Alright gentlemen, and ladies, if you’re reading. You have a baby, or one on the way. Another life is coming to this world and it will completely turn your world upside down. Your schedule will turn into strange blocks based on your child’s sleep/wake cycle. You are going to have sleepless nights, barely any time to eat a full meal without interruption, and become emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted. There are going to face challenges you’ve never realized and won’t understand until you have a kiddo who depends on you, 100%. Parenthood is not a part time job, but a full time responsibility. When I say full time, I’m not talking about 40 hours/week, but a 24/7 commitment. It’s important that each partner supports and help one another constantly.

All this being said, do not ignore self care. As hard as it may seem, ignoring your own needs and health is never a good idea, especially since you need to be energized enough to take care of another human life. Therefore, take care of yourself because that’s the only way to provide good care for someone else, at least in the long term.

Here are a few tips to consider:

• Build some healthy eating habits. It’s very easy to just grab that sugary chocolate bar and go quickly through the drive-thru when life is busy and chaotic. However, it’s not impossible to simultaneously eat healthy and be on the go. Do some meal preparation ahead of time so you have something to grab quickly when time is constrained. Instead of candy bars or chips for snacks, have healthier snacks on hand, like carrot sticks or almonds. It takes a while to build these habits, but you don’t have to change overnight. Even if you alternate between healthy and not-so-healthy meals at first, that’s at least a positive step. Diet and nutrition can be very specific, so I would advise reading up on some healthy diet plans or even consulting with a nutrition expert if you want to make that commitment.
• Always make time for some exercise. Physical activity is important because moving our bodies is great for our heart, our lungs, our muscles, our bones, and even our minds. This doesn’t mean you have to become a gym rat or run a marathon. There are numerous types of physical activities, like riding a bike, hiking, playing basketball, or just going for a walk, etc. Whatever type of physical activity you enjoy, do that. Just get up and move! The good news here is that once your child reaches a certain age, you’ll have to run around to catch them. So, you’ll get plenty of physical activity right there.
• Do your best to get enough sleep. Now, this may contradict what I said earlier, but not getting proper sleep is not sustainable in the long run. While it’s going to be difficult, do the best you can. Sleep when the baby sleeps and create a schedule with your partner where you alternate night duty. Of course, it’s hard to create a set schedule with your baby, so be flexible when needed. Remember that sleep is a necessity, not an option.
• Take time to do the things you love to do. If you had enjoyable hobbies prior to becoming a parent, don’t ignore them after having children. There is still time to do the things you love, it just may be challenging to carve out a schedule. However, take whatever opportunity you can to do what you enjoy. Once your child is old enough, start including them in your hobbies. For example, we take our kiddo on regular walks, have brought him to various restaurants, and already traveled with him overseas.

There will be a wave of emotions you will go through when becoming a parent and it won’t be easy to manage. It’s important to always take care of your health and wellness in every way and help your partner do the same. Be there for each other for the sake of yourselves and your baby. I’ve heard parents say that they feel guilty about self care because they believe it is selfish. Well, all I can say is that if you don’t care for yourself, you will burn out and that will impact how you take care of anyone else. When I was in nursing school, one of the things they discussed was taking care of yourself because that helps avoid having a breakdown while caring for others. So, do not ignore self care.