How to Be a Healthy New Mom

Who were you before you held the title, "Mom"? You were a unique person with a unique personality, distinct likes and dislikes, hobbies and quirks!

For first time new moms, its easy to forget who you were before! You look in the mirror and see some unrecognizable woman staring back; a woman with a dirty do, her husband's huge over sized t-shirt (which is definitely not her color!) too tight tacky bike shorts from the 80's, and smudged mascara underneath her eyes. (oh nope, wait, those are just bags under her eyes from no sleep!)

Ok, I exaggerated quite a bit. Nobody even owns a pair of bike shorts anymore! But most new moms do forfeit many showers and many days of looking beautiful during those first few weeks. It's easy to neglect your needs when you have a new life you're fully responsible for. Part of being a mom is putting your baby's needs and wants first. New moms know if it's dinnertime and the baby needs to eat, mommy's dinner gets warmed up in the microwave. If the baby is sick, you automatically cancel your appointment with the personal trainer without giving it a second thought.

So, part of being a mom is putting your baby's needs and wants first; remember, this doesn't translate into denying your needs and wants! If you deny your basic needs and wants, you will be unhappy. Motherhood is a very wonderful, challenging, and fun experience! You want to allow yourself to enjoy it. So yes, put your baby's needs and wants first; but keep it in perspective.

The better you feel about yourself the better mom you will be! So, pamper yourself! Dye those roots. Try new shades of highlights. Indulge in the chocolate dessert. Treat yourself to the spa pedicure. Buy a few new pretty outfits which flatter your postpartum figure.

And most importantly, remember who you were before you became a mom. You are still the same person; only now, you have one extra little person to share your uniqueness with!

Maybe you were a writer working on the final draft for your first book. Don't trade your romance writing for writing down nap schedules! An interesting concept is incorporate your baby into your life rather than giving up your life for your baby! Were you and your husband part of a very experienced ballroom weekly dance class pre-baby? Do not cancel your memberships; your baby will love being your fill-in dance partner during the day! Were you an actress in community theater? Your little toddler will love dressing up and bringing mommy flowers on opening night!

You may be saying all this sounds great, but it just ain't happening within the first six months. This is when it is most important! You will resent your baby if you can no longer do the things you love. Besides, who says you can't do those things? Most modern husbands encourage their wives to continue pursuing their own interests once the baby is born. Men want a woman who still talks about things other than what is the best brand of baby diapers to buy.

So, make it a priority to continue being your unique self! If you journaled daily pre-baby, set aside the time to journal every day. If you were an aspiring writer, ask grandma to babysit a day or two a week and devote that time to writing. Don't stop pursuing your interests or talents for even a few days. Maybe you only sit outside and listen to music or write for ten minutes a day in the beginning! As your baby grows, you will have more and more time to devote to your interests. By then, you'll be so sad she is no longer a baby, you'll be begging to have another one!