TIPS & TRICKS FOR POSTPARTUM RECOVERY 

for Mum, Dad & Baby (and some especially for Expats)

Most of it is good to have a look at while you are still pregnant - and especially "Body Awareness" is key in pregnancy already... 

• Body awareness for your back's and body's safety  - please do this until at least 3 months after birth (or better for life now ;)

1. Activating the fascial tissue of the whole body is very important after relaxing/sleeping/lying down, please do this BEFORE you get up or turn over... stretch yourself like a cat ;) 
   
2. When lying on your side do the turn over on all fours - great for late pregnancy 
3. Before you get up, roll on your side, get your knees closer to you and let your legs fall of the bed so that their weight will easily get you in a sitting position when you use your hand and elbow to support you - protects especially your lower back & neck 

• BEFORE BIRTH - FINDING A MIDWIFE. www.hebammensuche.bayern   and  www.hebavaria.de   and   www.fiami.de
• BEFORE BIRTH - BETTER POSITION FOR BABY FOR MAMA'S COMFORT & EASIER BIRTH   www.spinningbabies.com
• FLOWBIRTHING - German platform for conscious pregnancy & birth https://www.flowbirthing.de

• The early POSTPARTUM PERIOD is about 10 days medically necessary "lying in bed the whole day (and night)"  and the following also important chill-and-heal-phase to recover and settle in with baby (and breastfeeding e.g.) is about 8 weeks!  Please plan your baby-honeymoon for that amount of time, cause you do not know beforehand it might take less time or longer... so activate your village/friends/family ... so that you have a pot of soup in front of your door - and cake - and not someone who wants coffee and cake from you while admiring the baby...
• Longer support at home: Postpartum-Doula Care 
• or with help in the house & cooking  z.B.  www.allaboutyourbaby.de or at www.betreut.de   or Mamahilfe  https://muetter-fuer-muetter.net
• Center for Natural birth and being parents in Munich near Goetheplatz  (Zentrum für Natürliche Geburt und Elternsein)  with German, English and Spanish support and classes and doula agency  https://haeberlstrasse-17.de/en
• There are 2 Geburtshäuser  in Munich - the newest is In the West of München in Pasing - they also have courses and sessions prenatally & postpartum - English well spoken, just call!     Geburtshaus Pasing 
• Lots of info for expats and about having a baby in Germany and aftercare - worth browsing...       www.german-way.com      and       www.expatica.com/de
• Expat connections, groups, recommendations also in Munich, but worldwide    www.internations.org
• Postpartum massage at home or in the practices 2-12 weeks after birth
• Gentle biodynamic Cranio for Mama & Baby 
• Bengkung Bellybinding- to help with healing and Diastasis Recti - I offer it as end of a postpartum massage session or in the postpartum packages, also showing you how to do it yourself then for the next weeks...     to get an impression watch these English YouTube Videos  "2 Ways to wrap a Bengkung Belly Bind "by New Little Life  and "How to easily wrap a Bengkung Belly Bind yourself" by Willow Wisteria-  AND the easy, though not so effective German variation on that is the Kaiserschlüpfer, see below. OR also certain three part belts, ask your midwife or me.
  
• Lomi Lomi Nui  as powerful, regenerating massage ritual to come back to life - AFTER the Postpartum time
• Rebozo-Ritual "Closing the bones"  at your home or my practices AFTER the Postpartum time
• Specialist for Pelvic Floor and Diastasis Recti in Munich & Chiemgau - www.heike-gross.com 
• Physiotherapy specialized in pelvic floor issues and scar work near Ostbahnhof, Munich - www.quetschlich.com
• Also there are helpful exercises for the Rückbildung and for the recovery of Diastasis Recti (separation of the abdominal muscles) - but please check with your midwife  as well....   be really precise and careful, listening to your body wisdom and how you are feeling each day! And  important what NOT to do e.g.   - there some really good videos on Tabitha Gomes' channel on Youtube (also on Bellybinding and pregnancy workouts....) or Heidi Powell
• Also great: Bellydance for Pelvic Floor / Mama & Baby with Essence of Bellydance teacher  Wiebke - online   www.wiebke-tanzt.de
• Homeopathic remedy from your placenta or mothermilk for mum and baby/child: made from a small piece of your own frozen placenta... you can use it for the years to come, perfectly fit for you and your child non-chemical allround medicine made by specialized pharmacies like the  Odilien-Apotheke    www.apodil.de
• Translate, what your baby wants:  www.dunstanbaby.com and at YouTube "Priscilla Dunstan Oprah Show" 
• Bonding bath / Babyheilbad by Brigitte Meissner  www.herzensfaden.com 
  
