Self Care
As a new mom, I never really did things for myself. (Yes, even though my babe is 7 months old, I still consider myself as a new mom.) I wouldn’t say I let myself go, per se. I would just say I haven’t done anything nice for myself.
People tell me that “Self Care” is important and I should do things without my LO (little one) without any guilt. But I do feel guilty. I’m already back at work full time, so the time I have with my LO is limited. I even pushed her bedtime out an hour so I can have that extra hour with her.
I’m still trying to figure out how to conquer this mom guilt. If any of you figured it out, by all means, please educate me. I went on a picnic with a couple of my close friends from work. Left the baby at my parents house. I had a really amazing time, but during the 3 hours I was there, I couldn’t help but think that I should go now. When I picked up my daughter, I thought that I should have been with her. Ugh! This mom guilt!
Self care isn’t having to choose a nice warm bubble bath or sleeping early. Self care isn’t about painting your nails, but trying to rush because you need to be in bed soon to get some sleep. For some reason I felt like that’s the only way I can do something nice for myself. Time hasn’t been on my side. I work 8-10 hours a day, I would pick up my LO by 5pm, I spend time with her until I put her to bed at 7:30pm, then after she’s put down there are extra things I have to do like wash all her bottles and laundry.
I do believe “Self Care” is important. I do know that when we do treat ourselves without having any guilt, we’re really just trying to clear our minds and getting ready for the next day. After giving birth, I was silent about my PPD. I don’t really talk about it, I just find ways to not think about it. I noticed that when I do something for myself, my PPD is starting to go away.
I had a hard time at first with giving myself a little TLC that my husband had to help me figure it out. He said he had a surprise for me on the upcoming weekend. He works nights so he took the night off so he can have a lot of energy to take care of our LO the next day. He said my appointment would last 3-5 hours. At first I was mortified! Since we have the opposite work schedules, he’s never been with our daughter for more than an hour by himself. I felt bad for asking if I should drop Koa off at my parents house. He told me not to worry and just enjoy myself. I left and when I went to my appointment, my husband sends me a photo of her sleeping on his chest. When I saw the picture, my body instantly went on relax mode. That was the first time I’ve done something for myself without any guilt. So ladies, it took me a while to figure this out, but always remember - SELF CARE IS NOT SELFISH!
Lastly, I do want to thank my husband. I brought up that I wanted to do microblading (eyebrow tattoo) about 3 years ago, so I’m surprised he remembered. Now I can really say that my eyebrows are on fleek! (Do people still say that?)
Koa.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a photo of my little one. She is now 7 months old and she is thriving.
Happy.
Everyone always asks if Koa is always happy. The answer is Yes.
