Firstly I want to say a massive congratulations on becoming a new mum and I hope the journey to motherhood was as smooth as possible for you. As a mum myself to a baby girl I totally understand that there might be days that leave you feeling overwhelming and frazzled so please cut yourself some slack and take time to slow down and breathe.
When a child is born, it’s not only the birth of a child, but a birth of a mother and every mother’s experience is their own unique, personal journey.
I find that new mums often lose their connection with the present moment because we are so busy and mostly exhausted due to the never ending 'To do list' and trying to live up to the image of a "perfect" mother.
Important Tip: There is no one right way to raise a child! You don't need to prove anything to anyone. Just simply do your best and that will be ENOUGH.
Here are my Top 10 tips
10 Yogi Tips for new mums
1. Take the opportunity to do a short home yoga practice whenever you have a spare window in your day. Prioritise 10 minutes of supported relaxation over house-work. It can wait, but your sanity might not!
2. Set up a room, or corner of a room, as your sacred yoga space, where your yoga mat and equipment live, and preferably with access to some wall-space (for poses such as legs up the wall).
3. You don’t have to limit your yoga practice to quiet, dedicated times in your day. While watching TV at night, lie over a bolster or sit on the floor and stretch your tired, tight body. Or do a shoulder stretch while waiting for the kettle to boil!
4. Work with your energy levels, not against them. If you are feeling particularly exhausted then don’t force yourself to do lots of Salutes to the Sun. Instead, nurture yourself with some restorative poses and deep relaxation. This will be a tonic to your nervous system rather than increasing the stress on your already depleted system.
5. As soon as you can, from around 6 weeks for a natural birth, start abdominal exercises, making sure they are gentle, precise and graduated. Learning to engage your core muscles when lifting your baby, or lugging your stroller will help protect against back strain as well preparing your back for the weight of larger babies and toddlers. However if you had a C-section its best to wait until the wound has fully healed (typically 2 months) before doing any abdominal exercises.
6. Use feeding time and any prolonged period of sitting or standing, such as rocking or patting your baby to sleep, as an opportunity to scan your awareness around your body, breathing out and away any accumulated tension.Your baby may also pick up on your calming energy and settle and feed more easily. You could practice 'the falling out breath' which is below.
7. Practice being aware of your posture when you are feeding your baby. Focus on lengthening from the base of your spine to the crown of your head, release your shoulders back and down, and then breathe, soften and enjoy.
8. Punctuate your day with conscious sighing and what is called ‘the falling-out breath’ - inhaling through the mouth and then a long, slow, audible exhalation through an open mouth. This can help release pent up stress and soften the seriousness of your mindset and brighten your day!
9. If you are not confident about conducting an unguided yoga practice at home, a good yoga video or CD could be just the thing till you have the time to go to a local yoga class. But make sure the practices are suitable for postnatal women and don’t start until at least 6 weeks post, or 2 months if you’ve had a C-Section.
At The Elliott Yoga Studio we run classes called 'Yin Yang Yoga' which are great for postnatal recovery.
10. See if you can find a local Mum & Baby Yoga Class. Not only is this an excellent way to receive specialized tuition in postnatal yoga, but it provides a baby-centred environment for you to share the joys of yoga with your baby and to connect with other like-minded mums.
Our Mummy & Baby classes offer the perfect friendly environment for mother and baby to spend some quality time together. Once you book for a 6 week block you will also be invited to our online postnatal group so that you can share your thoughts or just simply have a wee chat with other mums.
I really hope this blog post has helped. If you would like to leave a comment or question it would be fantastic to connect with you.
Health & Happiness
Angela Elliott