Essential Self-Care Tips for Breastfeeding Moms
By Leslie Campos
Breastfeeding is one of the most rewarding parts of new motherhood, but it’s also one of the most challenging. When your baby is waking every few hours to feed, you hardly have time to tackle household chores—let alone take care of yourself! But self-care is vital for the breastfeeding mother. Without self-care, your stress and fatigue will quickly mount until you reach burnout.
Luckily, there are several great ways to keep your cup full. Here are some other ways to take care of your needs while nourishing your newborn!
Treat Yourself to Comfortable Clothing
When you’re breastfeeding, the importance of comfortable clothing cannot be understated. Nursing clothes can make all the difference in your breastfeeding experience! Despite common belief, nursing clothes don’t have to be drab or unattractive. You can find so many great brands selling super-soft, supportive, and functional nursing clothing that look great too! Looking and feeling beautiful around the house will help your mood and self-esteem while you’re spending more time at home caring for a newborn, so don’t settle for your old sweatpants and a ratty T-shirt. Treat yourself to some new leggings or nursing pajamas that make you feel pretty!
Hire Help
As a new mom, you already have enough on your plate. If it’s in your budget, look to hire a helping hand, whether that’s a maid or gardening service. A disorganized and messy home can increase how much stress you feel, so relieve your tension by bringing in a professional organizer to help declutter your home.
Nourish Your Body
When it comes to diet, it’s easy to stress over all the conflicting advice out there. What’s safe to eat? What isn’t? Will your diet harm your baby? As long as you don’t overdo it, relax and eat what you like! According to Healthline, breastfeeding moms need to eat an additional 450 to 500 calories per day, so this is not the time to restrict your diet. The most important thing is that you get all the nutrients your body needs to replace those in your breast milk. If your diet is lacking nutrients, you will be left feeling depleted! Remember, staying hydrated is also incredibly important since you will lose a lot of water through your breastmilk.
Stay Active
When you’re exhausted and strapped-for-time, it can feel like years before you can go for another run. But gentle, sustainable exercise will keep you healthy and energized during your breastfeeding journey. Find ways to stay active, whether it means taking a daily walk around the block with your baby in tow or moving through a quick at-home workout in the living room.
Carve Out Time for You
As a new mom, “me time” is a foreign concept. But spending some time alone is incredibly important for your mental health, especially if you’re feeling “touched out.” Permit yourself to take some time for yourself every day, even if it’s just 10 to 15 minutes to shower. Most importantly, don’t feel guilty for needing some time away from your baby! Constantly feeling needed is incredibly exhausting, and every mom needs a few baby-free moments once in a while. If possible, leave your baby with your partner, take a walk, sit in a coffee shop, or go for a quiet drive. You’ll feel much more prepared to assume your role as a mom when you return!
Let Go of Your Expectations
One of the hardest parts of breastfeeding is coping with the pressure of being your baby’s only source of nutrition. Disappointment and guilt are widespread among new moms. When your expectations misalign with reality, it’s easy to feel like you’re doing everything wrong. But breastfeeding never goes as expected! Be kind to yourself and ignore the opinions of everyone around you—you’re bound to receive all kinds of unsolicited advice about what you and your baby should be doing. Only you know what’s right for you and your little one!
As you deal with the challenges of breastfeeding, know that it gets easier. You’ll soon fall into a routine that works for you and your baby, and you might even look forward to your breastfeeding sessions! Remember to care for yourself, and all will go well.
Having difficulties feeding your child? Talk Eat Play provides continuous educational services to parents to support their children’s feeding development. Register for an upcoming webinar!
