I’m sure you’ve heard that it can take up to a year to balance your hormones after birth. During that year, you also have a tiny human relying on you for every little thing. It’s so hard trying to balance every aspect of your life when this is the case. So you’re hormonal, sleep deprived, stressed out, and so much more. It’s hard to feel like yourself, and quite honestly, you might have a hard time recognizing yourself sometimes. If you’re looking for ways to get back to feeling like the old you after having a baby, here’s some of the things that helped me:
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Spend time in nature:
Get outside! Being in the fresh air can be so beneficial for you and your baby. Putting my son in his stroller for daily walks were some of the only moments I really felt like myself in the first few months postpartum. It’s also a really great thing to do since you don’t have to feel guilty about taking you time! Your baby can come with you and also get some vitamin d and fresh air.
Spend time with your friends:
Spending time with your friends, with or without the baby, can also be really beneficial. If there’s anybody that can make you feel like your old self again, it’s probably your best friend. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends to spend time with you and not just your new baby. Reminiscing over all your old adventures can be a fantastic reminder of who you are. I know life may look a little different now, but you still have the same people in it, just a new tiny friend to love too.
Go on dates with your partner:
If you can find someone to watch your baby, find time to go out on a date with your partner! Before you had a baby it was just the two of you. Remind yourselves, and each other, why you are so great together. Take the time to love each other instead of directing all that love and attention on your baby 100% of the time. Finding alone time for the two or you can do wonders for making you feel like your old self again.
Take pictures of yourself:
I know this sounds a little silly, but take lots of pictures of you with your baby! You are going to look different postpartum and you don’t want to be staring in the mirror wishing you looked like you did before. But if you have tons of new photos you love of yourself with your baby you won’t have to look back at old photos and be sad! You’ll be more grateful to be where you are now. You look beautiful now, and it’s hard not to love photos of yourself getting to love your new mini bestie.
Exercise:
Once you get cleared to exercise again, moving your body can make you feel so much better. As long as you don’t put unhealthy pressure on yourself to “bounce back”, then you can find so many benefits to working out. You’ll feel better, be more prepared to tackle the more active parts of parenting, and you’ll be overall healthier! If you aren’t sure how to get into exercising as a parent check out my post on working out while being a full time parent.
Get out of the house:
Going on small outings out of the house to do silly little things like grocery shopping can also be really helpful! It’s so easy to just have somebody else get your groceries or have them delivered. Yes, sometimes that’s amazing! But other times it will make you feel refreshed and remind you of the little tasks you used to do. This can help you feel like your life hasn’t changed all that much just because you had a baby.
Go on an adventure:
Go on big outings too! Find times to go on your type of adventure. That might be shopping, surfing, hiking, on a road trip, or just driving to a spot with a good sunset view. Whether you make it a family outing or a personal one find time to do things you love. Using these opportunities to remind yourself that you are an individual and not just a mom will bring you back to feeling like yourself.
Unplug from social media:
Comparing yourself to others is going to do nothing but make all the bad things worse. If you find yourself scrolling through social media and thinking you’re not doing things you should be, or missing the life you used to have, it might be time to unplug. As much as it’s nice to fill up nap time or nursing time with entertainment on our smart phones, a lot of times it hurts more than helps. Try deleting or limiting the time you spend on social media, and maybe even replace it with a healthier habit.
Try journaling:
Starting journaling as a form of mental care will help you be more in touch with what’s going on inside. This means you can identify exactly what it is that’s making you feel different from how you were. This doesn’t always mean it’s easy to fix, but it might at least give you an idea of where to start. For example, if you find yourself writing about how much you miss getting your nails done, maybe finding time to go get a manicure will help you feel more like yourself. You may not need a journal to discover things like that, but practicing keeping a journal will help you be more self aware.
Practice self-care:
Practicing self-care is another great way to feel like yourself again. Taking alone time to take care of yourself is sooo important as a new mom. The postpartum period requires so much TLC for new moms, and a lot of skip that part to care for our babies! This contributes to feeling like we don’t exist outside of being a mom. If you’re looking for ways to practice self-care try getting some face masks or bath bombs and relaxing by yourself for a little while. You can also check out Earth Mama Organics if you need some postpartum specific self-care since they offer an amazing postpartum package for moms including perineal spray and tea to help with your milk supply. Use code SIDNEY2024 to get 10% off!
Understand how you’ve changed:
Know that you’re not entirely the same person you were. This isn’t a bad thing! It’s actually probably an amazing thing, but that’s not always the easiest concept to grasp. Just because you aren’t the same person you used to be doesn’t mean you’re not yourself. You’re just growing as a person and entering a new phase of life. Congratulations on becoming a parent! Embrace the good parts of this new you, and let go of some of the things you’re holding onto that may not suit you anymore.