Life is often a whirlwind when your bundle of joy arrives. When you are a new mom, you tend to give all your focus and energy to feeding and caring for your little one. It is wonderful to throw yourself into motherhood but it is also essential not to neglect yourself while caring for your newborn.
It all comes down to the old saying that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Prioritizing self-care as a young mom is for your family’s benefit, not to their detriment and you should never feel guilty for making time for yourself.
Here are our top tips for looking after yourself in happy chaos of the newborn phase.
1. Go to be early
Don’t hold yourself to impossible standards like “sleep when the baby sleeps”. If you can, what a bonus. However, most young moms don’t have this luxury because baby’s daytime naps are often your only opportunity to do anything productive. One thing you do have control over is what time you go to bed. Avoid the temptation to get stuck scrolling on your phone and try get to bed at least 30 minutes earlier, if you can.
2. Exercise
Move a little every day. Not to help your body bounce back or to meet any external expectations, but to promote circulation, to encourage deep breathing, to improve mood, and to reduce depression and anxiety. No gym membership? No problem. Strap baby into a carrier and just take a slow walk. Your body will thank you for it and your baby will probably have a great nap.
3. Drink lots of water
Do yourself a favour and carry a water bottle around with you to sip through the day. It’s especially important to have water available in the area where you breastfeed. Inevitably, when your baby latches to start drinking you feel instantly thirsty but can’t move! Make your life easier by having water close at hand.
4. Eat well
Your body will prioritize your baby’s needs over yours and deplete your energy reserves to produce milk. This makes it all the more important to ensure that you are nourishing yourself with good, clean nutrition to ensure that you give your body everything it needs to heal after childbirth and so that you can have the energy you need to care for your little one. Collagen supplementation is believed to help with improved wound healing, improved sleep, reduced hair loss and increased muscle mass. Be sure to chose 100% pure collagen products with no additives, preservatives and fillers, like those from The Harvest Table.
5. Ask for help when you need it
Whether this is in the form of medical intervention, a meal for your freezer, or just a nap. It takes a village, so lean on yours for support and don’t be too proud to communicate when you are not coping.
You are doing a phenomenal job!
You are the best mom your little one has ever had!
You don’t have to do it alone and you do still need to look after yourself first.
To learn more about South Africa's widest range of collagen, visit The Harvest Table.
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