When I got pregnant, my first reaction was - " Yay !! I'm having a baby! Yay !! I can eat whatever I want for the next year!"
And God knows I did. Like a human bull dozer, I went through every thing that came in sight and appealed to my palette since trimester two. Earlier the "Oh, countless calories!!" albatross of guilt would hang around my neck but I quickly got rid of it. Being a wholehearted foodie there was nothing better to life than being able to eat anything that my heart desired and still feel healthy about it. Danish, Cakes, fried stuff, wada pavs and the likes. I hadn't yet realise that This All you can Eat buffet attitude is as dangerous as can be.
After my baby came, I wasn't allowed to move as much. Soon, that too became a habit. So when the red limit of 6 weeks of strict bed rest crossed, I wasn't too keen on moving my butt anyway because of the combined reasons of pulling all nighters and the constant feeling of "not being able to catch up" and they were pretty traumatic by themselves.
I had known what I was getting into when I'd decided to have a baby, and I'd prepared myself pretty good for it- reading up every small and big fact and factoid related to infant care, joining motherhood groups, making notes and comparing notes. But when the practical fact of having a baby is thrown at you, you really cannot do much but keep up. Every time I thought I'd figured it out, it changed. 'It' being habits of my squishy cuddly baby, my health, my baby's wake up times and feeding times. Every day then is really only one day at a time. The fact that I 'knew' I can munch on anything I want obviously didn't help my body. Because I was exclusively feeding my baby for 6 months, I thought my body needs all this.
Here's what had I known earlier would've helped me by loads:
1. Avoid empty calories: Eat as much as you want- but healthy: Lots of greens, proteins, fruits etc.
2. Meditate for 5 mins Everyday: In crazy schedules and when nothing seems to be in your control, it helps not to lose your mind too. Take five minutes away from everything and only meditate and stretch a bit. Concentrate on your body and talk to it. Relax.
3. Prioritise: I know because I have first hand experienced what happens in my head after my baby has been crying on the top of her lungs half the night and has refused to be put down on the bed rest of it. And imagine that happening several nights in a row. Things become really ugly after a few nights in zombieland. You do not want to be looking at mess on the counter tops, dirty dishes, Laundry Mt. Everest or even unpaid bills at that time. WHEN the baby sleeps-You Sleep. Regain your energy. Clear your mind. Then Prioritise what is most important and take it from there.
4. Think Happy !! - Whatever makes you happy at the moment- Your smiling baby, a walk around the block, mani pedi, watching TV, gabbing with your friends, yoga, workout in general, reading, writing. Happy mommy makes happy baby. If you are happy, most of the tedious tasks become do-able, irritable baby seems easy and almost everything is achievable. Try to find as much Happy as you can!
5.WORK OUT !! - No matter what you are doing. Do something Everyday for some time. Whatever you like - Yoga, Power Yoga, Dance, Zumba, Running, Swimming - Anything you can work around your baby and your job. Feeling good about your body and the body sending out the same message back to you is THE most important thing of all !
I remember these simple pointers now by experience, and they help me every single day.
And God knows I did. Like a human bull dozer, I went through every thing that came in sight and appealed to my palette since trimester two. Earlier the "Oh, countless calories!!" albatross of guilt would hang around my neck but I quickly got rid of it. Being a wholehearted foodie there was nothing better to life than being able to eat anything that my heart desired and still feel healthy about it. Danish, Cakes, fried stuff, wada pavs and the likes. I hadn't yet realise that This All you can Eat buffet attitude is as dangerous as can be.
After my baby came, I wasn't allowed to move as much. Soon, that too became a habit. So when the red limit of 6 weeks of strict bed rest crossed, I wasn't too keen on moving my butt anyway because of the combined reasons of pulling all nighters and the constant feeling of "not being able to catch up" and they were pretty traumatic by themselves.
I had known what I was getting into when I'd decided to have a baby, and I'd prepared myself pretty good for it- reading up every small and big fact and factoid related to infant care, joining motherhood groups, making notes and comparing notes. But when the practical fact of having a baby is thrown at you, you really cannot do much but keep up. Every time I thought I'd figured it out, it changed. 'It' being habits of my squishy cuddly baby, my health, my baby's wake up times and feeding times. Every day then is really only one day at a time. The fact that I 'knew' I can munch on anything I want obviously didn't help my body. Because I was exclusively feeding my baby for 6 months, I thought my body needs all this.
Here's what had I known earlier would've helped me by loads:
1. Avoid empty calories: Eat as much as you want- but healthy: Lots of greens, proteins, fruits etc.
2. Meditate for 5 mins Everyday: In crazy schedules and when nothing seems to be in your control, it helps not to lose your mind too. Take five minutes away from everything and only meditate and stretch a bit. Concentrate on your body and talk to it. Relax.
3. Prioritise: I know because I have first hand experienced what happens in my head after my baby has been crying on the top of her lungs half the night and has refused to be put down on the bed rest of it. And imagine that happening several nights in a row. Things become really ugly after a few nights in zombieland. You do not want to be looking at mess on the counter tops, dirty dishes, Laundry Mt. Everest or even unpaid bills at that time. WHEN the baby sleeps-You Sleep. Regain your energy. Clear your mind. Then Prioritise what is most important and take it from there.
4. Think Happy !! - Whatever makes you happy at the moment- Your smiling baby, a walk around the block, mani pedi, watching TV, gabbing with your friends, yoga, workout in general, reading, writing. Happy mommy makes happy baby. If you are happy, most of the tedious tasks become do-able, irritable baby seems easy and almost everything is achievable. Try to find as much Happy as you can!
5.WORK OUT !! - No matter what you are doing. Do something Everyday for some time. Whatever you like - Yoga, Power Yoga, Dance, Zumba, Running, Swimming - Anything you can work around your baby and your job. Feeling good about your body and the body sending out the same message back to you is THE most important thing of all !I remember these simple pointers now by experience, and they help me every single day.
Wish you the same !
3 comments:
This is very helpful! Although its hard enough working out when you are not getting ready to bring a life into the world.
Lol... I know Shruti! Somehow we still gotta do it, until its almost doing by itself. Thank you for the comment !!
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