Christina Anstead’s important message for postpartum mamas: You need to be taken care of, too

Christina Anstead welcomed her third child—baby Hudson—three weeks ago, but she’s now back on bed rest after doing too much, too soon.

The Flip or Flop star shared the story on Instagram this week because she wanted to warn other postpartum mamas to take all the time they need to heal. Rest and recovery are vital after giving birth.

Anstead says that she had been feeling pretty great since about one week after her C-section, so she went pretty hard last weekend and is now regretting it.

“I threw Tay [her oldest daughter] a bday party and was lifting and running around all weekend…” she explained in an Instagram caption, adding that when she started feeling pain that only intensified she knew she’d hurt herself.

“It’s not the C-section incision area that hurts it’s my left abdomen and it hurts bad ;/. So please anyone who just had a baby- don’t [overdo] it. I always want to be the people pleaser in the family and make sure everyone knows how much I care about them—but in doing so I wasn’t taking care of myself. Back to bed rest and baby cuddles,” she writes.

A lot of moms can identify with what Anstead is saying. It’s hard for many mothers, especially those who already have older kids, to rest up after birth, but it is physically necessary. As Diana Spalding, midwife and Motherly’s Digital Education Editor and Birth Expert, has said, “You would never expect someone to clean their house a few days after having surgery, or to run errands when they are getting over the flu—so why do we expect ourselves to snap out of giving birth? Pregnancy and birth are not ailments, but they are the real deal. Be gentle on yourself, and allow your body to heal.”

Get some rest, mama!

You might also like:

• This viral picture proves why mamas need postpartum recovery time
• These birth photos prove how beautiful clear drape C-sections can be
• 14 celebrity mamas who are refreshingly honest about breastfeeding