The simple ways to honour your  body for post-birth recovery.

Nathalie Soulis the @thebyrondoula joins us at M. Magazine to talk about the simple ways we can include ways to nurture a recovering body post-birth.

"I am a mama of three beautiful boys with ages ranging from newborn to teenager. For the past 13 years I have dedicated my work to supporting expecting parents through pregnancy, birth and parenthood. As a Birth Doula and Aware Parenting Coach I work both in private practice in Byron Bay as well as virtually with families around the globe. Originally from Germany (my Dad is Guatemalan), I have been residing between Byron Bay and Berlin for the past 17 years with my Australian partner André who is an
artist/ painter. "

How do you utilise your very own instinctual motherhood skills, and help other new mums enter into motherhood?

I have always been a very intuitive person so relying on my motherly instincts has always felt natural to me. Through my own journeys of bringing three babies into the world though I have also learned that it’s important to not only tune into your intuition as a parent but also know when to seek additional support or professional help whether for feeding, sleep, health issues or general parenting. 

In the perinatal period both parents and babies needs are high so they deserve all the support they can get. My job is to inform parents about their options and choices during pregnancy and birth and help them create their very own support network to be in place for the parenting journey ahead. I help them navigate all the ups and downs as well as all the small and big questions that arise during this momentous life transition. It’s important to me that no matter what they need to navigate they feel informed and empowered every step of the way.

Breastfeeding those first few hours / days post-birth - any tips / guidance for a new mum?

Breastfeeding preparation starts in pregnancy. It’s important to understand how to get a good deep latch and what to expect in the early days and weeks. It’s also vital for partners to understand how they can support the (breast)feeding journey. I highly recommend attending a breastfeeding preparation class and also finding some local IBCLCs in case you need in-person support after birth. Having some useful breastcare products at hand (ie. I love Mammae's range) is also very helpful to promote healing and comfort postpartum as your body becomes used to the demands of breastfeeding.

What are some crucial things to do to help your body recover post-birth?

Honouring the ‘First Forty Days’ and creating a Postpartum Sanctuary for your yourself and your family.

Creating a Postpartum Plan is as important as doing your Birth Planning antenatally.

Creating a Meal Train so friends and family can nourish you after birth and calling in household help is so beneficial for your own physical recovery and emotional adjustment.

If we feel held, nourished and loved in the postpartum period everyone benefits. Tending to the mum is tending to the baby. It is such a special time that you will never get to experience again so why not spend some time planning and preparing for this? A new mum’s only two jobs after birth should be to fall in love and bond with her baby and to learn how to breastfeed. Ideally everything else will be done by others such as the partner, doula, family members, friends or hired help. How you enter into motherhood will shape the next few years of your life so it really pays off investing in your own wellbeing during this time. You deserve it!

Your 3 favourite post-birth products?

All the lovely breastcare products from Mammae, your leakproof bras of course and the most nourishing foods and supplements to support physical recovery. This will look different for different people but I personally love working with my Naturopath for a tailored approach to nutrition and supplementation.

Aside from her recommendations I also swear by Imbibe’s collagen powder for post-birth recovery and skin health/glow as well as some organic whole food protein powders (for example from Sol Cleanse) for those nightly hunger pangs while breastfeeding.

Love the saying you have on your journal "There is no such thing as infant sleep, there is no such thing as breastfeeding, there is only breastsleeping." James McKenna. Can you explain this to us in a little more detail.

 This essentially sums up that Mother and Baby are a dyad.

There is an intricate interconnectedness that we are only starting to fully understand the implications of. In summary Mother and Baby’s biological blueprint and expectations have not changed since the beginning of humanity however our cultural expectations of how babies and mothers ‘should be’ have changed dramatically over time. Our culture has some interesting but often unrealistic ideas around topics like newborn behaviour, crying and sleep which has little to do with babies’ actual biological needs for proximity, closeness and attachment. So I love the above quote because it normalises safe co-sleeping which is what a baby biologically expects and which is what provides maximum sleep for the mother too. It also promotes an extended breastfeeding relationship between mother and baby.

