Motherhood is beautiful but can also be messy. It’s like you are one person before pregnancy, then another person during pregnancy and a whole new person after childbirth. The new person you become after childbirth is the one many moms claim change them completely. You begin (like you haven’t already) putting someone else’s needs before yours, which includes but is not limited to making sure they are fed, cleaned, feeling okay, entertained, loved, cared for and so on. It’s like your whole life is on pause while you cater to someone else, your precious baby. So guess what mama? You need a break. You sometimes need an escape to get your sanity back. You need to bust out of that mommy rut. Below are some helpful things that mom should do for herself every now and then.
Self-Care: Keep baby with trusted family or friend(s) for a few hours and get yourself a beautiful long massage. Get your nails and hair done and put your feet up without worrying about what’s next to accomplish on your never-ending mom-to-do-list. Remember in order to take care of baby, you need to first take good care of yourself. Baby will not die if she doesn’t see you for 3 hours. Run out of the house and pamper yourself.
Exercise: I personally enjoy doing yoga because it keeps me calm and stress-free. Whatever it is you like to do to stay fit should be practiced consistently to help with those endorphins and sex drive. If you are unable to hit the gym, simply take baby on a walk in her stroller and brisk-walk, jog or stroll away.
Smart Eating: Let’s face it, as a mom, there is not enough time to cook let alone sit down to eat so if you are going to eat, eat smart. Eating smart means eating healthy. Eat whole foods and snacks that are filled with energy. Example of high energy snacks are protein-rich foods like almonds, bananas, protein-balls. Don’t be tempted to give into unhealthy snacks or foods because they are easy to grab or prepare. Intentionally picking protein-packed foods will give you long-lasting energy and won’t make you toss and turn when it’s time to turn in.
Sleep: They say sleep when baby is sleeping. This can be difficult during the early days as a first time mom. However, as baby gets older and begins sleeping longer, you can also get in some minutes or hours of extra sleep. Don’t stay up late to finish the last episode of your favorite show but instead take advantage of the extra amount of sleep you can get before you are on mom duty again.
Mom time: Carve some time out of your long busy days and set aside a day that is for you only. Catch up with some of your girls and get away or read one of the books in your library queue. Gift yourself that alone time and watch it transform your life.
Don’t get lost being a mom because you are more than just being a mom. You are beautiful, strong and worth it. Love your babies as much as you love yourself and save your sanity.