Top parenting stories this week

• 1.  When do Babies get Teeth?
• 2.  Changing from Two Naps to One
• 3.  What Happens to Your Body After Childbirth
• 4.  Lower Back Pain after Baby
• 5.  Separation Anxiety

New Mom Survival Guide

Giving birth is tough on your body and your baby. Here are some surprising things you can do to help you both feel better.

by: Alison Dunn

iving birth is one of the most physically challenging experiences a woman can go through. And, with the excitement of preparing for the baby’s arrival, new moms sometimes forget that they’re going to need a little TLC too.

While most childbirth instructors give you a list of what to get for the baby, they often overlook a few items that mom might need for herself, says Joyce Mackay-Perry, a registered nurse from Ottawa, Ontario. Here’s her list of what a new mom needs to survive once the baby arrives:

1. Epsom salts to help you heal

Add these to your bath water to ease aches and promote healing. “Using Epsom salts will help you heal faster; it’s a natural ingredient that helps draw out toxins,” says Mackay-Perry. She recommends putting them in a bath to help heal hemorrhoids and stitches (either from an episiotomy or tearing), or even just to ease muscle aches and back pain. Be sure to ask for a sitz bath at the hospital and add the salts to that as well. If you had a caesarian section, however, you shouldn’t bathe until your doctor gives you the go-ahead.