Giving birth to a new baby is undoubtedly one of the most amazing things that a person can experience. It is joyful, stressful, and every emotion you can ever imagine - all rolled into one. Your body and mind get pushed to the brink as you experience both the physical and emotional impact of bringing a new life into the world, which is why moms are complete rockstars and deserve all the praise!
Holding your precious little one in your arms serves as a reminder that you would do anything to make sure that they are happy, healthy, and living their best life. But, this can’t come at the expense of not taking care of yourself. We talked about burnout for moms around the holidays, but want to make sure we re-affirm the importance of self-care all year through.
Self-Care Tips For New Moms
It’s just like they say when you’re on an airplane: you can’t help someone with their oxygen mask until yours is working correctly. The same goes for raising and taking care of your family. There is no way that you can care for them 100% if you aren’t taking care of yourself 100% - and self care is a huge part of that.
According to The Global Self-Care Federation, self-care is defined as, “The ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health-care provider”.
In addition, they break down self-care into 6 main categories:
- Making healthy lifestyle choices - being physically active and eating healthily
- Avoiding unhealthy lifestyle habits – avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
- Making responsible use of prescription and non-prescription medicines
- Self-recognition of symptoms - assessing and addressing symptoms, in partnership with a healthcare professional where necessary
- Self-monitoring - checking for signs of deterioration or improvement
- Self-management - managing symptoms of disease, either alone, in partnership with healthcare professionals, or alongside other people with the same health condition
Guess what? Nowhere on this list does it say anything about booking a regular manicure. Making your self-care a priority is not about how you look, but how you feel.
Here are our favorite self care tips for new moms:
Eat for nourishment and health.
Food is fuel, after all. Whether you are breastfeeding or just need that mom energy to take care of an active baby, it's important to truly pay attention to what foods we are putting into our body.
Take time each day to reflect on how you are actually feeling.
Whenever someone ask you "how are you today," don't just resort to saying "fine" and shrugging it off if that isn't really the answer. Take some time each day to think about how you are actually feeling and vocalize that to the people who support you.
If you’re sick, go visit your doctor.
As buys moms, we have a bad habit of brushing off not feeling well and toughing it out, and that doesn't always end well. whenever you are feeling under the weather - both physically or emotionally - take a break and make an appointment to see your doctor. In the long-run, if you are the baby's primary caregiver and you get so sick that you have to go to the hospital or separate from your little one while you get better, you will be wishing you took care of the issue from the start.
Keep yourself hydrated.
Drinking enough water each day as a new mom impacts so much more than just your breastmilk supply, but plays a huge role in preventing infections, regulating your body temperature, delivering nutrients to cells, and so much more according to Harvard Health.
Get some sun.
It doesn't matter is it is winter or summer, soaking up the sun's rays and getting vitamin D into your skin is wonderful for your health!
Get some rest.
We know: easier said than done. The Sleep Foundation highlights how sleep deprivation can happen often to new parents and the consequences can be very harmful to your overall health. Try to create a peaceful sleep environment and routine that you and your family can follow.
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