Best Ways to Support a Postpartum Mama

[@christinawatkinsyoutube]

the first few seconds, the sisters and mama together in the kitchen, what a joyful moment 🥹🥹🥹

[@alexathena568]

Not taking postpartum seriously is such a common thing for first time mamas! I know I was the exact same. The pressure of the world to have people over, to get your body back, to be out and about, and get on like nothing major has happened is SO real and so damaging to our bodies. Second time around I took it sooooo easy for a month and my recovery was night and day better. Way less physical pain. Better nursing journey. Better sleep. The list goes on and on. Great video, Milena! Let’s keep spreading this lost wisdom to mamas about postpartum and homemaking.

[@alyssastorey3844]

We are on baby number 3 who will be here hopefully within the next 1-2 weeks! I didn’t take care of myself at all with my first baby. Didn’t even get to shower for over 3 days. Everyone wanted to come over and see her and hold her because we were the first in our families and friend group to have a baby. Cue postpartum depression and anxiety!! Never got a grasp on nursing her either because we were always hosting people and passing her around. Baby number two came 22 months later and I was committed to laying in, not letting people over everyday, and hiding him under my nursing cover if I wasn’t comfortable handing him over. It was a strict 2 weeks of skin to skin! I LOVED it and our breastfeeding relationship thrived. Baby number three is coming soon and this time I made easy, high protein freezer meals and my friend is setting up a meal train for us. I plan on being half naked on my couch cuddling my baby for 2-3 weeks is while daddy takes over the other kiddos.

[@PenelopeG96]

I’m also having baby 3 in hopefully two weeks! 😅

[@carmenharbin]

Thank you for sharing your experience♥️. I’m stealing that “hide the baby under the nursing cover” hack. Baby #2 will be here late May, Lord willing!🙏🏽💗 Praying for a safe and peaceful delivery for you!

[@beccaparker1752]

“Half naked cuddling my baby on the couch” I love it!!! Enjoy your postpartum journey with #3! That’s my postpartum goal too,I’m also having my 3rd in 1-2 weeks 🥰

[@sarahp3144]

I’m also having Baby 3 in less than 2 weeks God willing! EDD 3/18. God be with us all!

[@mrsjjacobs]

Milena, you are so very blessed with your family. I have two sisters AND a mom, but I am not able to have a godly, close relationship with any of them. Please pray that God would bless my life with friends and people to replace that desire in my heart for family. Blessings from Nashville ❤️

[@histamiiini]

Praying for you! I trust that God will answer your prayer and build a community around you! I’m praying for the same for myself, to have close believer friends around to share life on a daily basis.

[@alyssastorey3844]

If you want to love on your mom-friend: 1.) Offer to pick up a meal for her, cook her a favorite meal, or send her a door dash gift card 2.) Bring her/door dash her coffee or a coffee gift card 3.) If she has other kids, offer to have a play date with them while she lays in with her newborn!!

[@amberbrad8068]

As someone with 3 kids - yes, 100% to all of these!

[@faiththinguri5896]

As a single girl living alone i already do this or else I'd live on popcorn, good to know it's good prep for the future. FYI...Potatoes don't freeze well unless you parboil they turn black in the freezer, i saw them in one of the freezer packs you made. ❤

[@ayannabrinae5869]

Im not a mom yet but i have been really enjoying your mom content it really inspires me for when i become a mom someday ❤

[@reginayoggerst97]

Awww little baby in the background🥹 so sweet

[@rachael6927]

I'm 5mo PP and just want to share the foods I LOVED that were easy to prepare ahead and freeze. 1. Chicken Congee (Made with Lau) 2. Pork meatball soup (Weston A Price) 3. Savory ham/cheese/jalapeno muffins 4. Creamy Chicken Curry (Chef John, food wishes) 5. Meatloaf or meatballs (bonus if it has hidden liver, so healthy for post partum) 6. Sausage egg and cheese sandwiches

[@elisabethcuningham3526]

Ooooohhh I’ve never made congee with chicken before! I usually do it as breakfast with a soft boiled egg and broth and veg, or for a quicker snack/breakfast with a dash of milk and a blob of jam for flavor. With chicken is it more of a dinner dish? Also I love seeing someone else into the WAPF!

[@lucynichols1971]

Baby #2 on the way, and LOVING this prep content from a seasoned mama. So encouraging. So helpful. So practical. Thank you! ❤️

[@ShesRedeemed]

I’m so happy to see mama mandelli (that’s what I call her 😆) in this video! You and Melanie have such a beautiful relationship with your mom.

[@histamiiini]

Goodness I LOVE everything you are posting Milena! You model what godliness is as a woman, a wife and a mother. It’s great that God has set resting on your heart this time around, it is such a blessing. Also it prevents pp depression, being able to enjoy time with your baby fully.

