You leave the hospital overjoyed with emotions. In the next few weeks, family and friends want to visit as you try to navigate your new role as a mother. Your mom brain is going at 100mph while you are in desperate need of sleep. You may be thinking of feeding windows, questioning every move you make, even wondering when your last bath was! It is a chaotic transition trust me, I feel you! One of the most important things is to prioritize YOU! When you have the responsibility of another human being, it is going to be a challenge to take care of yourself, but if you don’t, you could end up burnt out, stressed, overwhelmed leading to anxiety and/or depression.
WHAT IS SELF-CARE?
Self-care refers to any intentional actions taken to preserve or improve one’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It may include prioritizing activities that promote relaxation, stress reduction, and overall health. Self-care practices can vary widely depending on individual preferences and needs, but they often include activities such as exercise, healthy eating, getting enough sleep, engaging in hobbies, spending time with loved ones, practicing mindfulness or meditation, setting boundaries, and seeking professional support when needed. Self-care is essential for maintaining balance and preventing burnout in today’s busy and often stressful world. It’s about recognizing your own needs and taking proactive steps to nurture yourself, both physically and emotionally.
9 Self-care Tips for new moms
Prioritize your sleep
One thing you are going to miss a lot after giving birth is your sleep. Let’s be realistic- you won’t get to sleep a full night anymore (unless you have a nanny of course)! The trick is to sleep when the baby sleeps. Yes, that can be hard to do because when the baby sleeps, you are probably thinking of tackling the mountain of things on your to do list. If you can get an hour here or there throughout the day, that will definitely help you reset for the next time the baby is up and ready for you! Another tip is setting up a schedule with your partner. Have your partner and yourself rotate who wakes up for the baby during the night or maybe even set certain days of the week for who gets to have a full night’s rest!
Fuel your body
It is important to stay hydrated! So much is still going on inside of your body after giving birth, and in order for you to recover and heal properly, h20 and making sure you are eating properly is so important!
Accept the help
You may have the approach of wanting to do everything yourself because you probably did that prior to giving birth, but know that accepting help of family and friends can benefit you! If it is someone coming over to wash dishes, cook you a meal, or even watching baby for an hour so you can nap, accepting the help so that you can take a small break here and there will help you in the long run.
Find time for yourself
Have you ever heard that a bath or shower time could be your “me time”? Add on some relaxing music, turn off the lights and run some candles, and let’s just pretend we are in the spa for a bit! Besides a shower, if you have a hobby, interest, or just like watching a certain show on netflix. You can even have your partner or someone watch the baby for 10 minutes while you sit in your car, blast your music and even take some time to cry your feelings out! (Yes, this is what I do sometimes haha) Just make sure to do something you enjoy, even if it is for 10 minutes a day!
Connections
Reach out to family or friends. Continue to connect with others! There is definitely something about positive human connection that helps us get through the day! If you can find support groups for mothers, or even join in on motherhood classes with other moms who just had a baby, it will help you not feel so alone.
Exercise
When I say exercise, I do not mean to go run for a mile or lift weights like you did prior to giving birth. Of course you want to listen to your doctor’s orders. Start off by going for a walk outside in the sun, or even turning on some music to dance a little! Just get your body moving.
Self-compassion
Remember that you don’t have to have everything figured out right now. Heck, if i’m being honest, you won’t ever have everything figured out … .ever. Motherhood evolves just as you do and once you accept that you won’t have it all figured it out, you will feel much better! You get used to your new normal, and you also find a routine that sticks! Give yourself some grace, and realize that it is okay to make mistakes on this motherhood journey.
Check in with yourself
Ask yourself these questions: How am I feeling today? How is my body feeling? What am I grateful for? What are my needs today? How am I treating myself today? What are my goals for today? Check in with yourself to make sure you are understanding your body and emotions.
Seek professional help
Postpartum anxiety and depression is real! If you are feeling so overwhelmed, have feelings of anxiety that are causing you to not be able to get through your day to day function, do not hesitate to seek professional help. Professionals have effective treatments to help you feel better!
Remember that taking care of yourself is never a selfish thing! It may take a while to find your new normal again, and feel like yourself again. In my own experience, it took months to maybe even years in each pregnancy to feel like myself again. Doing these little things definitely helps me everyday! When you fill your own cup up, you are able to fill others (especially your baby). So taking care of yourself is the number one priority!
