Nothing compares to the joy of bringing home your first baby. Forget about how excruciatingly painful your contractions were or how cold it was in the recovery room at the hospital. The moment you step into your home with the little bundle of joy in your arms, you’ll forget about the months you spent waddling around and the hours you spent in labor. You’re finally starting your new life as a family!
No matter how dedicated you are to your new role as a mom, however, you can’t neglect self-care. Take time to bond with your baby and adjust to motherhood but pay attention to postpartum care, too.
Postpartum care means resting whenever you can, sleeping when your baby sleeps, and asking close friends or family for help at home or with errands. Here are more ways you can look after yourself while you adjust to your greatest role yet:
1. Pamper yourself once in a while.
Let’s make one thing clear: you’re now a mom but you’re still your own person. While you can’t avoid your baby’s wet burps and stinky diapers, don’t let the dirty side of parenting make you forget about grooming. You’ll feel like you can conquer everything when you look great.
If prenatal, you were the type to bask in fragrant bath bombs and luxurious haircare products, give yourself at least a few hours a week to pamper yourself with your bathroom favorites.
Lather on your favorite lotion every morning and maybe even put on your go-to shade of lipstick. Just make sure that these products are safe to wear around your newborn. The products you use might affect their sensitive skin, after all.
2. Make sure you’re eating healthily.
The last nine months have been rough on your health. Your hormones went crazy, and your body underwent a lot of changes to accommodate your little one. The best way for your body to heal is by allowing yourself to get some rest and by eating a healthy diet.
Your diet should include grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and protein. There should be a balanced amount of calories and fat. Nut oils have nutrients but avoid other oils like animal fats.
A healthy diet is also essential when you’re breastfeeding. You want to make sure that your baby’s getting the nutrients they need from your milk.
3. Surround yourself with supportive people.
Finally, surround yourself with people who care about you and your family. The right people have your baby’s best interests in mind and will try to help you any way they can. So, stay connected with these people rather than those who think they can raise your child better than you can.
In addition to helping you recover from postpartum blues, positive friends and family contribute to your baby’s overall happiness as they grow older.
Look After Your Baby by Looking After Yourself
Having a new baby, especially your first one, drastically changes your lifestyle and your family dynamics. You and your partner might spend less quality time together in favor of looking after the little one. But no matter how overwhelming the situation may seem, never neglect your health and wellbeing.
Remember: the best way to care for your baby is to be your best self. And you become your best self by prioritizing your health and surrounding yourself with positivity.