Before I became a mom, I always heard about moms who never had a chance to shower because they were busy with their babies. I heard about moms who were constantly frazzled, never taking a moment for themselves. Before you become a mom, it’s hard to fully understand this. You don’t understand the despair when you hear your baby waking up early from their nap, crying, making you rush to their room with shampoo in your hair because you were in the shower. Basically, there’s a lack of self care. And not just with your physical self, but emotional and mental as well.
Every month, I team up with a few of my favorite bloggers to talk about topics on motherhood. This month, I wanted to talk about self care. I think it’s so important, and a lot of moms(especially new moms) neglect themselves.
1- Has your view on self care changed since becoming a parent? If yes, how? Definitely. I think that now, I feel guilty when I want to take care of myself. Like all of my focus should be on my baby.
2- How do you make time for self care as a mom? This is something I’m constantly working on. Most of the time, I don’t feel like I can unless my husband is home to help with the baby. I’m getting better at splitting my attention. When the baby naps, that’s my time to take care of myself.
3- What are your favorite ways to practice self care? Honestly, I feel best about myself if I have a chance to get my lashes and nails done. I know that sounds vain. But it’s something I do every two weeks, and only takes up a few hours. The girl who does my lashes is my best friend, so I love knowing I have some girl time coming up, even if she’s doing my lashes. And then I feel more put together throughout the week, which makes me happier, and honestly, that makes me a better mom.
4- How do you overcome mom guilt when you do take a few minutes to yourself? I’ll let you know when I master this one, haha. I think us moms feel like it’s wrong for us to do anything unless it’s for our babies. It’s helped me to remember that if I take care of myself, I’ll be more emotionally present for my son. Also, it helps to have a loving husband who encourages you to take time for yourself.
5- What advice would you give to moms that struggle with self care? I would say, work slowly. If you struggle with mom guilt, don’t go spend 3 hours on yourself, because you won’t enjoy it. Just take a few minutes; go on a walk alone, go to the store alone, invite a girlfriend over and have your spouse take the baby for a while. Start slow, but make sure you take care of yourself. It helped me to realize that I’m a better mom if I practice self care.
Don’t forget to check out the other amazing ladies in this month’s Let’s Talk Motherhood Series.
Mckell – www.lifeasmrswilson.com
Mel – www.mel-leblanc.com
Lauryn – www.thissublimelife.com
Rachel – www.momatwenty.wordpress.com