You’re postpartum and in the thick of learning how to be a mom. You may be knee high in dirty diapers, laundry, to-do, you name it. There is a baby that always needs your attention. Or if this isn’t your first child, maybe a toddler or two also constantly at your feet.
Being a mother is so beautiful, so fulfilling, and so God-honoring. And those early years are some of the most precious. You are shaping your little one’s childhood and teaching them to live faithfully in this world.
The early stages of motherhood are beautiful but are also hard. And it can be difficult to know how to take care of yourself in this season of life.
You may have little time to yourself. And the moments you do have you just want to sit or sleep. That’s not bad and is a great way to take care of yourself.
When you don’t take time to yourself or know how to take care of yourself to control your emotions in this season you may end up frustrated, overwhelmed, bitter, and angered at your children. And that is not what we want or what God wants for us.
So I want to give you some things you can do to help yourself overall in these early stages of motherhood that will hopefully help you be the mother that you want to be and so you know how to care for yourself during those few moments you have during your day.
Take a B complex vitamin.
This is what I always suggest when someone is having a hard time controlling their emotions and are just “mad at the world.” Vitamin B is a mood booster that helps to regulate your emotions. This isn’t medical advice but just my experience.
Fill the diffuser with stress relieving and happy oils.
Oils such as orange, lime, lemon, peppermint, lavender, vanilla, and frankincense are all mood boosters. So fill your diffuser or even apply them to get some stress relief.
Have something to look forward to in your day.
Whether that is a warm drink, a small treat, your favorite show, or a skin care routine, have something small that you can incorporate into your day and look forward to.
Spend time with God.
This will change your motherhood journey. We cannot do any of this without the Lord. And we need to set apart time to dig into His Word, spend time in prayer, and find the quiet place with Him. Then you will see your life and motherhood transform.
Anoint your children.
I will suggest that you do this from time to time or weekly. But on those hard days take time to pray over and anoint your kids. When you are all having a difficult day and you are on “whits end” stop and pray for your kids and your heart will change.
Do all the practical things.
And by that I mean drink water, get outside, get sunshine, stretch, and exercise. All the things you always hear about. But they really do help you physically keep going.
Be okay with silence.
And teach your kids to be okay with it too. This world is full of noise and it’s so difficult to just be okay with silence. But it will help you not to get overstimulated and stressed out when you already have a lot to do.
Learn to manage your time.
This will help your days to run smoother and you to get less stressed. Especially if you work from home or have a lot of other responsibilities besides watching little ones, this will help you so much.
Find help and community.
Not everyone will have this opportunity but if you do you’re tremendously blessed. If there are people that can help you in this season, whether that’s babysitting, cleaning, or just fellowship, see if you can get them to help you get through the early stages of motherhood.
Caring for yourself in the early stages of motherhood may not look like taking hours to yourself, going to the spa, getting a break from day to day life, or even finding a long night routine to wind down at the end of the day.
But there are small things that you can do overall each day to take care of yourself and your family. And hopefully help you be the mother you want to be in this difficult season.
Also don’t forget that in the early stages of motherhood things are constantly changing. One week will not look like the next. So hope in the Lord and allow Him to help you through this journey.
In His amazing love,
Hannah Marie
