When we go through a major life event like having a baby, there’s not just the “little fact” that our lives have changed completely, but we can feel a range of emotions, whether it’s exhaustion, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed. Adjusting to our new role as a parent is not going to happen overnight, but there are things we can do to feel better in ourselves after having a baby. These include some of the following:
Allowing Yourself the Luxury of Treats
The weeks and months following childbirth are a period of intense recovery, acclimatization, and exhaustion, so it’s safe to say we’re not feeling our rosiest. It’s at this point where you are finding your feet and learning from your mistakes while also having to endure the worst night’s sleep you’ve ever had. This is why you deserve to treat yourself at this point. You might think that at this juncture you don’t see the point of treating yourself to something like clothing, especially when you’ve got major goals to lose that post-baby weight, but this is where suppliers like the Hometown Heritage Clothing’s plus size boutique can help by providing fashionable clothing while also ensuring that you are feeling comfortable in yourself. We can feel like we shouldn’t treat ourselves, but this is the perfect point to do so!
Dealing With a Loss of Identity
Having a baby is the biggest change to our lives. You’ve got to change your approach to working, your financial priorities, your self-care, and all of these things can have an impact on your confidence and your time, resulting in feeling sad or lost. Many parents feel guilty, and this change in identity can be a massive surprise but a loss of identity is something many parents feel. You should think about some of the following:
Stop Comparing
It’s not just about comparing ourselves to other parents who appear like they’ve got a handle on everything, but it’s also about not comparing ourselves to ourselves. We can miss some of the things we did before we had a baby, but looking back on these things can fuel the fire. Many parents think that as soon as they have a child, it stops them from having fun. There are a number of things that have changed, which means your lifestyle will change too, and rather than thinking that everything has altered for the worse, think about being a parent as a whole new adventure.
Making Time for Self-care
We’ve all uttered the mantra “there’s no time.” The problem is when we believe there is no time, we end up neglecting ourselves in favor of whatever everybody else needs. Self-care involves making time for something that improves your well-being. It could be something very simple, for example, baking or going for a walk. The most important thing is that you make time for it. When we neglect ourselves, we believe that it’s okay to do it to ourselves, but we wouldn’t dare do it to someone else!
Think About How Your Baby Has Changed You for the Better
It’s important to not see this as a negative thing. While life may require a lot more planning, there are things about having a baby that forces you out of your comfort zone. There’s nothing quite like your first full night without sleep to make you realize how much inner strength you have. Being a parent is something that some people take to because they finally have that sense of purpose, but others can struggle with it, especially father figures because they can feel like they’re not able to contribute in the same way, even though they want to. When you think about how your baby has changed you, this gives you a focus on building a solid bond with them instead of obsessing about the negatives.
Remember, You Are Not on Your Own
Sometimes a little dose of reality can be all we need to make us feel like we’ve got it pretty good. It can always feel tough, especially during those first few weeks and months, but there is always help. It’s also important to note that people want to help. There could be a grandparent that may tell you how to do things, but as frustrating as this might be, they actually are doing this because they want to help. It’s about you choosing what will be helpful for you in that moment.
Taking time to be with other parents and connecting with new parents via a support group or online can help you feel less isolated. We can all feel like we’re on our own, even when we’re in a big family. In fact, it can be easier to feel isolated in this environment because you can lose yourself amongst a big group of people, but when you feel like this, you should never be afraid to ask for help.
There will always be plenty of help with things like chores, but even if you just need someone to talk to, you shouldn’t feel backward in coming forward. We can all feel silly that we’re feeling the way we are. It’s easy for people from the outside to judge us, and this is why if we are trying to thrive during life’s challenges, having that opportunity to vent or get the thoughts out of our heads to achieve a new perspective will make a bigger difference.
We can feel that we are supposed to lose ourselves in motherhood, but there are plenty of people who go in the other direction and take very little time off, in fact, may go back to work a couple of weeks after having a baby because this is what drives them. There is no right or wrong. But you have to remember that if you lose yourself in the role of parenting, it can feel like you are doing the right thing but you have to be careful that this doesn’t erode your sense of self. Learning to feel better in yourself after having a baby can take time, but with perseverance, you will get there.
Leave a Reply