Life has changed significantly since my daughter came into the world. I see things through a whole new lense. Every waking moment is dedicated to her. From the minute we wake up, to our cuddles right before bed, it’s Mila’s world and mommy is just living in it. Being a stay at home mom, I have had very few moments without her by my side. I am so thankful to be able to enjoy every second just the two of us; however, it is so incredibly important that us mamas incorporate some self care into our daily lives.
The first couple of months after birth were quite an adjustment. I struggled immensely with postpartum anxiety. Everything worried me, germs especially. On top of that, sleep deprivation is no joke! My precious little angel wouldn’t sleep more than 40 minutes at a time during the first 6 weeks. As much as I loved our 1am, 2am, 3am, 4am, 5am and 6am parties, mommy was tired! It made our days very long as I was emotionally and physically drained. I started seeing myself as only a mom, losing every other part of me that once was.
As time continued and we slowly settled into our routine, I began to recognize the importance of self care. Although our lives revolve solely around these new beautiful little humans, we need to take the time to cater to ourselves. Once I incorporated some “me time,” things started to fall back into place and I suddenly became more than just a mom again. Life felt normal. My anxiety started to decrease which in turn made things so much easier. Who knew that taking just a tiny bit of time out of the day for myself would have such a huge impact? I became a better mommy once I started taking care of myself too.
I may not have much time alone, but I make it a point to escape at least once a day even if it’s just a few minutes to do something for myself.
Here are some things I do!
*Skin care- Give yourself a quick facial to feel rejuvenated and alive!
*Nails- I usually don’t have enough time to make it to the actual salon, but I do have almost everything I need here at home to give myself a quick mani and pedi.
*Meditation- This is something I don’t do enough, but would love to get more into.
*Quick workout- That baby weight isn’t going to disappear on its own! (Unfortunately!)
*Hot shower- I spend most of my showers singing songs to my little one as she sits in her bouncy chair, so those occasional times where I get to stand alone and just listen to silence and feel the steaming hot water is absolutely amazing!
Throughout the day, I try my best to stick to a schedule since babies are able to recognize a routine at a very young age. Mila has never been a good sleeper, so although she’s improved since her first 6 weeks, she still wakes up 3-4 times a night to nurse. (Help!) I follow a pretty strict itinerary during the day in hopes it might better prepare her to sleep throughout the night, which in turn would allow mommy to get a little more rest too. The only other time I get to myself is once she goes down for bed. I go to sleep pretty soon after, as I am exhausted from our long day and know I’ll be woken up quite often during the night. But that hour or so that I have before it’s time to close my own eyes is another great opportunity to do things that I may not have been able to earlier.
As a new mommy, I am constantly learning. Continuing this journey, I want to make a promise to myself to never forget about me again! I wouldn’t change this new life for anything in the world, and I’ll continue to try my absolute hardest to be the best mom I can while taking care of Taylor too.
Sweet Little Kisses 