Self-care for New Mums

Bringing home a newborn is one of the most exciting and exhausting times in life. As mums, we often prepare everything for baby but forget to prepare for ourselves. Postpartum self-care is not selfish, it’s essential. Looking after your own well-being means you have the energy to care for your little one, especially during those long, sleepless nights.

Here are practical self-care tips for new mums to help you recharge, rest, and survive the newborn stage.

Prepare your significant other

Sit down with your loved one and talk through what you will have to endure when baby comes. Give them helpful tips on how they can help. Men especially can struggle to know how to best support you, (some men) and it helps by talking this through, making a plan, and putting it out there on the table that you're going to need them.

Things like:

• Letting your partner take the early morning feed so you can rest.

• Planning one night a week where your partner takes full baby duty, giving you uninterrupted sleep.

• Doing a “lounge sweep” at the end of the night – tidy spaces make mornings feel calmer.
  

Preparing your wider family/ friends

Pre-book time out.  When you are a new mum, weeks fly by and days merge together because you are so tired. Organise family and friends to help babysit.

• Once a month coffee date escapes with a friend. They probably have busy lives too, so schedule that for 10AM on the first Saturday of every month. It’ll be locked in and waiting for you!
• Self-care: Book yourself a massage and have a friend look after baby.
• Schedule an afternoon walk in the bush to escape the four walls of your house.
• Have a friend who is an amazing cleaner or organiser. Ask them to come over when baby is 8 weeks to help re-sort your house out. Some of us struggle with organisation and changing up your interior can do wonders.
• Ask family members to help by preparing a meal once or twice a month. Even if it goes to your freezer, trust, that there will be a day or two in the mix where an already prepared meal saves your sanity. 

Everyday Self-Care Ideas for New Mums

Self-care doesn’t have to take hours, small moments add up. Try:

• Starting childcare drop-off earlier once a week so you can fit in the gym.

• Going to bed earlier to catch up on sleep.

• Creating a “quiet corner” in your home for when you feel touched-out.

• Using a massage gun or asking your partner to give you a back rub.

• Having a middle-of-the-night bath when you can’t get back to sleep.

Prepare meals

After a long day and night with your child, usually, the last thing you want to do is make dinner. 

Here are some tips to get around it:

• Buy a large freezer if you can. There will be nights when the last thing you want to do is cook for the family. Get into the habit of precooking meals on a Sunday, (before baby comes if possible). Get a stockade of stews, lasagnes, stir-fry’s, and quiches up your sleeves. 
• Plan out your dinners every week: Tacos on Monday, stir-fry Tuesdays, lamb and roast veggie on Wednesday, etc. Take out all the guesswork, it saves time and the 5’o’clock stress out. Everyone loves Friday pizza nights. If you have older children, they can be in charge of that one night a week. It can also be a great way to fit in bonding time together. 

Every family is going to be different on what they prioritise and can adapt into the daily grind, but these seemingly small titbits accumulate into your overall well-being. It’s about creating the environment that’s best going to support you; bubba; your partner; and those you call family, to get through the rougher patches of your journey without being worse for wear!