every meal today. It fills the stomach and ensures that your body does not confuse thirst with hunger.

Background

Today, the keyword is "fresh".

To be fair, it is probably quite rare to say  "fresh" and  "new mother" in the same sentence. The sleep deprivation alone will put an effective stop to that! But here is the old saying "Fake it ’to you make it" definitely applicable.

Fresh air and fresh water help to give your body the best conditions to function optimally, so you are able to  let go and sleep when it (finally) is possible.

Walking outside with the baby in a pram is ideal for combining fresh air with exercise. Don't just stroll comfortably along. As soon as it feels okay in the pelvic floor, walk at a fast pace. Perhaps you can even insert a few short intervals of jogging or micro-running to get the heart rate up a little bit.

These intervals need not be more than 3 x 20-60 seconds to begin with. Bring a watch or use the timer in your phone to time the intervals. Between your "micro-jog intervals", you should walk briskly.

Remember your good posture while walking with the stroller: The shoulders should be down, your back  fairly straight and your core activated just a bit - then you are well on your way to becoming an even fresher mom!

Bonus Tip

In the summer months in the Northers hemisphere, sunshine help our bodies to form Vitamin D in our skin. Vitamin D is important for the body to absorb calcium.

Breastfeeding increases the need for calcium. Most people can cover the increased calcium requirement via a healthy diet, but if you do not eat (quite a few) milk products, you should take a calcium supplement of approx. 500 mg daily.

Research also shows that sunlight can keep winter depressions away - yet another good reason to take junior out for a stroll in the pram.