Now That is Impressive: Expert Mummy Interview

One amazing question has run through my mind since my second child was born:

How on earth did my grandparents handle 10 kids?

The truth is, I know there are people who are better parents than I am. There are people who apply themselves with more discipline to the task, who approach parenting the way physicists split atoms. And then, there are the people who sacrifice everything for the kids, even their health.

I’ve been looking for a happy parenting medium. I would like to maintain both the kids’ well-being and my own. I thought I should talk to a power mom for advice. Someone who keeps things in the house to a dull roar without a legion of nannies, personal trainers and housekeepers. Needless to say, Madonna didn’t make the short list.

Helen is a modern woman in everyway. The British woman has five children, which to my mind, qualifies her as as a true parenting expert. This is the first part of an abridged email interview I conducted with her about caring for herself after giving birth.

Babylune: With four children and a new baby, how did you get the time to look  after your own health?

Helen: Rested when ever I needed to basically. Ate well too. With numbers one, two, three and four, I still had not grasped the concept of eating  properly. This is really important after having a baby. The last thing I felt like doing after seeing to everything else I had to  do in the house and looking after the baby, breastfeeding and so on,  was eating a meal. So while I was pregnant I prepared as much as possible for after the birth.

Then I could simply microwave something frozen each day. I found that eating little often, like five smaller meals a day was better than trying to muster the energy to eat a larger meal with the family. I sometimes ate my meals whilst breastfeeding and then rested afterwards with the baby.

Now that my youngest is four it is still really hard to find time for proper soaks in the bath and any pampering. By the time they are all  in bed each evening I am so tired I cant be bothered and subsequently have let my self go completely. Which is a shame and something which  I am trying to fix lately.

Babylune: What do you think are the most important lessons women have to learn about taking care of themselves as mothers?

Helen: I feel very strongly women need to learn that they are 
important and grow a rock of self worth around them especially after having a baby and subsequent babies. It is very easy to get sucked  into the roll of manager, care giver, provider, general dogs body and  fixer within the family. Feeding, changing and caring for the baby is  hard enough without having several other little people pulling you in  all different directions at the same time.

Make sure you set aside some quality time  each day about ten minutes three times a day is even enough to pamper yourself. Eat something and drink lots of water or juice. Dance to some music on the radio, this can even be done with the baby in a 
carrier or sling. Put on make up if you normally wore make up before  having children. Then at night, the ten minute pampering session can be taking the makeup off and applying some moisturiser.

To take care of yourself you need to value yourself. Especially when things feel  rotten and sour. Those are the times when doing something special for  yourself for ten or so minutes a few times a day will really perk you  up.

Babylune: Are there any easy, simple, fast things that you did when recovering  from childbirth that made a big difference to how you felt in the long  term?

Helen: Yes. I unplugged my phone, rested when ever I felt the need to and left all the house work till later when I felt more energized. I cared for myself at the same time as the new baby whilst still  spending lots of time being with my other children and sharing lots of laughing with them and my Partner too. Being able to laugh and not  worrying about things really made a huge difference. Spending the time bonding whenever we could made me feel good inside and that radiated on the outside as well.
Part 2 of my interview with Helen will be posted tomorrow.