Family LIFE
Tips on How to
Rock Your
POSTPARTUM
BY DR. AYESHA
PEETS-TALBOT
(especially if you’re
in the 30+ Club)
M
any women are having
babies when they are older.
The average age for first
time mothers is 26 years, up from 21 in
1972. As I write this I have four friends
who are pregnant and they are in their
late 30’s to early 40’s. I myself gave
birth for the third time at 38 years old.
I didn’t have the pleasure of having
kids in my younger years, and some-
thing tells me that having kids with a
30+ body is a bit different. I know that
the recovery phase would have been
easier with a younger body, especially
as I juggle my career and young kids.
What’s been most striking to me after
delivering my last child is that mom’s
don’t get a lot of mother-oriented care
tips. The main focus tends to be on
baby from the moment of conception.
I would like to share advice on how to
get yourself ready to have a baby and
also how to recover after your baby is
born. I found these tips helpful in my
pregnancy and after delivery (post-
partum). As a disclaimer some of this
advice is backed with scientific research,
some by common sense and others
by ancient tradition. If you have any
questions or concerns related to any of
these tips, please consult your trusted
health professional.
6
BERMUDA PARENT MAGAZINE
Tip #1 Decrease
Your Sugar Intake
Eating less sugar (carbohydrates) in
pregnancy and in the post-partum
period is helpful in many ways. Too
much sugar can cause an imbalance in
your hormones. For women, this often
means a decrease in estrogen and an
increase in testosterone. Your estro-
gen levels will naturally decline once
you deliver your baby, however, you
don’t want them to decline more than
they would naturally. If you are 35
years and older, woman the decrease
in estrogen can accentuate pre-meno-
pausal or menopausal symptoms,
such as, insomnia, vaginal dryness,
hot flashes and skin pigment changes.
Focus on eating lots of vegetables,
healthy proteins and good fats. I treat
my sugar cravings with snacks such as,
nuts, seeds and berries.