After the birth of my first child, I kind of lost myself. I was now responsible for this tiny person who always cried and didn’t sleep much at night. He became my life, and taking care of him was an around the clock job.
During that time, I could hardly fit in time to shower, let alone time to do anything I enjoyed. Initially, many of the things I once spent time doing or pursuing, I just no longer had time for. And eventually, they all fell by the wayside.
It took about a year after I gave birth, for me to start feeling like myself again. But after having my second child, I found myself back in the same boat.
It wasn’t until I started making it a priority to exercise that something just seemed to click for me. Then it was no longer just about losing the weight, but instead it was about how exercising made me feel. I loved that this was one thing that I could do for ME that actually made me happy.
And you know what? Since then, I’ve actually been able to slowly add even more things to the list of things I do for ME. I’ve been able to set goals for myself and actually accomplish them. Even while still taking care of my children and being as present as I can be.
Becoming a mother takes some getting used to.
And in the beginning, caring for your baby will take up most of your time. For a while, you may feel like you have lost parts of yourself. You may even deem yourself as just a “mom.” But that woman you were before is still there. The experience, patience and other skills you learn from first hand mom experience, only enhances the woman that you are.
Your life definitely looks different now, and being a mom is such an amazing role, but you are more than just a mom. And you will be able to get back to doing all the things that you loved before, and then some.
Finding your way back to you may feel impossible right now.
You may feel like there’s just not enough hours in the day, or that you just don’t have any time to do anything for yourself. So start out small. Think about little things that make you happy and try to enjoy those things as often as you can. It can be simple things like hot tea every morning to start your day. Morning workout routines. Trips to the beach once a week. Or reading a good book or taking a long shower in the evening to end your day.
As moms, we do a lot for our families. We extend ourselves in so many different directions. And as a result, we often put ourselves last on the list and experience burn out.
But your happiness, peace, and mental health matter too, and it’s okay to make YOU a priority sometimes. So do something that’s just for YOU and that makes YOU happy. You deserve it.
As the mother of a 2 month old, this is exactly what I needed! Glad to know that my experience as a new mom is a common one and that I am not alone!
You’re not alone at all! I’m so glad you were encouraged!