Simple meals to make at home
post-birth for fuel and recovery

Prepping some meals before birth is so helpful as there is such little time to cook once baby is on you 24/7. I also love having healthy snacks on my bedside table as breastfeeding makes you even hungrier than being pregnant!

My go to simple meals are any nourishing whole foods that provide protein, iron and healthy fats such as eggs, avos, green leafy veggies, fruit and veg of any kind, legumes, grass-fed beef and free range chicken, etc.

Simple is best so whether it’s some scrambled eggs on a wholemeal sourdough or avo toast or a smoothie or yoghurt with fresh berries, nuts and seeds. Anything that provides healthy fuel for your recovering body and keeps your blood sugar stable. I also love starting my day with a cup of chicken bone broth to nourish my gut and provide some extra collagen. Having your freezer stocked with veggie frittatas, slow cooked beef/chicken or veg stews and soups is also super helpful for postpartum nourishment.

Routines / sleep schedules - what are your tips for following baby's cues instead?

In the first 4-5 months there is no such thing as schedules and ‘bad habits’ because newborn baby’s sleep is linked to their brain development so there is no point in trying to implement anything rigid because they are simply too immature and their main biological drive is for closeness and attachment. So just go with your baby’s flow and needs and try to enjoy this freedom and that every day will look a bit different. You can have a nap and bedtime routine but a regular nap schedule won’t naturally emerge until closer to 5-8 months.

I see a lot of parents becoming very stressed out about all of the sleep advice out there so I always recommend sticking to your instincts, understanding normal infant sleep biology and consulting with a holistic sleep coach if you feel you need it. Someone who respects the mother-baby dyad and bond. 

Generally speaking it is helpful to understand your baby’s tired cues so you know when it’s time for a nap again. This tends to work better than just looking at the clock. It’s also useful to learn about your baby’s developmental stages so you can anticipate sleep changes and keep an eye on number of naps and how they change in the first year of life. A big game changer for me was understanding Aware Parenting’s principles around baby’s sleep, crying and behaviour and how we as parents can support our baby’s innate stress-release mechanism to work with them rather than against their biology when it comes to sleep.

Your tips for recovering from a
c-section birth.

Know that you are such a superhuman for having brought your baby into the world in this way. It takes such courage to undergo abdominal surgery to bring your baby earthside - whether this was planned or unplanned. Working with a pelvic health physiotherapist after birth to learn how to regularly massage your scar and assess your physical recovery is probably one of the most important things you can do to help your body heal physically. Debriefing your birth with a midwife, doula or counsellor can help you heal emotionally if this wasn’t the birth you had hoped for. Again, calling in enough help after birth will be vital as you won’t be able to lift anything heavier than your baby in the first six weeks and even that can be challenging at first. So ensure you gather enough support around you so you can rest and heal and go at your own pace. 

Your personal advice / tips as a mum of 3.

You are amazing. You are enough. You are doing so much for others, make sure you give yourself that same love and attention so you can be a role model for your children and they learn that we all deserve time to ourselves and self-care and to do things that light us up from the inside. I don’t want to be a martyr and have my kids think that that is what you have to do as a parent. Have healthy boundaries for yourself and others and know that modelling this will be a gift for your child.

The importance of wearing a comfy bra as a breastfeeding mum?

The most important thing! I am very picky with the bras I wear when it comes to comfort and quality. Your hard working boobs deserve the best!! I also cannot overemphasise having a comfy bra that fits well to prevent blocked ducts which is something I have always struggled with. So I’ve been loving the super soft yet supportive Mumma Milla bras. Always having struggled with oversupply the leakproof quality is such a big plus!

How have you found the Mumma Milla leakproof bralettes?

I love the super soft feel and that they look so much better than your average nursing bra. Mine are on constant rotation day and night!

Shop them all here