25 Simple Self Care Practices for Mum To Nourish Herself

"Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love" - Brené Brown

Motherhood is a time of learning to care for another little person, when your instincts tell you to do everything you can to keep your baby nourished and happy. With all of the things you're trying to do with caring for your baby it is fairly common to forget to take care of yourself.

I have hit rock bottom a few times now since becoming a Mum where I've had to step back and say "Woah! I can't do anything else but look after myself now or I'm going to completely lose it! "

I've read so many great books and articles on self care. I know that walking by myself in nature is important to me. I know that writing in my journal regularly helps me stay positive and grateful. I know that yoga makes my body feel great.

And yet I still neglect myself on a regular basis in favour of being 'productive' and getting things done or looking after the kids.

Lucky for me I have a great support network so I can take time out when I need it, even at the last minute.

Being able to reset and add these healthy self care habits back into my life is a regular cycle I go through.

This blog is full of tips and ideas that I have found useful over the 11 years I have been a mum, for when I hit rock bottom and need to hit reset again.

It is normal to need to reset and add more healthy habits into your life

Putting your "self love" time on the back burner so you can be everything and do everything for your baby is one of the most common problems we face as new mums. Previously you've probably never really had to worry about self care. It just happens naturally as you go about your life and make time for the things you love to do.

Once a baby comes along it is unbelievable how much of your time and energy they consume. In fact, it is not something you can really comprehend until it happens to you.

Suddenly someone else is your number one priority and you forget to make time for you.

Add in a little #MumGuilt and self care drops completely off your to do list.

You can only give your best if you've taken care of yourself

For some of us you will get to the very bottom of the barrel before realising that you need to take care of yourself first. When you run yourself down you end up with lower and lower levels of empathy and tolerance. 

You no longer are able to give anything of yourself because there is nothing left to give.

So how can you look after yourself?

When you're operating on no sleep, no energy and no spare time how on earth can you take care of yourself?
There is no one answer for anyone. Developing a self care plan that suits you and your preferences is the best way forward. Some people might prefer to get a massage, or get their nails done, and other people might need to spend time gardening, or writing in a journal. 

There is a difference between mindless 'numbing' activities such as watching TV or reading a book and enriching activities like painting or journaling, and both have their place in your mental self care plan.

Sleep makes a HUGE difference

Lack of sleep is an insidious change where you feel ok and over a long period of time you can operate with a less sleep. However, you are more likely to feel depressed, to choose high sugar foods, and to feel too overwhelmed to make good choices like exercising. 

A lot of parents find they stay up late once children are in bed so they can have some down time, however if you end up with chronic sleep deprivation your overall quality of life starts to decline.

How do you prioritise sleep when you have a newborn?  The secret is to share the load. Some ideas include:

• Ask someone to take your baby for a walk early in the morning so you can grab an extra hour or two of sleep. 
• Go to bed early whenever you get the chance, and learn to nap during the day. This can take a few days for your body to get used to napping during the day, but if you lie in a darkened room at roughly the same time every day and meditate or lie quietly then your body clock starts to set itself to rest during this time and it gets easier
• Use a sleep aid to create red light, and aromatherapy and even pink noise to help create sleep cues for you and your baby to sleep easier. We like the Aroma Snooze Diffuser.
• Do whatever you need to make night time wakings easier. This might include removing clocks from your room, moving baby to sleep in a co-sleeper next to you so you don't have to get out of bed, or just throwing a towel over a wet spot at night instead of getting up to change the sheets!!!

Getting Outdoors

When you're taking care of a newborn baby it is easy to end up inside all the time. You're trying to get baby to sleep in the bedroom, you're breastfeeding on the couch and you're playing on the rug. 

Spending time in a green space is a well documented way to lift your spirits and revitalise yourself. Try these ideas:

• Put baby in a baby carrier or pram and go for a walk around the block
• Look out a window or sit outside when you're breastfeeding and actively listen to the sounds of nature and look at the greenery instead of your phone
• Take your shoes off and walk barefoot on the grass and concentrate on the feeling of the earth underneath you
• Have a picnic outdoors - babies love to look up at trees!

Gut Health

As a breastfeeding mum or pregnant mum you might find you have a voracious appetite and you tend to reach for the high energy foods like sugar and caffeine to get you through the day. 

It is so important to nourish your body with a balanced diet with good fats, carbs and protein. Lots of vegetables make a difference too. Some ideas that can help:

• Try a good quality probiotic to help with overall gut health and milk quality for you and baby. We like the Qiara Probiotics
• A healthy smoothie can be an easy way to start your day. Add collagen supplement or other protein supplement to help replenish your body. We like the Collagen Beauty supplements.
• Have healthy snacks in easy reach in the fridge like boiled eggs or cooked chicken, avocado you can spread on vitaweats, or hummos with pre-cut carrot sticks
• Try to eat small snacks throughout the day so you don't get overly hungry

Exercise

If you've just had a baby then you might feel a bit bruised and battered and exercise might be at the very end of your priority list. 

Some ideas for incorporating more movement in your day:

• When you get your clearance at 6 weeks post partum it is nice to be able to go for walks outside to move your body and get some fresh air. 
• Once your baby gets a little older it is great to leave bub with someone and enjoy an exercise class or walk by yourself
• If it is hard to get time for yourself then try an exercise class you can do in your living room. 
• Instead of catching up with mums for coffee, try catching up for a group walk or group exercise class together
• Stretch! Including some relaxing stretching like yoga or just any stretching can help you work out any kinks and create some more down time

Mental Self Care

The last thing you instinctively want to do is sit down and write in your journal. It can feel as though you have a to do list a mile long and no time to spare for something so frivolous! 

However taking time for your mental health can help you make better decisions in other areas of your life and can help you maintain perspective and calm in trying situations. Try some of these little exercises and see which ones work for you: 

• Jot down three things you are grateful for in a journal every night
• Consciously choose to spend more time with friends who lift your spirits and less time with people who leave you feeling negative or drained
• Create an upbeat playlist that you love to dance to and put it on to jive away your bad mood! 
• Unfollow any people or social media accounts that leave you feeling "less" or inadequate
• Take time to body scan yourself through the day - take a breathe and release tension from your shoulders or where-ever you carry it
• Use aromatherapy to create moments of calm in your day, for example in the evening you might put on a calming or relaxing scent, turn off any screens and dim the lights to create a relaxing atmosphere for winding down before bed. 
• Try using a roll on for your wrists or temples to create moments of calm in your day
• Put on a guided meditation to listen to if you are lying next to your child waiting for them to fall asleep

At the end of the day it is about creating habits and practices that help you feel better overall. So any time you do something check in with yourself after wards and see how you're feeling. 

Ask yourself:

1. Did it make you feel good afterwards - like your body, mind or soul have been nourished and cared for?

2. Or did it feel good at the time, but you feel awful afterwards?

Obviously we want to incorporate more things that fall into the first category and less things that fall into the second. Create time and space in your weekly routine for those things that help you feel nourished and cared for.

Which of these ideas are you going to try out?

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About the Author

Corryn is a lover of coffee, hugs and sunshine. Mum of 3 and founder of Milk and Love, Corryn loves chatting to new mums and pregnant mums. She has extensive breastfeeding experience, and is an advocate for gentle parenting, cosleeping and looking after Mum's mental health...  read more about Corryn here