Self Care for Moms

1) Try to eat nourishing meals.  Drink to thirst. Taking a shower is not a luxury but part of self care!

2) Sleep and rest are important.  Try to sleep or at least sit down and rest when your baby is sleeping. The dishes can wait! Also, consider co-sleeping with your baby which can actually help you get more rest at night.

3) If you are a stay at home mom, remember that you are staying home to be a mom, not a housewife. Spending time with you children is more important than having an immaculately clean house.

4) You might need to adjust your expectations about really needs to get done.  Try not to compare your house or routine with someone who has only older kids or even no kids at home. 

5) Remember to fit in things that bring you joy! This will not only make you feel better but will also spill over into mothering.  Your kids will notice your joy!

6) Relationships are more important than how the house looks.  Let go of any shame you might feel if your house doesn’t look a certain way and you have family visiting.  My mother-in-law often tells me that she is coming to see me and my family, not my house!  I think that is definitely the right perspective.

7)  Get moving.  Take a walk with your baby.  Do an online or DVD exercise workout while your baby plays next to you. Ask your husband for help in fitting in exercise more often.

8) Stay connected with friends, especially other moms. The monthly support group meeting in Los Alamos is a great start!  Also, see if your community has moms groups or playgroups.

9) Find ways to keep up with hobbies and skills and try out new interests. It can be something small like crocheting for 10 minutes a day or something bigger depending on the ages of your children.

10)  Ask for help!  Everyone needs help sometimes.  It really is okay to ask for help!  You will most likely find out that your fellow mom friends would love to bring you a meal after your baby is born or to watch your child while you go out for an hour to rejuvenate yourself.

Most of these great tips came from my friend, Christelle.  She leads St. Croix Birth and Parenting in Minnesota.  However, she has a lot of great online classes and meetings.  Consider checking her out!