Taking care of mom…

This weekend we had some friends in town. They brought their precious new baby and we were so thrilled to see them. Its hard living in a new state, you really miss the familiar. As new moms do, we talked about our pregnancy, weight gain, delivery, etc…. My friend shared about the changes she had to make during pregnancy, mostly her eating habits and having to give up that yummy glorious wine. All for the better, she admits. This discussion got me to thinking, how we, as mothers care for ourselves. When we’re pregnant, most of us take good care of ourselves. We make sure we get enough nutrition, enough sleep, etc. so our baby will be healthy. After we have the baby we work day and night to ensure our baby still gets the nutrition it needs. But what happens to mom?

I have had friends that, after the baby was born, have starved themselves to lose the baby weight, exercised excessively, gotten back into smoking, lost the desire to work out… the list goes on. Why do we fall back into these habits (or start new ones) after working so hard to be healthy for the last 9-10 months of pregnancy…some even earlier, trying to conceive?

Why is it that we don’t all continue to ensure our own health? I'm sure there are some mom's that do, but I am definitely at fault. I find myself making bad snack choices at times. Starbucks is a daily habit…and sometimes a twice a day habit. I also find myself skipping out on my yoga b/c I’m tired or just have way too much to do (most of the time, both) However, my daughter makes it to swim, music, and her play dates. I make sure my daughter sees her pediatrician regularly and that all is okay. Me…well I finally made a Dr. appointment that was well overdue. And made it because my husband and in-laws talked me into it. Why is it that mom’s (most mom’s ) put themselves last? I’m not talking about finding time for the girl’s or date night, etc.. but finding time to care for our bodies and working to ensure that we are healthy? Lets face it, being a mother is a lifetime sentence, a true gift, but its forever. So shouldn’t we want to make sure that we are able to be here for as long as we can?

Now I know first hand that motherhood is hard. Sleepless nights, ongoing days. Geez, when the kid finally takes a nap, I’m running around trying to clean, cook, get my things done, and get some work done, catch up on emails, write a blog all in an hour or so! Then I have to run errands and make sure my daughter has her playtime…eat...that doesn’t leave much time for me. At times it seems that the more I have to do, the shorter the nap! I can’t even begin to imagine being a single mom and trying to get all this done. At least I have a helpful husband and great in-laws.  But whether its carving out time to plan healthy meals for the week, making that doctor appointment or taking a break and going for a walk with your baby…we have to think about our own health and well being.

Being a mother is tough and the most important job in the world. But if you truly put in the effort the paybacks are infinite, just not always immediate nor obvious! But being a mother also means we need to be there for our children, physically, emotionally, and mentally. But to do that, we must take care of our bodies, mind, and soul. We all need to work on ourselves at one point or another. Whether its eating better, getting rest, more exercise, finding someone to talk to, reconnecting with our husband, reconnecting with our spiritual side etc…its important. It’s important to you, to your family, and to your children’s future.

I have to thank my friend for sharing her experience with me. She seems to be doing an excellent job balancing being a fantastic new mommy and taking care of herself.  I wish her and every mommy out there the strength to keep working on you and your family and being the best you possibly can.

In Love, Laughter and Life.