Almost every new mom experiences frequent mood swings after giving birth. They may feel joy at first, but as reality sinks in, anxiety, fear, and other negative emotions will start blooming in them.
Society and social media may paint motherhood in a glorious picture, depicting it as an experience with nothing but beauty and fulfillment. But in fact, pregnancy and motherhood are hardly beautiful at all. Fulfilling, absolutely, but the pains, discomforts, and the difficulty of fitting into their new role are incredibly taxing. It explains why many moms fall into postpartum depression, or, in severe cases, postpartum psychosis.
Postpartum depression or “baby blues” is very real, and an actual complication after birth, not merely a flaw or weakness. Not all moms may experience it, but all of them will definitely feel some type of emptiness after giving birth. After all, the birth of their baby changes everything in their lives — their body, sleep schedule, health, and self-care routine.
Sadly, many new moms forget about the last, self-care routine, because of mom guilt. As much as they’d love to have time for themselves, even for just five minutes, they’d feel guilty as soon as they start walking away from their newborn. But every mom needs to maintain their self-care routine, even if it can’t be the same as before anymore.
Make Your Husbands Involved
If you’re a married mom, let your husband co-parent and be involved with childcare as much as you are. Typical new dads may fail at this, or at most, perform lousily. But today’s generation of moms are lucky, with men now more open to parenting and household duties.
If you’re handling middle-of-the-night feeding and diaper changes, have your husband in charge of the morning feed. You’ll get at least an extra 30 minutes of sleep as a result. If you’re breastfeeding, consider pumping to have your newborn accustomed to bottle feeding too. Teach your husband to wear a newborn sling if he’ll be busy with his other morning duties, like making coffee and getting ready for work. He can also put the baby in a Moses basket or baby bouncer with straps on, so he can carry on with his day while observing dad duties.
Co-parenting will change your relationship, especially if you’re both inexperienced in parenthood. But it’ll give you the me-time you deserve, however short. And when you’re at your best as a new mom, you will glow and find yourself enjoying the journey despite the stress. Your husband may also notice and feel happier to help you as a result.
Dress Up and Have Date Nights
The arrival of your baby shouldn’t dampen the fire of your marriage. After a few months, when your baby is finally sleeping more and feeding less, make time for dressing up and having a date night, even if it’s just at home.
If you loved wearing makeup before being a mom, glam yourself up on a night date, or when you’re meeting your girlfriends for brunch. Makeup will boost your confidence, and make you feel like yourself again after months of nursing and just being a mom. Snap a selfie too, and upload it on social media like you usually did before giving birth. Do it to empower other moms, and to reassure them that prioritizing themselves once in a while is nothing to be ashamed of.
Bring Back Your Glow
Skincare routine and makeup aren’t the only ways to bringing back your glow. General self-care is the key to it, and it involves doing what you love, building a support network, and having time for yourself. Of course, if you want to invest more in your outer glow, that’s totally fine too. Breastfeeding, after all, changes your body, from making your boobs lopsided to making your hair brittle. But the most serious effect of nursing is bone loss. Your baby takes your calcium, so your bones lose nutrition. Your teeth and gums are especially at risk, as research shows that lack of calcium while breastfeeding can lead to gum disease.
Considering that your smile makes up the majority of your outer beauty, pay more attention to your teeth and overall oral health. If you can’t make a dental appointment, opt for safe, DIY solutions like the best LED teeth whitening kit, calcium supplements, and toothpaste that won’t break you out.
If you’re having breastfeeding problems, seek advice from a lactation consultant. They’ll teach you how to position your newborn correctly, and to take care of your boobs as it constantly produces milk.
Your glow shouldn’t expire after giving birth, so don’t forget about yourself as you care for your newborn. You’re doing a great job at motherhood, hence you deserve a good amount of TLC like your baby. Sleep and rest as much as you can, then make small steps toward bringing back (or enhancing) or pre-pregnancy glow.
