For many women, practicing self-care is hard enough when you don’t have children. But for new moms, it can feel practically impossible. Suddenly, you’re caring for a baby who needs you at all hours of the day and night.
It feels like you can barely find a spare moment to sit down and eat a meal, take a hot shower, or even take a nap, let alone enjoy any of your old hobbies. You might even feel ashamed when you do manage to take a little time for yourself and worry that others will think of you as selfish for doing so.
If you’re struggling to care for yourself as the mother of a newborn, or you’re worried that you’ll have to push your own needs entirely to the back burner once your baby arrives, these tips can help you create a healthy sense of balance.
Start Before Your Due Date
Perhaps you’re currently in your third trimester. You’re eagerly anticipating your due date. Don’t wait until your baby has arrived to get in touch with your support system!
Talk to your partner, family, and close friends about what you’ll need help with when your baby arrives. They may be able to set up a meal train, figure out times when they can stop by and help you out around the house, or start putting together care packages that will help you through your first few weeks of motherhood.
Ask for Help
Your baby is here, yet it feels like your focus is completely scattered. You wish you could simply relax and enjoy this time. But you’re still trying to juggle domestic tasks, keep your loved ones updated, or even get ready to go back to work. Don’t wait until you’re drowning to ask for a helping hand. If you know you need more assistance from the people in your life, this is the time to reach out.
You might also need to reassess your responsibilities around the house with your partner. Before giving birth, you might have overestimated what you would be capable of handling. However, now you may need them to step in to a higher degree. This is a good time to have that conversation and delegate more tasks to your partner.
Choose Hands-Free Activities
It’s true that some of your more active hobbies might need to wait until you’re feeling better physically. You need downtime to fully heal. For now, you may want to pick up some hands-free hobbies that don’t take up much of your energy! You might enjoy listening to audiobooks or podcasts on interesting topics.
Spend Time Outside
When your baby is very young, you may not want to have many visitors to your home, and you’ll probably avoid bringing your baby anywhere where there might be crowds—after all, their immune system is still developing.
But taking walks outside can be a nice way to get light exercise, enjoy some fresh air, and take in a change of scenery if you’ve been staying home.
Try Therapy
If your mental health is suffering, and you don’t feel like you’ve been able to attend to your own needs since giving birth, it may be time to reach out to a therapist. Chances are, you don’t have much wiggle room in your schedule to go to therapy sessions in person. Try to seek out a therapist who offers virtual sessions and flexible hours.
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Are you struggling to balance your own needs with caring for a newborn? Working with a therapist can help. Reach out to us today to discuss your options for scheduling your first session.