Your midwife will be able to give you advice and support on your postnatal wellbeing, including eating healthily, vitamins, fitness and contraception.
The links below will provide you with information surrounding these subjects.
Nutrition
Our community nutrition section provides useful information about nutrition at all ages.
Parent Club
Being a new mum is an exciting time, but it certainly isn’t easy. All new mums experience a mix of emotions and changes as they get used to life with a new baby. Even at the best of times it isn’t unusual to feel low in mood, more anxious or both. Coronavirus has added a whole new thing to deal with. But there are lots of things you can do and support available to help you look after yourself. Remember, looking after your mental health is important for both you and your baby.
Maternal Mental Health
Over half of new mothers experience the ‘baby blues’ feeling low, anxious, and irritable. These feelings occur as your hormones are adjusting to not being pregnant anymore. Normally these feelings stop by the time your baby is 10 days old.
Postnatal depression is when you have the same feelings as above and feel unhappy, but these feelings may last for weeks or months after the birth of your baby. Depression can affect women in many different ways and can vary from mild to severe. You may have mood swings, overreact to things and burst into tears easily.
If you don’t feel right or if you have some of the signs of depression then speak to your midwife, health visitor or GP. Have a look at our Mental Health section (should be able to click here to go to page) to find out more about the support that is available in NHS Forth Valley.
Postnatal depression can be treated. It is important to speak to someone to find the right help and to get treatment as soon as possible.
- Postnatal depression (Mental Health Foundation)
- Women & Families Maternal Mental Health Pledge
Physiotherapy
Pelvic floor exercises can help prevent problems with incontinence and prolapse during pregnancy, after the birth and later in life. Information is available from the link below.
Buggy Walks
Buggy walking groups are available around the Falkirk and Stirling areas and are led by trained leaders. Buggy walks will give you the opportunity to get ‘out and about’ and chat to other new Mums.
Find out more about buggy walks in Stirling.
Smoke Free Homes
NHS Forth Valley are committed to making sure that children are protected from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. The link below will provide you with information to help keep your home and car smoke free.
- Take it right outside (NHS Inform)
Postnatal Contraception
Contraception is probably the last thing you think about when you’re pregnant, but it is important for you to think about it carefully during pregnancy while you have time and discuss the options with your partner. You can get pregnant again as quickly as 3 weeks after your baby is born – even if you’re breastfeeding and research shows that it’s much safer and healthier for both you and your next baby to leave at least one year before getting pregnant again. This allows your body to have time to recover from the pregnancy and birth and to give your next baby the best possible start.
Staff in the hospital or community will make sure you can access your chosen method easily and quickly, to allow you to start it as soon as possible after you have your baby.There are many choices of contraception – which you can start straight after your baby is born. These can include short acting methods such as depo provera injection or progesterone pill but also include longer acting methods – like the coil or implant. They are highly effective at preventing pregnancy and can be safely fitted immediately after birth, meaning fewer appointments afterwards and one less thing to think about.
Please see attached animation for more information. Your midwife will also discuss methods with you during the antenatal period and when you have decided upon which method you would like to choose this will be recorded within your electronic pregnancy notes. If you are undecided midwives will again be available to discuss in the postnatal period