Welcome to the R.U. Menstrual podcast where we dive deep into all things women's health to support you on your healing journey.

I'm Amanda Montalbo, functional and integrative dietitian, also known as the hormone healing RD.

If you enjoy this podcast and you want to keep learning, check out the podcast Patreon where I share a bonus episode with additional downloadable resources each week.

You can go to patreon.com forward slash hormone healing RD or check out the link in the show notes.

Okay, so we've had our episode on a Maya's birth story. Now I want to talk about tips for thriving postpartum. Now that I've

been through two postpartum seasons, but I'm thinking, I feel like you're postpartum forever, right?

Even when I got pregnant with Amaya, I was still postpartum with Eliana, even though I'd had her 13

months before that. I just want to go through a few areas that are helpful. I'll start with talking

about my postpartum experience and getting into the differences between the two. I think it's

important to recognize that your birth is in your pregnancy or going to impact your postpartum experience,

and it's okay to have your own experience. I think we compare so much as moms because we're

always trying to be better and say, how can I be a better mom and better wife and improve, at least

the majority of them and I talk to, that mindset, improving themselves, their health, all these

things, which is awesome. But it leads us into comparison a lot.

And that just makes you miserable. So I'm going to share two postpartum experiences.

Elianos was very difficult, but not the most difficult. Even going through it, I still

enjoyed postpartum, especially the initial time, even though it was very stressful. It was still

so special. She was my

first baby. I still enjoyed that time and we had so many moments of happiness. There was just

definitely you're in fight or flight for a lot of that when you struggle with breastfeeding and

stuff or any complication. I just think of traumatic birth experiences. Anyone that's had a C-section,

that is a major surgery. So just keep in

...