Top tips to help us enjoy motherhood

Here are some of Aurelija’s top tips to help us enjoy motherhood:

• Join in – The switch from working in a busy office among colleagues to being at home alone all day with a baby to look after can lead to mums suffering feelings of isolation, particularly if they do not have a supportive partner or close family nearby. Investigate mother, baby and toddler groups in your local community. Even if you don’t meet your new best friend there, connecting with someone else in the same boat means you can share experiences or discuss concerns and won’t feel so alone.
• Exercise – As well as helping keep us fit and healthy, it’s well-known that exercise releases feel-good endorphins that create a sense of well-being. You stand the best chance of keeping up your exercise if it fits in with your life, whether that’s walking an older child to and from school, finding a gym with a crèche or joining a buggy workout class.
• Meditate – If you find it difficult to switch off, why not try Transcendental Meditation to help you relax and unwind? Meditation can help you release stress and rest even more deeply than sleep. There are many different approaches, but TM is the best researched and scientifically proven.
• Get treatment – If you’re feeling low or depressed you won’t be able to connect fully with your baby and meet their emotional needs. Consider counselling or therapy to help you deal with any deep-seated issues.
• Accept help – If someone offers to lend a hand, don’t be shy about taking up their offer! It could be a lifesaver and, one day, you’ll be in a position to do the same for someone else.