So you’ve brought your bundle of joy home from the hospital and naturally you travelled at 10km/hour and cursed all of the terrible drivers on the road.
You’ve got the nappy changing sorted, and starting to get the hang of feeding and sleepless nights.
All of a sudden your world feels like it revolves completely around the needs of this gorgeous tiny creature.
But it’s as important as ever to look after yourself as well during the first few weeks and months – because as the ‘mother ship’ you need to be fit and healthy to deal with whatever may come your way. 
So here are 10 tips that you can implement in order to ease your way back into your best health possible.
1. Take it SLOWLY
You’ve just had a baby. There are going to be wobbly bits on your body, and bits that don’t look like they used to. That’s a given.
Your body has been through a huge amount and so it’s important to take things slowly.
Now isn’t the time for crash diets or weight loss pills and potions.
It’s the time for nourishment from healthy eating foods, getting some rest, exercising (gently! And only if you have your doctor’s clearance) and enjoying your little one.
There’s no need to think about losing pregnancy weight until you are 100% ready. Not sure where or when to start? Click here for our advice.
2. Sleep when you can
Newborn babies tend to sleep a lot, so try your best to squeeze a nap in when you can.
It’s too easy to say ‘I’ll just put the washing on / bring the washing in / fold the washing / put the washing away before I have a nap’ (um, not sure if you knew but there will be a LOT of washing).
But if you can, ignore the ever-growing pile of onesies in the laundry basket and catch forty winks.
Everything feels better after a sleep, and you’ll be giving your body a chance to recover as well.
3. Ask for help with cooking
When friends and family ask what they can do to help – asking them to cook you some healthy meals is a great option.
At the end of a long day with a newborn you’re often so tired that the thought of cooking dinner seems like the equivalent of climbing Everest (or your pile of laundry).
Try to stash a few meals away in the freezer (Bolognese, casseroles, lasagnes, curries all freeze well) so that you can just pull them out in the morning to eat that night.
4. Remember to eat
It can be really common as a new mum to get to around 3pm and realise that you’ve forgotten to eat any lunch.
When you’re focused on the feeding, playing, changing and cuddling of a newborn, your own hunger signals can take a back seat.
A great idea is to try and keep some leftovers on hand from the previous night so that you can just reheat and eat when you get a spare few minutes.
You could also ask one of those well meaning relatives to drop around a pot of soup that you can tuck into each day without having to think twice.
Don’t be shy to ask for help, everyone will be more than willing to give you a hand.
Stocking up on Healthy Mummy Smoothies can make eating on the run much easier to handle. Quick and easy to prepare and safe to use while breastfeeding, you can find out more about the Smoothie range here. 
5. Take some gentle exercise
If you’re up to it, getting outside and pushing the pram around in the great outdoors can do wonders for your mood – as well as easing yourself into some gentle fitness.
Always be sure that you have your doctor’s clearance first.
Staying inside all day can end up leading to the dreaded cabin fever so try to encourage your baby to have one of their naps in the pram so that you can get out and about (even if it’s just to go around the block).
6. Try to reduce your cake intake
Visitors do tend to bring cake when they pop over to meet your new baby, and it’s easy to get in a groove of having a slice of cake with every one of your well-earned cups of tea or coffee each day.
But all that sugar doesn’t help your long term energy levels. In fact, when you eat sugary cakes or biscuits it tends to create a sugar spike and then a crash later on.
This can then see you craving more and more to get your sugar fix again.
Try to nourish yourself with healthy snacks that will sustain your energy – such as fresh fruit with a handful of nuts or a bowl of Greek yoghurt with berries and a teaspoon of LSA.
7. Watch your caffeine consumption
Nobody knows sleep deprivation like a new mother, and it’s natural to reach for a coffee to help prop your eyes open after a long night.
Having a cup or two of coffee a day is fine, but if you find you are having more than 2 it could be an idea to try and switch some of them for herbal teas.
Too much caffeine can wreak havoc with your metabolism as well as your energy levels, meaning you can feel the crash later on and crave more caffeine to wake up again. See some great natural energy boosting foods here too.
8. Say YES to help
There are going to be a lot of people throwing around offers for assistance. Take each offer seriously and resist the urge to do everything by yourself. There are a million small tasks in a day that can be delegated and no better time to unload a few.
So if someone offers to pick you up some milk and bread – say yes. If someone says they’ll watch the baby while you have a nap – say yes. If someone says they will come and hang out your washing – say yes (and then give them the basket to put another load on).
9. Try to keep your stress levels in check
This might be easier said than done, but everything mentioned above will help. Also, shifting focus can be a very useful tool to decrease stress. That means, choosing not to worry too much about the messy house, your weight, the baby that doesn’t sleep as much as the other babies in mother’s group, or the well-meaning neighbours who offer ‘helpful’ advice about said baby.
The first few weeks of motherhood are just about survival. You need to get through this time (some women refer to it as a ‘newborn fog’). Take a few deep breaths (it really does work) and focus on the good things – the moments you and your baby are bonding, the world through these beautiful new eyes – focus on the light, that’s always the best way through the fog.
10. Enjoy lots of cuddles
OK so it’s not a health tip as such, but it is good for you! Remember to enjoy time just cuddling and snuggling up with your little one. Like you need to be told…
