Posted on by dear new mom

Dear new mom tip 2

REST AND BREATH

I want you to always remember this common phrase which says it takes a village to raise a child. This simply means hey mom it is a requirement for you to take sometime off.

When was the last time you sat down on your own and listened to yourself breathe? Well I think I know the answer, CANNOT REMEMBER RIGHT…. sometimes you don’t see that you are tired or that you need help because you believe that part of being a “good” mom is sleep deprivation.

Listen girl! I know all about mom guilt, it is a real thing that almost every mother experience at some point. But I want you to know that pouring out from an empty cup leaves you frustrated, tired, empty, lonely, angry and can even leave you depressed.

Therefore I encourage you to take advantage of these many ways to ask for help so that you get time to rest and breathe. The list is endless but these 4 are practical and simple to do.

1. find a nanny or babysitter

2. ask a relative, they will help and this can be your parents, siblings and or cousins

3.ask your partner or a friend to look after your child so you can have a “me” time.

4.Register your child to attend a day care centre even if it’s once a week or 2 hours at the daycare, but all these will give you me time.

I had a child at the pick of a pandemic so my mind convinced me that allowing people into my house to help with the baby is not okay, therefore I did everything for myself and the baby. I had a stay in helper at 4months but I did not allow her to help me with the baby, I was paranoid and to hear someone sneeze or cough made it worse. All this resulted in me always being tired, poor milk supply, unproductive, unhealthy eating and weight gain.

Tips:

Ask for help, you deserve it.

Every morning before baby wakes up do some breathing exercise, yoga or just light exercises and body stretching.

Go out for a walk, solo dates, read a good book, take a long relaxing bath, go out for massage, dance to your favourite songs.

Write down two things that help you relax and revisit them every week.

Posted on by dear new mom

Dear new mom tip number 1

BE KIND TO YOURSELF

New mothers are so caught up with the #snapback tradition. All we want is that before pregnancy body but I want you to know that your body went through a human being making process, be kind to it.

Just pause and appreciate your body for pushing through that 9 months. Yes! Weight gain can be frustrating and it has been proven that it affects new moms’ confidence.

What I want you to understand is that pregnancy doesn’t only come with weight gain alone but with other bodily changes such as saggy breasts, stretch marks, pimples, skin pigmentation and others. All these changes don’t disappear immediately after giving birth, for some people they can be permanent while some it takes weeks to months to go back to their usual self.

Never put your body under pressure just so that you can SnapBack, listen to your body and take baby steps to recovery. Your partner will understand when your body is not yet ready for sex even after 6 weeks.

TIP: it is important to get your doctor’s’ approval before starting your weight loss journey.

Start small like diet modification but remember you have to produce enough milk for the baby.