Review: The Little Book Of Self-Care For New Mum’s

Becoming a Mum is one of the most exciting yet terrifying journeys you can embark on. You’ve spent 9 months carrying your beautiful baby waiting with baited breath in anticipation of their arrival, but what happens post-birth when the excitement dies down? Your baby doesn’t arrive with an instruction manual and likewise you’re not suddenly furnished with everything you need to know about how to be a Mum and care for this new little human.

Midwife’s play a huge role in the early days and can offer support and provide answers to any questions new Mum’s may have. Unfortunately, although it would be a godsend, they can’t be with you 24hrs a day and you do end up thrown in at the deep end somewhat. I remember going home after having my first child and just sitting on the edge of my bed as the realisation of the task ahead dawned on me and wondering how I would cope.

It simply takes time and plenty of practice getting to know your baby and their needs. In the meantime though, new Mum’s often end up neglecting their own well-being as they fully immerse themselves in everything baby. It’s quite often the case too that people who arrive to visit the little one come and go without even a second thought for how you, the ‘baby carrier’, may be doing.

When I gave birth to my eldest nearly 16yrs ago – wow I’m feeling old! –  I’ll be honest like a lot of new Mum’s I ended up forgetting about my own needs and practically ran myself into the ground by not taking time to care for myself. So, recently when I spotted a request for reviewers of a newly released book, The Little Book Of Self-Care For New Mums, I was intrigued to give it a read despite now being past that stage in my life.

The book is co-written by Alexis Stickland- a midwife, antenatal teacher and mother of three – and Beccy Hands – a qualified doula and remedial massage therapist specialising in pre and post-natal wellbeing. With their wealth of knowledge, the duo have penned this book especially dedicated to self-care for new Mum’s, designed to help woman feel supported and empowered in that daunting post-birth period.

Despite being small in size this book is a comprehensive survival manual packed to the brim with everything a new Mum could possibly want or need to know. It covers loads of topics from body changes, feeding, making friends, dealing with overwhelming days and getting back in the sack to name just a few. Written in a refreshingly honest way it offers women information broken down into easy to read sections that can be dipped into as and when required. It also includes several recipes for simple easy make meals and snacks as well as exercises specifically designed for post-birth.

I would have loved this book to be around when I had my children as I know I would have found it helpful, especially when I was feeling overwhelmed and in need of advice. The best part of this book is that the tips and advice given don’t just focus on just one area of Motherhood and postnatal recovery, but offers a rounded library of information about a new Mum’s whole well-being.

This book would make the perfect gift and would be the ideal read for expectant Mum’s to devour before baby arrives. I feel that despite having been through the experience three times myself this book taught me things that I didn’t know and some tricks that I hadn’t considered in my post-birth haze. I would highly recommend as a must-read for every new Mum.

The Little Book Of Self-Care For New Mums is available to purchase from Amazon*

*This post contains affiliate links

**I was gifted a copy of this book in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.