How to Focus on Self-Care as a New Mother

Motherhood is a life-changing experience that affects every area of your life. After childbirth, your estrogen hormone levels, hips, thighs, and breast shape might also change. It’s normal for new moms to want their daily life and daily activities to center around the baby while taking the back seat.

This is why the concept of self-care can feel selfish and impossible to some new moms. On the contrary, new moms undergoing postpartum recovery need to take proper care of themselves. If you’re not sure where to start, this article offers a few self-care for new mothers.

1. Get something nice for yourself.

For many mothers, it’s impossible not to walk into a store without picking up something cute for the baby. But what about you, mom? Sure, there might be an influx of push gifts from family friends, but it’s still crucial to get something nice for yourself once in a while.

An easy way to spoil yourself is to get lovely jewelry, and the good news is that you don’t have to break the bank to achieve this. Many online sites sell affordable accessories of the highest quality. Even better, some make provisions for custom designs. This means you can get a simple gold or silver necklace and matching pendant with your baby’s initials.

We believe this is a great gift because many new moms don’t have the time or luxury to put on stylish outfits daily, especially in-between the daily grind and baby care. However, a cute pendant with a matching necklace is a simple way to instantly make an outfit go from drab to fab. That’s because accessories have the magic power to pull an outfit together.

2. Take care of your body.

All through your pregnancy, you paid attention to what you ate because this food nourishes you and your baby. Well, now isn’t the time to stop. For instance, new moms need between 1800 and 2200 calories daily, and if you’re a nursing mom, you need a whopping 500 extra. This means you need to ensure you have access to the proper nutrition to care for you and your baby.

It would take a lot of behavior modification, time, and effort to nourish yourself satisfactorily. This can be tasking, especially if you don’t have help. Now, this is where nutritional supplements can help. First, confirm from your health care provider if they provide full coverage for drug administration.

Next, check in with your doctor for a recommendation on the best dietary supplement or multivitamin to combine with your meals. Also, if possible, let him recommend reliable supplement manufacturers that adhere to FDA regulations that you can use for custom formulations.

It’s always best to opt for dietary supplements that go through clinical trials to ensure that they’re safe and effective before distribution. Also, remember that supplements can come in the form of creams, gummies, soft gels, or a tablet depending on your dietary ingredient preferences. This is great because it means you can meet up with your daily nutrient requirement even on a busy schedule.

3. Read and relish resources from other experienced parents.

They say experience is a good teacher, but what happens when you have never experienced something and don’t know what to expect? Well, your best bet is to ask other people who have gone through something similar. Although every woman experiences childbirth and postpartum recovery differently, there’s no harm in inquiring from them to know if they had a similar experience to you. This is a form of self-care as it allows you to differentiate what’s normal from what isn’t.

A good example is urinary incontinence (UI) which many women face after childbirth. UI is a loss of bladder control that can lead to involuntary loss of urine. A bladder control problem can be embarrassing to deal with, but many men and older women experience it. Common causes could range from age to other medical conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate gland) and obesity. The symptoms of urinary incontinence can range from occasional urine leaks when sneezing or coughing (also known as stress incontinence) to a strong urge to use the toilet frequently.

Treating stress urinary incontinence can be done by taking a supplement like Confitrol24. It also requires a few lifestyle or behavior modifications (like ceasing to lift heavy objects). If you’re a smoker, you also need to stop smoking and focus on exercises that promote bladder control and strengthen your sphincter muscle. Kegel exercises can help on that front. Alternatively, you can visit a urologist to recommend drugs that treat urinary incontinence, like Mirabegron and Detrol.

4. Be kind to your body.

Contrary to what we see on social media (where celebrity moms seem to be competing for the quickest snapback), it’s not the norm. It can take a while for new moms to go back to feeling 100%, let alone getting their pre-baby body back. Every woman’s body changes differently after childbirth, so be kind and patient with yours. Avoid comparisons and focus on ways to make your recovery process smooth by equipping yourself with the best maternity underwear for maximum comfort.

The best maternity and pregnancy underwear should be low-rise, comfortable, and made with a blend of soft, stretchy spandex materials. This makes it easy to be worn through the different stages of your pregnancy, including the third trimester. In addition, opt for brands that provide the option of full coverage or bikini-style underwear. Some brands even offer maternity thongs to help you feel sexy again.

Another way to stay kind to yourself is by creating time to reflect and journal your thoughts and feelings. This will help you see all the beautiful ways you make an amazing mother and help you cope with stress.

It’s fair to say that many women put too much pressure on themselves to be the best mom, which makes them neglect themselves. Remember that you can’t pour from an empty cup, so your baby will also suffer if you’re not in a healthy space mentally and physically. Therefore, try not to overstretch yourself. Ask for help when you need it and if your emotions seem to be out of control, seek therapy to avoid diving into postpartum depression. After all, a happy mama is a happy baby.