How to get a break as a new mom (from a reformed perfectionist)
Hi Mamma —
How are you doing today? I’m guessing exhausted comes to mind.
It is SO hard making the transition into motherhood. Sometimes you just want to scream, and you’re likely crying all the time anyway. Who said crying is for babies? I’m guessing they haven’t met many new moms. This gig is 24/7 and it’s nearly impossible to get a break as a new mom.
New mom life
The entry into motherhood can be brutal. You may have had an easy delivery (lucky you). You may feel like you’ve been to battle. Some mammas have c-sections and others have fourth-degree tears. Either way, you’re bloody, bruised, and likely have a small vacuum cleaner attached to your breasts about 20 hours a day.
You need to give yourself grace, and you need to take a break.
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How to get a break
I did a full guest post on Red Tri to address this issue. It’s up here: How to Get a Break from your Newborn when You’re a Perfectionist.
I can’t republish the entire article, but here are the cliff’s notes for those of you who don’t want to click through the entire thing:
- Delegate the tasks. Eat/Breastfeed. Sleep.
- Take time to shower and brush your teeth.
- Let go of the laundry and meal prep.
- Stop doing chores. Everything around the house will wait. Your mental health won’t.
There are some good tidbits on how to handle guests, and ensure you allow others to help you to get a break. Check it out, and then go take a nap.
