Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages
  3. Evergreens

6 simple ways new moms can practice self-care

By

While being a new mother can be exciting, it can also be very taxing on a mom’s body and on their mental health as well. Moms literally grew a human inside of them and bring them into the world, and that’s why they need to give themselves grace after having a baby. If you’re a new mom, you need to be able to have a moment to yourself sometimes after being with the baby all day. An easy way to get a break is to ask your partner to watch the little one while you practice some much-needed self-care for new moms.

How to practice self-care

Leave the shopping to someone else

The last thing you want to worry about after having a baby is grocery shopping. It can feel pretty exhausting, especially in the few weeks after you had your baby. You might not have the energy to dress the baby, put them in their car seat, and carry them around a grocery store. There are quite a few different grocery shipping services like Shipt, Instacart, and more. Your local grocery store may even have a service just like that, too. It’s just as easy as choosing what items you want, and your personal shopper does all the shopping. Your delivery will be on your step before you know it. Nutrition is extremely important when it comes to building back up some vital nutrients and vitamins.

And Breathe Neon Lights
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Breathe

One of the easiest things that new moms can do is to take deep breaths. It helps to calm the nerves if you’re a little anxious and it can be an extremely helpful thing when you want to take a mental step back quickly to calm yourself. It will also help to give you clearer thinking and a sense of peace when you do some deep breathing. You can even look on websites like YouTube for a great variety of different breathing exercises that you can do.

Recommended Videos

Take a nap

You are bound to feel tired in the days and weeks after delivering a baby. Your body will need a lot more sleep in order to heal. Not only does this include getting plenty of rest at night when you can, but also taking a nap during the day if you need it. If the baby is napping, nothing says that you cannot take a nap as well. Doing so will help you to recharge your batteries and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go do what you need to do.

Mom Pushing Baby In Stroller
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Exercise

One of the best ways to help you feel more like yourself again is to be physical and exercise when you can. However, one of the things about exercising postpartum is that you should speak to your doctor before starting any kind of workout program. Once you have their advice about it, you can start exercising, which releases endorphins, which are “happy chemicals” that your brain gives off. You can even bond with your baby and start going on slow walks with them.

Indulge in a hot bath

If you had a set morning our nighttime ritual before the baby, get back into it. You can easily do it right after you put your little one down to sleep at night. Perhaps you enjoy a nice hot shower or bath, a little face cream if you use it, or another nice way to just relax for the night. By taking a hot bath or a shower, you are relaxing your muscles that you’ve held tense all day, in addition to giving yourself some time for you, where you can just clear your head and think.

Quiet time

Having a special “quiet time” is a wonderful way to just take the time to slow down after everything the day has thrown at you. Quiet time can be anything you want, really. If you just want to sit outside for a little bit to soak up some sun while your partner or other caregiver watches the baby, that can be your quiet time. Other times, it can be something as simple as sitting and breathing. Other quiet time activities can include journaling, which is a great way for you to kind of do a “brain dump” of all of your feelings that happened that day.

Self-care is something that is for everybody. New moms definitely need it, and there are plenty of ways that they can easily do some self-care for themselves. If other children are involved, practicing self-care sets an example for children if they see their mom taking care of herself after having a baby.

Topics
Is your newborn eating too much? What to know about overfeeding
Cues to watch out for to let you know if you're overfeeding a newborn
Mother holding baby in nursery

Every parent knows the excitement and anxiety that comes when it's time to bring their baby home from the hospital for the first time. Besides the sleep schedule, many new parents may be worried about whether their infant is getting enough to eat. But is going the other direction something parents should also worry about? Is there such a thing as overfeeding a newborn? The short answer is yes. Overfeeding a newborn is a possibility, but it doesn't happen often.

Every newborn has differences in appetite where one might drink a bottle or breastfeed longer than another. Before you stress, don't worry. There are signs to be on the lookout for when it comes to giving your little one too much food. Whether it's your first or third child, if you are concerned about overfeeding your newborn, we have the information you need to know.
Why overfeeding a newborn is something you don't want to do

Read more
Recognizing early autism signs in toddlers: 6 things to know
Which toddler behaviors are quirky and which are red flags for autism?
Toddler boys playing a party game

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that about 1 in every 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder. If your child is on the spectrum, the initial diagnosis can be upsetting, but early intervention following a diagnosis is vital. The early signs of autism in toddlers, though, can be easy to overlook. If you have a child you think might be on the spectrum, it's best to know the early signs as your toddler develops.

There is a long list of possible signs as the autism spectrum is wide and diverse. One sign may appear in one child, but not in another. Certain early signs of autism are more common than others, which is why knowing the red flags is important. The earlier a child receives a diagnosis, the better the support system will be for them.
Understanding autism

Read more
Can you use a heating pad while pregnant? Here’s what you should know
Heat pads and pregnancy work together, just follow some precautions
Pregnant woman using heating pad hot water bottle

Pregnancy is an exciting time filled with awe and wonder, but it's also painful and uncomfortable. Experiencing all. the changes your body goes through as your baby grows is magical, but it's also kind of a pain. As pregnancy progresses throughout the trimesters, so, too, does the discomfort. From backaches to sore feet and sciatica to insomnia, pregnancy can be very hard on a person's body.
Often, a heating pad can provide some much-needed relief from those pregnancy-induced aches and pains, but many wonder if it's safe to use a heating pads while pregnant. Using heating pads during pregnancy can be an understandable concern.
Despite the relief they may give, many pregnant people are hesitant to use them out of fear the heat they produce may harm their baby. Fortunately, using a heating pad while pregnant can be very safe as long as you do so carefully and take proper precautions.

Why would you need a heating pad?

Read more