Babies… I love babies their little hands and feet, gummy smiles and beautiful baby smell….
I remember how challenging those early days were with my first born, Samantha. Where did the whole day go? It seemed like it flew by, by the time I had fed, changed, bathed, put to sleep (baby not me), threw washing on, did dishes, tried to get some dinner on, if I got that far.
There was no time to shower, rest or eat. As a mum to three children now aged 25, 14 and 10, I still remember clearly those early days as a new mum. As a first time mum, my days (and nights) were sometimes challenging, as they are for most mothers.
Being a new mum requires us to make big adjustments in our sense of self and what we can get done in a day. It can be a really challenging and overwhelming time for us mums, as our newborn could often cry and not sleep when we want them to. Add to that you maybe recovering from a cesarean and also have other little ones to look after!
Here are my 8 tips for getting through those first three months after baby is born with health and sanity intact:
1. Eat clean, natural food and hydrate often
You do need to be mindful of what you eat as a new mum. Eat well for breastfeeding and to keep your energy levels high during the first hectic months with your beautiful new baby. It’s important to schedule time for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and drink water often. I know you don’t intend to, but sometimes you could go for hours without eating. Make sure you eat regularly, as this will help you keep up a healthy milk supply and balance your blood sugar, which in turn will keep your mood and energy steady.
Make sure each meal and snack includes high quality protein and good fats e.g. butter, coconut oil, olive oil, and nuts and seeds. Prepare some healthy meals and snacks when you are pregnant and freeze them for when baby arrives. These are invaluable! You will be happy you took the time.
2. ZZZZZZ’s wherever possible
I found that as soon as baby was asleep I would race around trying to do all the housework. It’s really hard, to try to not do everything else but sleep when baby goes down for a nap, but it’s so important to get rest, especially if your little one is up through the night often. Fatigue can lead to irritability, anxiety, depression, and a lowered immune system, making you more likely to get sick. Fatigue can also make it harder for you to lose the baby weight, as it makes you too tired to make healthy food choices, so you grab whatever’s fast and easy, which usually isn’t all that healthy. Being exhausted can also mean you don’t want to exercise.
3. No to Superwoman
You plan to work from home, do exercise classes everyday, have a spotless house, go visiting, have a delicious gourmet meal prepared every night? Why can’t you do this? You could do it before. Be kind to yourself, you just had a baby! Plan to do nothing but take care of yourself and your baby for the first couple of weeks after you give birth. Really, I’m serious, enjoy this time, just be.3
4. Ask for Help
I tried to do it all with my first child, as I thought that’s what I was supposed to do. Don’t be a martyr; ask for help from family and friends. Great help is pre-made dinners, housework help or older children child-minding. Any help after baby arrives is invaluable, whether it's a family member or best friend. This is especially true if you already have a toddler or older children plus your new baby to take care of. Have prepared before baby is born a list of friends and family and ask them to prepare an extra meal for one night. Designate a night for each person in the two weeks or month after baby is born and voila, one less thing to worry about.
Make sure you kindly make it clear to your friends to just drop off the food for you, not to have dinner with you. Otherwise you then have to entertain people and clean up afterwards. You can let your friends know that visits need to be short, as you need your rest. If you say it nicely you shouldn’t offend. They will understand, they are your friends.
5. Congratulations over and baby not so shiny and new?
Everyone has visited in those first two weeks and now reality hits. Plan to still have some help for the first few month and some visits. Get your mum or best friends to still help after those manic first two weeks. Stagger your help so you don’t feel lost and alone after the excitement dies down.
6. You time
Give yourself some time out to feel like you again. Take time away even for just an hour to catch up with a girlfriend, have a massage, get your nails or hair done, go out to a café, just you with a newspaper or magazine to read. Time away can refresh your energy, and keep your mood healthy and happy. Even just some stay at home time to have a lovely bath will work wonders for your soul and spirit.
7. Have a older mum (or a mum that has a few children) you can chat too.
Too often we get kind of competitive with other new mums. Little Johnny is sleeping through the night at four weeks, already knows the alphabet and never cries… Hmmm… Have someone, whether its your own mum or someone else, who tells it too you straight and doesn’t gloss over the not so pretty bits of being a new mum.
I want you to remember this the next time you feel like you’re the only one who’s overwhelmed and not coping well. You are a great mum. No ones is perfect we are all doing the best we can. Every new mum feels like this! You’re OK and you’re not alone in your feelings and you’re still an amazing mother. Oh, and you will get your uninterrupted sleep back!
8. Exercise and getting out in nature rocks!
Fresh air and movement does wonders for your mind and body. If your baby is fussy, then walking with baby in a pushchair or frontback will do you and your baby a world of good stuff.
If it’s cold and rainy, do some short indoor workouts. Schedule it in, you may feel tired, but I promise you, you will feel amazing afterwards.Check out the
Postnatal workouts in the
Online Gym, most are only 15 minutes long. Get them done first thing before other stuff gets in the way. Combine them with walks and you will be back to your pre-pregnancy weight without even trying.
I hope that your early days as a new mom are full of joy, they grow up so fast, believe me! But if you have rocky times, remember that you are not the only one, you are not alone, try and incorporate the above tips and get help if you need it. All us mums have been there and are happy to help. If you have any questions or need any help, I’m only an email away. I’m happy to chat anytime. Congratulations on being a mum! XO
From the second we become a mum, we start to put our new baby first and looking after ourselves can sometimes go down the list of priorities. Suddenly we find ourselves having to decide whether to shower, eat or sleep in those precious 30 minutes we might get to ourselves when hubby or partner can take over. Or if you are a single mum, time off is even harder to come by. Doing our hair, putting on make-up or exercise can be suddenly be put in the too hard basket. We get in a cycle of feeding, changing nappies and getting our precious newborn to sleep.
There are big changes happening to your day, and it can feel overwhelming. You find yourself eating whatever is easiest and not being able to make the healthiest food choices.
Exercise might be something you just can’t think of now, while you are busy looking after everybody else. Believe me, I know how you feel, Exercise? Some days you can barely get a shower in…