• Oil for the recovery of the postpartum belly called Wochenbettbauchmassage-Öl and homeopathy to rebuild strength called Aufbaukur from German midwife Ingeborg Stadelmann in this shop     www.bahnhof-apotheke.de/produkte.html
• Helpful stronger support after a Cesarean birth - different models of underwear/pants also for pregnancy and vaginal birth    www.kaiserschluepfer.de   
• Take that with you to your birth / clinic: nursing pads e.g.  MultiMoms or maybe  "Silberhütchen"
• Food!! Special nourishing yummy Postpartum packages delivered to your home!! Tested by me...  Munich's MothersFinest and just vegetarian from Berlin MamaMuun
• Photos of your pregnancy and your sweet family by mom & photographer Carmen Bergmann, Studio near Rosenheimer Platz and special Babybelly & Newborn shootings!   https://bergmann-fotografin-muenchen.de
• Resilience & Resoucefulness for Birth - Birth preparation online - www.birthingfromwithin.com
• Parenting inspiration by lively Carrie Conley : Let's make you feel great about parenting! - English support/newsletter/online classes      www.carriecontey.com
• Instinctual Motherhood - Embodied movement - Food is Medicine - Slow Living : Support/Online classes/Club by Centehua Sage       www.centehua-sage.com
• THE BEST ENGLISH BOOKS FOR THIS TIME:
• My great book-inspiration for the principles of retreat, warmth, good food, rest, ritual :) "The first forty days: the essential art of nourishing the new mother"  by Heng Ou. -  :) 

• "The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality" by Kimberly Ann Johnson
  
• "Loving hands: the traditional art of baby massage"  by Frederic Leboyer
• "The Wonder Weeks: a stress-free guide to your baby's behaviour" by Hetty van de Rijt et al.   and for the mums "Back to you!" from the same team
  
• For BEFORE birth... Ina May Gaskin - THE midwife for natural birth tips and stories from her years of midwifery at the Farm: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth: Updated ed. & Spiritual midwifery & more...
  
• THE BEST GERMAN BOOKS FOR THIS TIME: 
• All around the postpartum time by a trauma-informed midwife  "Alles rund ums Wochenbett: Hebammenwissen für die ersten Monate nach der Geburt" by Viresha Bloemeke
• Baby's first year "Babys erstes Jahr: Alles, was wichtig ist; Entwicklung, Ernährung, Pflege, Schlaf" compact info by expert on development, crying and sleep Vivian Weigert. She has her practice in the Zentrum für Natürliche Geburt und Elternsein Häberlstrasse 17 in Munich-Goetheplatz 
• Babymassage "Schmetterling und Katzenpfoten: Sanfte Massagen für Babys und Kinder" by Margarita Klein 
• artgerecht-Serie von Nicola Schmidt for different stages like baby, toddler, siblings... What do you REALLY need?

My Recommendations for Osteopathy & Cranio in case of major medical problems & trauma (as I am not a naturopath)

• Ostbahnhof:  Maria Mayer - www.maria-mayer-osteopathie.de - Naturopath, Physiotherapist, Osteopath
• Moosach: Stefan Rieth & Team - www.stefanrieth.com - Osteopath for possibilities & development & balance for babies & children (& parents), also online courses, birth preparation
• Neuhausen: Sabine Hippel - www.sabine-hippel-osteopathie.de - Naturopath & Osteopath for adults, babies & children
• Goetheplatz: Rainer Kern  - www.heilpraxis-kern.de - Naturopath for Craniosacraltherapy & Trauma-Work, Specialists for BabyCranio
  
• Schwabing: Stefan Mörder  Tel.0179-5047949 - Naturopath & Osteopath with focus pregnancy & baby
  
• Schwabing: Sabine Huber - www.waves-of-health.de  -  Naturopath & Osteopath with biodynamic focus all around women and babys
  
• Rotkreuzplatz & Landsberg/Lech:  Uwe Baumann - www.cranio.net - Naturopath & Biodynamic Craniosacraltherapist, recommended by midwives for birth preparation and after birth, mama & baby
• Oberföhring:  Stefanie Kriesl  - www.stefanie-kriesl.de - Practice for Physiotherapy with Osteopathy
• Trudering: Ines Dommaschk Tel. 0171-6923800  - Osteopath, Specialist for mama & baby
• Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn: Anja Hillgärtner   www.die-ruhe-in-dir.de - Naturopath & Craniosacraltherapist, Trauma-Work
  
• near Pfaffenhofen/Ilm: Karen Spradley - www.karenspradley.de - Bodyoriented Psychotherapy. Systemic Therapy for Famillies, Trauma-Work, Craniosacral in pregnancy, postpartum and mama & children