Embracing Self-Care: 10 Essential Ways for New Moms to Thrive

Embracing Self-Care: 10 essential Ways for New Moms to Thrive

Welcome to the incredible journey of motherhood, where every day is a new adventure filled with love, joy, and endless demands. As a new mother, embracing self-care may be the last thing on your mind. Amid the whirlwind of diaper changes, feedings, and sleepless nights, it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself.

Self-care is not only crucial for your own well-being, but it also positively impacts your ability to care for your baby. If you show up well rested and rejuvenated for your family, you’ll be ready to nurture your relationships, be more present with them, and be ready and able to better care for them.

THE CHALLENGES and controversy OF SELF-CARE IN THE NEW MOM JOURNEY

Unfotunately, finding time and space for self-care can feel like a huge challenge, particularly when you’re still adapting to the chaos of this new, incredible, and beautiful chapter in your life—your baby. It’s a period of adjustments to new schedules and routines. Not to mention sleep deprivation, transformations in your body, hormonal shifts, and the constant presence of a tiny, dependent human being. No wonder that new moms often find themselves overwhelmed and stressed.

The concept of embracing self-care can sometimes stir controversy among mothers. You might wonder, “Is it selfish to take time for myself?” Yet, as a mother, your role extends beyond nurturing, loving, and teaching your child; it also involves setting an example for them. Just as you wouldn’t want to watch your own child endlessly make sacrifices without caring for themselves, you, too, deserve time to yourself. By prioritizing your own well-being alongside your children’s, you demonstrate the importance of embracing self-care.

My Journey: Navigating motherhood without Self-Care

In my own experience, I didn’t take care of myself after my first baby. I barely ate and when I did, it was often food that was quick and convenient. Additionally, I was also in the midst of building a fledgling business and working a lot of hours shortly after my first baby was born. In the midst of all of these challenges, we decided we wanted our children close in age, so I was pregnant with my 2^nd baby by the time my daughter was only 10 months old.

Undoubtedly, not taking care of myself caught up with me during my 2^nd pregnancy. In that pregnancy, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I was highly stressed, not sleeping enough, and eating a lot of foods that weren’t nourishing my body.

Embracing self care as a new mom:

Due to my own personal experiences, I am passionate about new mothers taking time to take care of themselves. Here are some ways you can prioritize self-care as a new mom:

Go to bed as early as you can. If your baby goes to bed around 6:00 or 7:00 pm, go to bed around the same time in preparation for the night to come. However, if you have older children, you may not be able to go to bed so early. Currently, our little one goes to bed at 6:30 pm, but we often go to bed as soon as the other two children are in bed.
Let the house go for a bit. Keep up with anything absolutely necessary, but it’s ok to let other things slide. As you can financially, have a maid come in and take care of cleaning for you every couple of weeks. You’ll pick up new systems, habits, and routines on your motherhood journey. Don’t be afraid to revise your household standards.
Reach out to other new moms. Your child care facility, child’s school, or a local social media group are great places to find a community of mothers. Other moms could also use the support—you don’t have to be alone on this journey! Honestly, most people are afraid to reach out. You will be doing them a favor by being the one to take the initiative of starting the relationship. For example, my 6-year-old daughter has already figured out the keys to making a friend. Yesterday, on the playground, she shouted out, “Who wants to be my friend?” to about 6 other children. We should all be so bold! She got 4 takers on that offer and they had a blast! Put yourself out there and build some new relationships.

prioritize your health

Eat nutritious food and stay hydrated. As mentioned above, I had gestational diabetes while pregnant with my 2^nd baby because I didn’t take care of myself as a new mom. I know firsthand the importance of embracing self-care through nutrition and hydration. I’ve maintained good nutritional habits over the past 4 years, and I now have more energy than I did in my twenties!
Fit in walks with your baby. There’s nothing like being able to enjoy a beautiful walk with your newborn baby in the stroller. On these walks, find ways to ground yourself. Use your senses to see, hear, and feel nature around you and fully disconnect from the rest of the world.
Get your groceries delivered. This will ease your load and makes it easier for you to obtain real, nutritional food regularly. If you can’t afford grocery deliveries, schedule grocery pickups each week. I currently pick up my groceries each week and it’s been a huge time-saver!

practice mindfulness

Get inspiration. Read blogs 😊, listen to podcasts, get intentional exposure to the positive and do your best to avoid the negative. When possible, ignore sensationalized news media outlets and find inspirational content instead.
Sit down and have a cup of coffee or tea. In the mornings, I intentionally get up before my children to have a cup of coffee and read a book before all the chaos begins. A few times per week, I drink a cup of herbal tea after all the children go to bed. It truly is the best! Sometimes, however, I just go straight to bed after we get everyone else to bed.
Practice Gratitude. Take a few minutes each day and write down at least 3 things you are grateful to have in your life. Practicing gratitude regularly changes how you view the world. Since I’ve made gratitude a regular part of my life, I’m much happier, content, and I see the world as a place of opportunity instead of negativity.
Show yourself some compassion and be patient with yourself. It’s okay to ask others for help sometimes or take breaks when needed. And most of all, avoid comparing yourself to others, as every parenting journey is different.

Embracing self-care may look a little different for each of us, but it’s important to take the time and the effort to make the time for it, even early on your motherhood journey. Find a few things that you would like to squeeze into your busy mom schedule, and take care of yourself today!