After baby comes, what’s next?
By Kerrie McLoughlin
There’s so much more to bouncing back after having a baby than simply losing baby weight. I’ve been there and want you to know that you CAN not only get back to yourself, but you can become a BETTER version of you! Read on to see the 5 areas I found it important to focus on:
FRIENDS. Some of your friendships may experience strain after you’ve had your own baby. Communicate your feelings, and attempt to get out of the house alone with your best friends every now and then. As for energy-sappers and naysayers (those moms who attack your parenting choices): consider putting them in the Friend Deep Freeze. Replace them with the cool moms you’ll meet when you look up mom meet-up places online.
FAMILY. When my parents realized I was really serious about nursing and having a family bed, they wondered why I would ever do such a thing. But once they saw how the kids were thriving, they were on board. Hopefully you’re blessed with at least a few family members who offer encouraging advice. As for the rest, practice smiling and saying, “Thank you for that advice. I’ll think about it.”
MARRIAGE. Who is that guy you pass in the hallway in the middle of the night? Whether you are dying for a weekly date night, or neither of you want to leave your new bundle at all just yet, you are perfectly normal. Rise to the challenge of sneaking time together while the baby sleeps. And if you need to hire a sitter and completely get away together as a couple, don’t let anyone make you feel guilty about it.
BODY. It’s not always easy to pop in an exercise DVD and work out on only a couple hours of sleep. Why rush off the pounds when your body needs time to heal, and you need time to focus on your baby? Since you probably don’t have access to a trainer, a chef and a team of nannies, once your baby is mobile, you get mobile, too. Push that little punkin on swings and in his stroller, chase him around, walk after baby once he’s mobile, play lots of hide and seek. The days of long workouts may be over temporarily, so grab your exercise wherever and whenever you can get it!
SPIRIT. Take your laptop to a coffee shop, grab a drink and journal. Spend time with girlfriends, exercise alone, or just drive around in your car listening to music at full blast like you did pre-baby. If you aren’t big on going out with the girls, use that time off to do something else you love. It can be productive, crafty (scrapbooking), money making (part-time job) or something else (like shopping, a.k.a. “retail therapy” or going to church alone sometimes).
Kerrie McLoughlin (TheKerrieShow.com) raises 5 kids while trying to go easy on herself.
Image credit: onebirthatatime.com