When you become a mother, everything in life changes in quite a major way. Your body hasn’t been your own for nine months, and for many new moms, their body still won’t feel like their own for quite a while after giving birth. Not to mention that you now have a new baby that needs your attention and focus. So for that reason, your needs and attention can often get forgotten about. The good news is that you can get back to feeling like yourself again, both inside and out. Of course, life is a little different now, so you may need to be a little patient with yourself. But with a little style, beauty and some emotional self-care, you can get to feeling like yourself again.
Invest in Activewear
The activewear is a trend that all moms need to get on-board with. The thing is, they are such comfortable clothes, and let’s face it, they have a lot of stretch. So they can be just what you need, when jeans aren’t really what you feel like wearing. But they are also practical. They can take you from playing with kids on the floor to then walking outside with the stroller, then heading off to a yoga class. You can look good, feel good, and be in a more active mindset when you’re dressed in activewear.
Nursing-Friendly Clothing
If you are nursing your baby, then it can be a really wonderful thing. But what can be frustrating, especially if you don’t like to nurse in public, is when your clothes don’t really work, and then you have to go hide yourself away if you have guests round. But part of feeling like yourself will be being able to do things that you would normally do. So if you would normally meet friends for coffee or normally meet friends for dinner, then you need to be able to do that when you feel ready. Part of the journey to feeling ready can be is being able to be out of the house and feeling comfortable to breastfeed, which is where having some clothes that are suitable for breastfeeding comes in. Button down is always a good idea, as well as v-necks.
Eating Well
It is so important for new moms to make sure that they are eating well, whether they are nursing or not. The reason being is that eating well really helps to give you the energy that you need, and helps you to feel better about yourself generally. As much as candy and chocolate can feel good at the time, you can often feel worse afterwards as you then lack so much energy. If you are breastfeeding, then you can feel pretty ravenous all the time. So it can be hard. The good news is that there are plenty of tips to lose weight while breastfeeding and eat well that you can find online, as breastfeeding, when eating well, can help you to get back your pre-baby body. So make sure that you plan your meals and then it means that you’ll be less likely to reach for a sugary snack. Meal planning can also help you to prepare food ahead of time too, meaning that there are likely to be some healthy meals in the house already cooked, in the freezer, or ready to eat.
Exercise at Home
Exercise doesn’t need to be about weight loss, unless you need it to be. But there is a lot that can be said about exercising for happiness and for an increase in your overall well being. So it should be something that you start to incorporate into your routine, as well as you feel able to do so or when your doctor has approved you to. It can be hard to get out to the gym, unless there is a creche there, which is why working out at home can be a good idea. There are countless workout videos that you can use on YouTube, as well as getting DVDs that you could follow along and use. You might even follow some people on Instagram that show workouts, if you’re not too sure where to start. You are likely to not need to use any equipment, unless you have some specific strength training goals. So you can get easily started during nap time.
Shower and Get Ready
Some days are hard, and the nights have been hard, so you need to just rest and have a bit of a duvet day with your baby. But when the days are good, and the sleep hasn’t been that bad, it is so important to shower and get ready for the day. When you are able to do just that, it can make such a difference to how you feel overall, and will have you feeling much more like yourself. As it has been said, some days just stick to jammies. But even if you can get a shower, do your hair, and throw on your activewear, it could be all that you need to give yourself a boost.
Get Outdoors
Getting outside can be such a good idea for all of us. But if you are looking to feel a little more like yourself, then it can be a good idea to get outdoors at least once each day. It can help you to get some fresh air, which is good for health, and it means you’re away from the standard four walls of your home which can be good for mental well-being too. Not only that, it can be important for getting enough vitamin D for you and your baby. It is something that we all need, but many of us can be deficient in. So being outside on sunny days can make such a difference.
Unreasonable Expectations
Life has changed. Your body has changed. And as much as you can change things and ‘get back’ to how things were, there are some things that will never get back to how things were. You might have new scars or marks from pregnancy, for example. So don’t set some unrealistic expectations of yourself. You are unlikely to have a six-pack right after having a baby, especially if you didn’t have one beforehand. So that is something really important to think about. Embrace the changes, and don’t set any unrealistic expectations on yourselves. It can be quite damaging if so.
Change what you can change
We are all different, but there are some new moms that love to change the things that they can change. They might not be able to change how exhausted they sleep or be able to change their post-baby-body. But there are things that you can change, if you are feeling like you need a change. It could be your hair, nails, or clothing. You could get a new piercing or do something that you have always wanted to do. These things are all the small things, but they are self-care things and can make a difference to how you feel. They really can help to give yourself a boost. Plus, if you are able to book and get a sitter for when you have your hair or nail appointment, then it can be even more luxurious as it will be baby-free. Sometimes a couple of hours away from being ‘mommy’ can be all that you need to feel good and feel like a new woman.
Are there any other things that you have tried and would add to the list?