Having a baby is stressful enough, and even more so if this is your first pregnancy. I SO wish i had this list to look at after i had my son!!! So here are a few pointers i came up with:
Top Ten ways to maintain your sanity after having a baby!
1. SLEEP- sleep as much as possible!!! When your baby sleeps ,so should you. I didn’t listen when people told me this and I found myself extremely irritable around bedtime. Babies have no concept of its night time so we need to go to sleep, therefore you have to catch a nap when you can.
2. Showers- When I was pregnant I used to take 45minute showers because I loved the feel of the hot water hitting my belly. I loved showers more than taking a bath. But after giving birth to my son via C-section I couldn’t get in the tub if I wanted too. After a long day of feeding a crying baby and changing diapers I was pulling out my hair. I learned to appreciate something as small as taking a shower. Something about the steam and hot water pounding away baby drool and the stress of the day just relaxes you and puts you in a better mood for nighttime.
3. Get up and move around- sometimes, we as new moms are so tired that we just want to lay in the bed and on the couch all day and not move. But honestly you will feel so much better if you get up and walk around. I started getting cabin fever for laying on the couch literally all day and night so I would walk to my kitchen, put a chair by the door and let the sunlight hit my face. I felt 10 times better after that.
4. Maintain your beauty routine- I know during the end most women are over trying to look cute and ready to deliver. Once the baby gets here trust me that feeling won’t change. If you were accustomed to going to the salon then go (after your 6 week check up of course)!!! You will feel so much better just by getting your hair washed!
5. Eat what you want- Now is not the time to be worried about your pre-pregnancy diet. EAT!!! For breast feeding moms you will need those extra calories because you will burn through them quickly breastfeeding.
6. Have company- preferably someone who is not your mother or father ( only because some parents can bombard you with advice and you can become frustrated). We all need interaction other that your child and spouse, especially during this time. Having a friend or family member over can give you time to nap, take a shower, or catch up on your cleaning.
7. Read- from pregnancy till now I have read 17+ books in my spare time. It gives you something to think about other than feeding schedules!
8. Surf the web- Since I go to the outside world I brought the outside world to me. You can keep in touch with your friends and family via skype, oovoo and facebook.
9. Join a support group- If you are a first time mom everything doesn’t warrant a call to the doctor. Other moms may have some helpful insight or advice. You can always call or email them with questions. For breast feeding moms, you can check if your city has a La Leche League. All other moms can contact your local hospital or Google MOPS in you area.
10. If I didn’t mention this let me do it now…oh I did... SLEEP- you do not know how important it is for you to rest so get it while you can because crawling is just months away!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment