The Importance of Self-Care During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Nurturing the Nurturer is not selfish, it is vital.

As an expectant or new mom, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of caring for your baby and tending to everyone else's needs. In our modern-day world we tend to forget that taking care of everything else starts with taking care of ourselves. Self-care is not selfish; it's a vital component of our overall well-being.

Why Self-Care Matters:

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are a time of significant change and transformation. In pregnancy our bodies change, our hormones shift and not in a linear fashion, our pregnancy brain will have us putting our keys in the fridge and drinking pickle juice straight from the jar. In postpartum our whole world turns around and we all experience it differently, but it lasts a whole lot longer than 6 weeks – recent studies have even shown that for a full physical, mental, and spiritual reboot it takes 7 years 🫠 Becoming a mom is a time of immense joy and transformation, but it can also be overwhelming and isolating. Self-care is essential for finding balance and cultivating a positive mindset. Taking care of yourself, leaning on your support system will allow you to recharge, reduce stress, and better care for your baby and family.

Self-Care Practices for Moms:

In the eat or sleep or shower phase of postpartum one of the first things we give up on are self-care routines and practices. To not lose ourselves we need to make time for ourselves. You are not going to be able to do all your routines every day and that is okay! Here are some simple things you can take a few minutes to do when you need a reset:

1- Do a full body skincare routine: We often remember to take care of our skin during pregnancy but let it fend for itself during postpartum. Pampering your skin with gentle and nourishing products can provide a sense of relaxation and rejuvenation. Develop a simple skincare routine that suits your needs and includes products designed specifically for pregnancy and postpartum skin. My go to is to use a pregnancy body oil all over my body after every shower. Quick, easy and gets me reconnected with my own skin.

2- Relaxation exercises and breathing: Moving your body daily can become very difficult in pregnancy and postpartum. Prenatal yoga is often a fan favorite, but breath work and meditation are practices that we can all do even while bedridden and they have incredible health benefits. These practices all help alleviate stress, promote mindfulness, and connect with your body and baby.

3- Mental Health: This one may be the most important of them all. Nurture your mental well-being first and foremost. The mental health stigma our culture has can be very detrimental to expecting and new moms alike. Lean on and seek support from loved ones, join support groups, go to therapy. There is nothing wrong with asking for help, I even go to the mommy and me group coffee dates without my kids sometimes. I go for myself. Motherhood is not intended to be done alone. The biggest lesson I learned in postpartum was to ask for the help when I was STARTING to struggle and not wait until my breaking point. We know you can do it all, but you don’t have to!

This is great but HOW do you Incorporate self-care into a busy schedule?

Being a mom often means juggling multiple responsibilities, making it crucial to find ways to incorporate self-care into your busy life. Here are some tips:

1- Set Boundaries: Learn to say no and prioritize your well-being. No is a full sentence and creating boundaries that allow you to allocate time for your self-care is a perfectly valid reason for saying no, whether it is to friends, family, or work. Mama taking care of herself is a guilt free card to happiness for the whole family. I personally said no to visitors in the first month with my newborn, I had my support system close and everyone else could wait.

2- Small Moments of Self-Care: Find opportunities throughout the day to indulge in self-care, even if it's just a few minutes. This can include enjoying a cup of tea, reading a book, or taking a relaxing bath. 5 minutes of a breath-work meditation sitting in the shower is my go-to.

3- Utilise Your Self-Care Mama Bag: Take it to the spa, get into your bamboo robe and slip on your slippers, order a tea, and read a book while you wait for your massage. This is the perfect self-care day. If you don’t make it to the spa, bring the spa to you. Hand baby over to papa and take a relaxing bath, put on your calm playlist, light a candle, wrap yourself up in your robe and have a hot tea curled up on the couch.

We want to know your self-care rituals.

We believe that sharing experiences and supporting each other is also an essential part of the self-care ritual. The Mamahood is here to be a safe place for building a strong community. We encourage you to share your favorite self-care rituals and tricks to find the time for them in the comments section. Let's inspire and uplift one another.

Self-care is not a luxury; it's a necessity for every mom-to-be and new mom. By prioritising self-care during pregnancy and the postpartum period, you can nurture your own well-being and be better equipped to care for your baby and family. Remember, you are forever deserving of unconditional love, care and attention too. We encourage you to explore various self-care practices, find the ones that work for you and incorporate them into your routine. Putting our wellbeing first is at the core of all our product designs and offerings, if you do not know where to start, start with one of our pre-packed mama bags . Together, let's create a community that supports, uplifts, and celebrates the importance of self-care in motherhood.