[@jordanlusk-hunt7917]

Planning to do the same in the next 2 weeks so thank you for the inspo! With our first we had a military move 3 weeks after she was born from Hawaii to maryland and brought her home to an airbnb that's stove wouldn't boil water and oven would burn everything. This time around I am so thankful to be able to nest and prepare and really nourish my mind and body. I struggled with PPD after my first and ik it all started with those first weeks of stress and anxiety. ❤ thank you for sharing pieces of your story.

[@canelareina3795]

Ladies, put on your nightgown at 4:00 and don't do any housework. No more cooking. No laundry. If dishes are dirty, put them in the 'fridge for tomorrow. Just chill. This is an excellent tip for women who have easy recoveries. We can go for walks, and do housework, but this schedules out time for us to rest, as well.

[@SimplySami13]

i love this ❤❤❤ 8 weeks postpartum with my first baby, wish i did more prep but my family and friends came through with fresh meals at my doorstep! such a huge blessing! i did the 5-5-5 rule and it was so healing! such a beautiful time soaking in all the newborn cuddles 🥰 i can’t believe my baby is coming out of the newborn stage as of today.. my heart aches and i wish i can rewind time and go back ❤to

[@alyssastorey3844]

I’m commenting too much lol. Another option with the popsicles are gummies. I made a huge batch of electrolyte gummies recently that I’ve been enjoying for the end of pregnancy, might use during labor, postpartum, and my kids love them. I do 1 cup water, 2 tbsp grass fed gelatin (source of protein and glycine btw!!), a scoop of flavored sugar free electrolytes (I use ultima), a squirt of lemon juice, a squirt of trace minerals, and Stur for more flavor! Leave it in the fridge for at least an hour. I cut mine into cubes but you can use gummy molds if you want to be cute

[@Melaniemayday]

Thanks for sharing this 😊

[@adriana5983]

Milena plsss put ur old videos back up❤️ I watched you years ago but I hadn’t been able to catch up due to personal events. Would love to catch up to where u are now!!

[@leonelaportillo9652]

Thank you for the ideas to help other mamas ✍🏼 My cousin is due in about a month and she lives like 5 hours away so I will be blessing her with one of those ideas 🙏🏼

[@leonelaportillo9652]

Milena thank you so much for doing this video, I know I will definitely be doing this when I am close to having baby to prepare cause this is my fourth pregnancy idk how ima do it with four kiddos , just trusting the Lord 🙏🏼

[@Adriana.Martinez.]

This video is such a precious gift, it can help so many. Thank you Milena

[@makennaerickson886]

Thank you so much for this! Praying for a safe and blessed labor, delivery, and postpartum period! ❤

[@gembets]

You’re lucky you have family ❤ one could wish.

[@megandcalebvlogs]

Friend just had her second baby via c section and I was looking for ways to support her In her healing and this came at the best time!

[@HillsCo2006]

I’m 32 weeks pregnant with baby 🥲#8 and have started filling my freezer with meals and extra baking to bless my postpartum self! I have learnt a lot over the years of child bearing that rest is so important, so I’m glad you’ve realised it too! I read the book The First 40 Days, or something similar, and really agreed with how we should be caring for ourselves and other mums in the first few months. I rest as much as I can, the only thing I do is I go to church quite soon - usually the same week - after giving birth, only because church is our part of our life. Other than that I don’t do much. Enjoy these last few weeks - I’m not sure how far along you are, as I’m a new follower - and enjoy the wonder and joy of a new baby when you get there!

[@joannamalak1772]

The cheap zip lock bag holder off Amazon is amazing for this kind of meal prepping. I use it so much

[@sophiastudebaker6490]

I hope you can do the 5 5 5! It is so tough, I definitely get super antsy at certain points postpartum. For me, I know on the days I rested it did wonders for my body each time, when it came to healing postpartum!

[@gracie_co]

My best friend’s due date is tomorrow! Hoping to support her the best I can ❤

[@elisabethcuningham3526]

You’re such a good friend 😭

[@iamnotauser93ify]

Praying over the birth of your sweet rainbow baby Milena 🌈

[@yahnahlane6772]

I needed this! My baby is due at the end of May and I literally just gave birth last June. So I definitely want to load myself with nutrients.

[@leahgillette7508]

I am 7 weeks postpartum with my 1st and my biggest regret is not prepping healthy meals for my husband and I! Praying you have a wonderful birth and postpartum Milena🤍

[@boneetseseilane7397]

I get so excited when you post a video😅

[@margaretjanec8484]

Oh my goodness i started watching this without my glasses. At the beginning when it was a shot of you and your sister, I thought it was a weird editing trick where there were multiple of you. 😂😂😂

[@debchaffin]

i was sooooo waiting for this video because i am so close too!!! starting to prep this week 😅

[@Liv_G]

Love this video, Milena! This makes me so excited to start a family/ be there for friends who are starting their families too 🥹🩷

[@histamiiini]

I love that you want to bless others who are having their babies, if you don’t have kids of your own yet! I wish I understood that when I was younger and had a lot of time in my hands.

