There’s no doubt, having a child is a uniquely beautiful moment in life, but for me there was no getting away from the fact that having a child changed who I was as an individual, altered my reality and left me feeling very lost for a very long time.
My postpartum journey was turbulent, I had a pretty traumatic birth and my son suffered with a few health issues early on and was a very bad sleeper for a very long time. Everyone’s journey is different, and even those who have an “easy” baby, don’t necessarily have an “easy” ride.
It’s so so easy to neglect yourself when you’re in the trenches of postpartum. But remember, humans need food, clothing, air, shelter and sleep to survive, so if the sleep part is lacking, the least you can do is focus on the rest. Here’s some things that made me feel human again after feeling like a zombie for so long…
Staying hydrated
One thing that really helped me keep on top of drinking water was committing to a gigantic water bottle. I got into a routine of filling it up in the morning, and it helped me stay accountable for the rest of the day. You can get these from tons of places, but this one from Stanley is super on trend at the moment, it is a bit on the pricey side at £44.99 but there are loads of cost effective similar options like this cute dupe from Ego.
Eating healthily
Food is another biggie. Try not to succumb to the McD’s every day lifestyle… after a while you'll feel terrible. It’s so easy to settle for the fast food/takeaway option (I know from experience) but after a while you will feel horrible. It’s important that you are eating wholesome and nutritious meals to fuel you properly and help avoid burnout. Some of the things that helped me with this were…
Batch cooking prior to my son's birth to make sure my freezer was full of healthy home cooked meals that I could easily reach for when I didn’t feel like cooking.
Saying “yes” to friends, relatives and neighbour's who offer to bring round a dish of something homemade!
If you’re going to order in, I highly recommend the Katsu Salad from Wagamama, it’s packed with loads of veggies and topped with crispy chicken and slathered with a curry dressing, yum. But anything from Waga is a yes from me! For extra convenience, you can get it on deliveroo for those “I simply can’t leave the house days”.
Fresh air
I know, some days leaving your house feels worse than climbing Mount Everest, but I promise you, getting outside in the fresh air (even if you only make it to the end of your road) will do you a world of good. You’ll return feeling refreshed and with any luck, your little one might be sleeping when you get back so you can reward yourself with a cuppa in peace. Check out CafePod on the cubbi app for discounts on the perfect brew!
Alone time
Trust me, leaving your baby isn’t easy. I remember the first time I left my son I felt like I was going to be physically sick and I spent the whole time thinking and worrying about him. But he was, of course, fine. The more I did it, the less nervous I became and the value of that alone time increased even more because I got to a point where I was able to completely decompress, in the knowledge that my son was safe and happy with his grandparents for a few hours.
Community
Having a community of like minded mummy friends was literally a life saver. People you can vent to without fear of judgment, who understand what you’re going through and are going through it at the same time. So grab your mummy friends and get 25% off coffees with tastecard, with a free 90 day trial on the cubbi app!
Treat yourself!
Whether it’s a generous slab of cake, or a new pair of jeans leggings… treat yourself, because you deserve it. Remember you did just spend 9 whole months growing a little human and bringing it into this world!
Even after doing all the above, it’s likely you won’t feel like yourself for a while after your little bubba makes their arrival. But it’s okay mama, embrace the chaos and remember, you’re not going through this alone. You will get there, we all do. Comment below some of the things you did to make yourself feel human again.
-Olivia
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