7 Important Ways To Take Care Of Yourself First As A New Mom

With all you have to do as a mom, it’s hard to fill your own tank. Here are 7 ways to take care of yourself first so you can care for the ones you love. Plus, get access to the free “5 Days To Positive Thinking” email challenge!

This is the sixth post in the New Mom Encouragement Series! Be sure to check out the other posts below!

7 Important Ways To Take Care Of Yourself First As A New Mom

As I drove away from the curb, I had a strange feeling.

“Am I leaving someone behind?” I thought. “Did I forget to do something important? Something seems off.”

I breathed in with the exhaustion of a weary mom and rolled my shoulders back, feeling the tightness in my shoulder blades.

Something was definitely weird. But even though it felt wrong, it was actually very right.

I exhaled a huge sigh of relief, a big smile lighting up the inside of my empty Highlander.

I was heading off for 24 hours of free time– ME time— away from my kids and husband.

It was so surreal, I could barely stand it! How is this happening?! I rejoiced in excitement and disbelief.

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It’s hard as a new mom to get any time away from your responsibilities.

Mom life is 24-7, for 18+ years. It’s exciting and exhausting, fantastic and frustrating. Without any breaks, you can get to a point where you feel like a banana peel that’s being constantly run over by a steam roller.

We know as moms that we are supposed to love our families and make sacrifices for them.

But sometimes we forget that while we are to consider others are more important than ourselves, as it says in Philippians 2:3, we are also to take care of our minds, bodies and spirits.

In the following verse, it says in the Amplified version, “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4). It assumes that we do in fact love and care for ourselves.

7 Ways To Take Care Of Yourself First As A New Mom

I think one of the best ways we can love ourselves is to get some space and time away from our kids, even if it’s just mental space.

Your time away doesn’t have to be 24 hours like I got (that one time). That was something that won’t happen too often for any of us, though it’s amazing when it does!

Here are 6 ways we can take care of ourselves first in order to get a much-needed break.

1- Stimulate Mind, Body And/Or Soul

Carving out time to enhance and care for yourself physically, mentally or spiritually can be a huge benefit.

Carving out time to enhance and care for yourself physically, mentally or spiritually can be a huge benefit to a new mom. #newmom #selfcareformoms Share on X

Some examples:

Attend a workout class at a gym with a kids room
Join a Bible study with childcare
Take an online class in an area of interest that you can do after the kids are in bed (or when hubby can take over).
You can also hire a babysitter for an hour and a half to grab a non-interrupted coffee date with a friend.

It pays off later to grow and refresh as an individual, apart from your kids. Then you have more to give them!

When is the last time you read an actual (non-kid) book?

2- Start Small

If your spouse is resistant to or nervous about staying home with the kids, start small. Venture out with short trips for errands or a small grocery run. Keep your outings nearby, then as he gains confidence, venture further out for longer.

3- Advocate For Yourself

When I had my 24 glorious hours away, it wasn’t because my husband walked up and said, “Hey, I think you need to get away. Why don’t you get a hotel and take a day and night off.”

He might of had he known I was feeling so overtired and worn out. But amazingly, after 9+ years of marriage, he still can’t read my mind. Ha.

Instead, I had been dreaming about the idea of getting away and finally decided to throw the idea out there to see if he’d be ok with it. He was very supportive.

But he only had the chance to support me because I explained how I was feeling and what I thought would help me get refreshed.

Hubby was very supportive, but he only had the chance to support me because I explained how I was feeling and what I thought would help me get refreshed. #newmom #marriagecommunication Share on X

If had hadn’t have been up for 24 hours, we could have negotiated down to an amount of time that would work for both of us.

Compromise is key. You have to start somewhere, so if you want to get away for an hour or 10 hours, you first have to bring it up.

Advocating for yourself as a new mom could look like:

Asking hubby for 30 minutes in your room with no disruptions, while he supervises the kiddo.
Re-negotiating who does certain chores or the new baby responsibilities like diapers and extra laundry.
Rotating who is cooking or plan to get take out a few times per week.
Discussing putting aside some money so you can start shopping for some new non-maternity clothes.

4- Be Creative

Getting away doesn’t always have to cost money or be far away.

You could go on a walk or run, sit in a scenic spot, or even chill in your car for a bit. Hey, even grocery shopping kid-free is a breath of fresh air for those of us who usually cart our kids everywhere.

I homeschooled my oldest for kindergarten, so anytime I got to drive somewhere alone, I was like, “WOO HOOOOOO!” Kind of sad, but it’s the little things, right?

5- Process Your Guilt

It’s hard to leave your kids when they’re crying.

It’s painful to tell them they can’t come with you when they are begging to be with you. But you have to learn to be ok without them for a few minutes or hours.

And they will too.

Guilt can set in and it’s easy to think:

You’re not a good mother,
they need you now, you can’t go
you’re scarring them by leaving

But in most cases (only you know your particular situation and children), those negative voices in your head aren’t the truth.

It’s important to pay attention to your feelings, but once you think them through you will most likely find that the feelings are more based on your fears and insecurities than on any actual facts.

We can’t base our decisions on our fears. Take those feelings to Jesus and ask Him for His truth about the situation. He can free you from guilt and allow you to choose to go or stay from a position of peace.

To work toward having that peace of mind and conquering negativity, start the “5 Days To Positive Thinking” Email Challenge today! You can get access here:

6- Carve Some “You Time” Into Every Day

Even if you can’t take more than a few hours away from a nursing baby, you can start the habit of taking care of yourself first now.

Plan 15-30 minutes per day of “you time.” You could go for a walk, read a book or magazine, listen to a podcast, or take a long bath.

Making it a priority to keep your tank full now will help you stay healthy in mind, body and spirit for the long haul.

It will also set a standard of expectation for you and your spouse that you need this time away. Together, you can work to prioritize your well-being and keep the conversation open about how it’s going.

*Hot chocolate is my drink of choice =)* *What’s yours?*

7- God Can Give You Rest

When you can’t physically get away, know that God can fill your cup.

Throughout our marriage, my husband has deployed for many months while I solo-parented on the home front. I felt constantly drained taking care of everything around the house as well as trying to make life good for my sweet kiddos.

I had many moments of exhaustion, frustration, and feeling burned out.

But the Lord always gave me the strength for each day. He renewed me from the inside with His peace. My circumstances didn’t change, but I had a renewed spirit and a more positive mindset.

If you just can’t get away, know that He is powerful enough to refresh you regardless of your situation.

The next time you feel like you’ve been flattened by a steam roller, take some time to take care of yourself first before continuing the grind.

If you take time away to refresh your mind, body and spirit, you’ll be filled and restored to be able to give your family all the love they need.

START THE POSITIVE THINKING EMAIL CHALLENGE TODAY TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND STRENGTHEN YOUR MINDSET!