Being pregnant, and then especially taking a newborn home for the first few weeks is often “all about the baby”. This is a very exciting time in your life and the many tasks of caring for a newborn can easily consume your day. Most of the work is joyful and you are probably thrilled to actually have your baby in your arms.
However, taking care of yourself will help you do a better job of everything else and investing time in yourself is sometimes left on a back burner for too long. Below you will find a list of a few suggestions that might help.
- Share duties with your partner, they may not do things the same way that you would but they need to develop confidence in caring for your newborn and bond with the baby too
- Accept meals or help (like laundry, shopping or housework), if you have loving family members or friends who offer, let them bless you
- Restart a favorite activity that energizes you or just lets you relax (even if you only get to do it briefly a couple times a week)
- Eat a healthy diet, take short walks if possible, and sleep when your baby sleeps those first few weeks
- Share your feelings with someone who encourages and loves you
- Work 10-15 minutes of quiet time into your day somewhere to reflect on what you have to be thankful for
- Read, laugh, and take slow deep breaths often throughout the day
- Get rid of guilt over perfect mothering or comparing yourself to others, everyone parents differently and you are doing a better job than you think you are if your baby is fed, dry and held (let your pediatrician rather than your friends/family tell you what to be concerned about)
You may not get long periods of time to yourself initially when you come home with a baby, so choose to take each moment and enjoy them!