[@elisabethcuningham3526]

Any mamas on here who are binging the late pregnancy meal prep content, Farmhouse on Boone has some good recipes too! I love binging cooking videos when I need to do some major cooking lol

[@Pursuit_Of_A_Homestead]

This is so genius ! Preparing ahead of time was one thing I wish I did better with. Of course, the first baby I wouldn’t have really fully known what all to prepare but even afterwards with my 2 subsequent pregnancies I think I just sort of went with the flow and it got chaotic lol definitely suggest as much prep as possible to make life calmer and easier to adjust and can’t wait to hopefully help friends/family as they grow their families in the future the way yall are in this video. Plus it’s fun to get together and celebrate that season by prepping together so they don’t feel alone or overwhelmed…love this sense of community and togetherness 🥹🙌🏽❤️

[@quickasmr2781]

I was just thinking about doing this for a friend!

[@TheCandyxoxo1]

Milena, can you make a video on your daily diet ? Are you still getting flare ups from ulcerative colitis? My sister has a lot of inflammation & is exploring diets that will help.

[@angelicalorenzo1452]

QUESTION: please answer 🙏🙏 What do your children do when you do videos? I never hear them I have a 4, 2 and 10 month old their always around me and making noise Are they just away with dad or how do you keep them entertained for a long time 😅❤

[@rachelb6565]

It’s a voiceover she does it at night or early in the morning but the footage is recorded during the day

[@malindashumpert7956]

You always create the best meals, Milena. I want to try to make them myself 😋

[@Erin_29]

I wasnt prepared at all last year when i had our baby. I had a terrible labor and delivery. I chose unmedicated and that was a horrible mistake. I don't want another baby now because of what I went through....I had extremely bad PPD and PPA. I definitely wished that I would have had more help from my husband's family that live 20 minutes away....but they hardly helped. 😢 I don't wish on anyone what happened to me. I pray for amazing births for all woman!❤

[@histamiiini]

May God heal your wounds concerning your difficult experience. Support is so vital for a first time mum especially.

[@SimplySami13]

i feel you! i had an unmedicated birth as well and it was also very traumatic and i had ppd and ppa as well.. i wouldn’t change it though because i was firm on my choice to go unmedicated but you’re not alone and i hope you receive healing from your trauma ❤

[@ashleyirizarry-diaz6415]

I also drink my daily adrenaline cocktail but I use coconut water and it’s so good!

[@Housewifeforhim]

Am I hearing little baby sounds in the background of the voice over?! 💘🙏🏻

[@yaramengert]

Timestamp everything ❤ 😅 👶👼

[@brittanymaloney2035]

No. She posted a bunch on Instagram today and she still has a bump

[@savedbygrace150]

Wow. Loved this!!! I’m not pregnant, not even married lol, but taking notes for the future. 😂

[@jessicacarlotohasegawa]

Is the baby 5 here already??? I can hear in the audio 🥹 I’m out of the Instagram so I don’t really know if she gave birth already or not. Blessings!!

[@bebas1080]

God bless sister❤

[@destinystar33]

Love you sista!

[@tlm182]

Why did you delete the majority of your past videos?

[@JayLouLou]

I find it so interesting how many ways there are to cut a bell pepper 😂

[@thearly1122]

when my milk came in PP i thought i was having a stroke... literally! half of my body went numb and it felt like an out of body experience. hormones are crazy.

[@emilyteffer4139]

Can you link all the recipes please ? Currently pregnant and these all sound so good to me

[@MilenaCiciotti]

I linked them in the description 🫶🏼 pin.it/4MMDZpAhc

[@sammipedroza6207]

Do you cook the food frozen or let it thaw first? The meals look great but I’ve never prepped full meals like that

[@boneetseseilane7397]

1st one here 🎉❤

[@stephaniedasilvaox]

Hey hey

[@gooseandroseimagery]

Heyyyy!!!

[@kyliegomez5147]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@lovelyberenice2]

❤

[@anagandara271]

When are you due?

[@GabrielaTorres-kh2mt]

early birdddd

[@gilmariesantiago5667]

Milena can you please tell me as a mom how aren’t you afraid of bringing more children into this ugly world?

[@MilenaCiciotti]

We have a podcast epsiode discussing exactly this! kzbin.info/www/bejne/govXlZmwedR9pc0

[@sarakalske9918]

Oh wow 🤩 I love the way you are preparing everything. Looks amazing 🤩 I’ll pray for easy birth to you. And also that you can rest properly in postpartum and enjoy every moment of it❤️

[@Erin_29]

I would answer with this: God wants us to fully surrender and trust in Him with our child's life. We are called to evangelize and grow God's kingdom here on Earth. 😊

[@SunYi-fi1is]

Because we arent to the ones to judge how things are. God is the one that knows ultimately, when you think this world is not going well, your life is dependent on fear rather than trusting God.

[@NoelCiancaglione]

THIS IS GOLDEN INFORMATION 🤍