After you give birth, the work may be just starting. Adequate rest, nutrition, exercise and support are crucial.

So you have just given birth. Now what?

It is not unusual to spend so much of your focus in the last few weeks of pregnancy on preparing for labor, taking childbirth classes, reading books and putting the final stages on the baby nursery. What mothers seldom recognize is that their postpartum recovery could be a big challenge and might even present more challenges to her than the birth was. What are some of the pitfalls of recovery in the postpartum period and how can you prepare to manage this recovery time with ease?

Do nothing but take care of baby and yourself

When you return from your place of birth with your precious bundle, you might be tempted to start back into your normal routines of laundry, dishes and meal preparation. The fact is that your body needs time to heal physically from this very strenuous event that you certainly don't experience every day. Why would you be able to pick right up and do all of those everyday chores right away?

It is highly recommended that at least for the first week or two, that you stay in bed as much as possible, with your baby nearby for frequent breastfeedings. Let others help you with those other household chores, while you rest as much as possible.

Recruit Help for the First week

The baby's grandmothers can be a great source of help, as well as a sister or close friend. Remember that what these extra support people should be doing are all of those chores that you should NOT be doing such as cleaning, grocery shopping and laundry. As we have said above, your job as the new mother during your period of recovery is to simply take care of yourself and your baby.

There may be times when you could use some extra sleep during your recovery when your helpers could add a hand to watch the baby for a time. But whatever you do, remember that the heavy chores for the most part, should be accomplished by your helpers and holding and breastfeeding the baby is primarily mom's job.

If you do not have female relatives available to help you, consider hiring a postpartum doula. For more information about finding a postpartum doula in your area, go to the DONA website as well as comparing the roles of the postpartum and birth doula.

Sleep when Your Baby sleeps

Babies are notorious for sleeping during the day and being more wakeful at night. This routine can be a frustrating adjustment for new mothers as they are trying to recover. It is very important to sleep or nap as often as possible in the first few weeks postpartum until the baby gets into an easier routine. If you are up doing chores all day when the baby is sleeping, you will not have the energy to get through the long nights of wakefulness.

You can begin to help the baby make this adjustment to sleeping more at night but feeding her on demand during the day. Also when she does wake up in the wee hours of the night, keep your voice low and the lights off to avoid too much stimulation. Try to put her down for sleep as she is sleepy but not completely asleep so she learns how to soothe herself and fall asleep on her own.

Prepare Meals ahead of time

If you take the last 2 weeks of your pregnancy and prepare a few extra portions to store in the freezer each night, you will have an ample supply of meals that you can simply re-heat for this recovery time when you will not have the time or energy for meal preparation.

Other ideas would be to request meals from your local mother's community group, neighbors or church group. Parents may be able to hire special catering services that can provide a few extra meals for the new family. Catered meals is also a great shower gift to a new mother and father for the postpartum period.

Try to avoid too many last minute trips for pizza or other fast food. If you do not have time to prepare home-cooked meals ahead of time, try to find some healthy options in your local health food or grocery stores such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

Watch for Signs of Postpartum Depression

While most mothers have symptoms of postpartum "baby blues" pass after a few weeks, it can be challenging still during that time. Getting adequate rest, exercise, eating well and support from friends and family is crucial. If you are concerned that your symptoms are more severe or that they are lasting longer than a few weeks after the baby is born, here is a self-test you can take. Be sure to contact your health care provider as soon as possible if you suspect you might be experiencing postpartum depression.

See the complete series on Postpartum Depression.

What are some time or energy saving tips that helped you in your recovery period? Tell us about them on the forum.