If you’ve given birth recently, regardless if you’ve had babies before or if this is your first experience, chances are you might not be feeling your best. However, if you’re losing hope of ever looking and feeling as attractive and alluring as before, this article is for you, for we’re about to change that!
You’ve just brought a baby into this world — that by itself is a miracle. It’s your miracle. If you have been lucky enough to experience getting pregnant and delivering a child, feeling thankful will go a long way in helping you see how truly blessed you are and why there’s much more than what you may currently be seen in the mirror.
Feeling thankful brings about a degree of contentment and carries with it the positive vibes we humans need to look and feel better in any given situation. So, if you’ve given birth safely and are busy getting about your day as a new mom, look and feel much better instantly by reminding yourself to be grateful.
Mastering this attitude of gratitude will help you like yourself more and draw others to adore you too!
Avoid being an attention seeker
There is a really fine line between letting others help you with stuff you’re genuinely not ready to handle immediately after giving birth, such as walking the pet or mopping the entire house, for instance, and, attempting to appear more helpless than you are just for attention and added drama. People, including your hubby, friends, and relatives may entertain the latter, but it does nothing for your self-esteem as a new mom or your natural allure for that matter.
Do ask for help whenever you need it, and be sincere about it. Remember, a woman is always more attractive when she is sincere and drama-less, and a new mom is no exception.
Identify with wholesome reality
If you’ve just given birth, do yourselves a favour and disconnect with sources of unrealistic expectations such as the internet and most beauty magazines that seem to delight in running stories on how some famous women are able to slip into their tiny pre-baby jeans or a sexy outfit in mere days after giving birth. It’s no wonder women the world over have this disillusioned self-image of being fat and shapeless as new moms.
First and foremost, know this: Your body changes for a reason. All those extra fats stored away in various parts of your body is not to make you look fat or overweight, but to help you feed and nourish your baby. They will, in time, under normal, healthy conditions and good eating habits and regular exercise, give way to a more shapely and becoming figure.
Rapid weight loss at this point will not only jeopardize your long-term health, but it will also affect your ability to nurse successfully and comfortably too.
Whenever you feel down for not looking as fabulous as those famous women, remember that while they seemed to have lost weight ridiculously fast after having a baby, they were probably forced to do so for the sake of their careers, while you have the luxury of taking your time to ensure that your baby and you are healthy, happy and thriving.
It’s up to you to feel happy or unhappy
It is that simple, and it doesn’t matter what your disposition is, for it’s up to you to either wallow in discontentment or make the most of whatever mother nature has given you to start you off on your journey as a new mom. Question: Have you ever heard of a beautifully discontented person? Indeed not, but we have seen beautifully happy ones in various sizes, colours, and walks of life if you get our drift!
Re-evaluate your life as a new mom and do your best to see the positive side of everything, for that’s where true happiness exists — in being thankful for what you have and for the people who love you.
The point to keep in mind here is that you gain absolutely nothing by worrying about stuff that you cannot immediately change, like your weight for the first few months after birth, or the clothes that won’t fit just yet. While you may think that how you look on the outside is how others are judging you, here’s the actual truth of the matter — it’s the happy and cheery attitude of a new mom that helps to set off an inner glow that just cannot be compared to how fast she has slimmed down or if she has slimmed down at all. Now that we’ve cleared the air on that one, are you hungry by any chance, mama?
Eat like a queen
As a nursing mom, you’ll have to keep yourself adequately nourished to breastfeed your baby on demand. Hence, this is no time to be going on a depressing slimming diet (which rarely ever does anything other than make you look and feel weak, pale, moody, etc). Now, you can’t expect to look good when you don’t feel good, do you?
We’re not implying that you make it a habit to down an entire tub of ice-cream at one sitting, but rather, we’re pointing out that some well-timed indulgences may help to keep you attractively happy as a new mom.
So, enjoy your favourite foods and while you’re at it, drink lots of water too for hydration, and as an added step, don’t forget to take some probiotic supplements for good digestion and a glowing complexion.
Exercise — it’ll do you good!
It may seem much easier to go on a diet to lose weight than to start an exercise regime, especially when you’re busy seeing to your newborn as well as household chores and other stuff. Firstly though, when we say exercise, we don’t exactly mean a whole lot of complicated or rigorous moves! The fact is, you do not need that much physical exertion to make a difference in your metabolism, which in turn influences your weight loss. The key here is to be consistent!
All you need is 20 minutes of aerobic movements to get the ball rolling. You’ll soon find that exercising makes you feel really good — the ultimate secret of looking great!
Handle baby blues with care
Postpartum depression, also known as baby blues, is a common occurrence in new moms and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. This is a normal response to many of the hormonal changes, stress, and lack of sleep that go with raising a newborn and physically recovering from childbirth. Plus, (here we go again!), even celebrities go through it. For example, rock singer Alanis Morrisette recently declared that she’s currently going through a bout of baby blues which is ‘crippling’.
“I’m used to being the Rock of Gibraltar and am used to providing and protecting,” she said. Now, however, she finds herself easily devastated and it had her questioning her identity.
“It made me question everything. I’ve known myself to be an incredible decision-maker and a leader that people can rely on. Now, I can barely decide what to eat for dinner,” said the star, who is married to Mario “Souleye” Treadway.
Although easier said it’s important to realise that none of the feelings you experience during a bout of baby blues is your fault and that moms who feel down and out are not bad mothers!
Getting more sleep may help ease the situation with your hormones as well as your physical tiredness. Try to take some time for your own needs, like a nice long bath while hubby or someone else takes care of the baby. Other than a warm bath, any other relaxing activity such as a foot massage or even shopping will help lift your spirits and improve your overall mood.
Being a new mom is not easy, we know. Still, wallowing in self-pity never helped anyone. Instead, as humans, we need human interaction to thrive in many situations, and the postpartum period is one of them. So, do make time for recreation and social activities with friends, family, and your partner. A short period away from your infant who requires your constant care and attention can be helpfully distracting.
Having said all that, do pay due attention to your symptoms. It can be helpful to seek your doctor’s assistance during this time. Don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor if your baby blues get too much for you to handle or if you find yourself entertaining unduly scary thoughts.
