$ (USD) 
6 Wonderful Ways to Feel Uplifted After Having a Baby
By Sophie Lindley - 12th May 2026
Having a baby is a huge life milestone, and can completely alter your outlook on life, happiness, and fulfilment. Many new mums get so caught up in the magic and madness of nurturing their brand new bundle of joy, that it can be easy to neglect their own mental, physical, and emotional health. In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week, we're reaching out in support of magnificent new mums, aiming to help guide those feeling a little lost or lonely during their first steps on the motherhood path. We've put together some easily-achievable tips and tricks to ensure you're finding your spark again, no matter how long ago you became a mama. Because when we all feel empowered, important, and bursting with energy, the world feels just a little bit brighter.
How can I make sure I'm prioritising myself after having a baby?
It's no surprise to anyone that having a baby causes an organic reshuffle of your priorities. Babies require so much of your time, energy, and resources, and in the first year of motherhood, this can feel utterly exhausting. There are, however, ways to ensure you're putting yourself first at times when it really matters. After all, it is virtually impossible to pour from an empty cup. Creating routines and plans to ensure you're looking after your mental and physical health is imperative for keeping strong in both yourself and motherhood as a whole.
Everybody knows the little hobbies and habits that make them happy, and that can look different for everyone. Remembering what lifted your spirits before you became a mum is vital to ensuring you're putting yourself first when you feel you're edging towards rock-bottom. If you were a self-confessed manicure junkie before becoming a mum, there's no reason why you can't go back for a fresh set now. Get yourself an appointment, ask for someone to watch the baby, and slowly start to feel more like yourself again.
If you've always been more of a DIY girl and previously loved a pamper routine, setting aside some time when the baby is sleeping or being cared for by someone else allows you to open up your beauty drawers or pamper kits to indulge in face masks, exfoliations, or a little red light therapy.
Some of our favourite pamper products include:
Norfolk Natural Living Coastal Walks Pocket Hand Cream
Restful Night Bath Salts, Roller Ball Perfume, and Room Spray
What is the best routine to get into in the early days of motherhood?
In the beginning of motherhood, routine might feel completely invisible, and your methods of coping with the chaos can be just getting through each hour at a time. For many, however, establishing a firmer routine for each day can be a great way to get your mind and body more used to the highs and pitfalls of motherhood, and help you create a connection with your baby that goes beyond the general nurturing of their needs.
It's important to be gentle on yourself, however, as you can't feasibly fill every hour of the day. Just like your baby, getting rest, living some hours more slowly, and taking time to relax between tasks is key. If you have fellow mum friends, fitting in some time with them where you natter in a café or over a fresh cuppa is a really great way to ensure you're talking about how you feel, and taking just a little time for you. Your baby can come along too, making it a great weekly treat for you both. Whether its a walk in the park, a trip to the library, a wander round the shops, or just a meet-up with friends or family, pencilling in a ‘date’ or two across the week creates a nice break from the mundane.
Baby classes are a great tool for ensuring both you and your baby are communicating with the outside world. It can feel ‘safer’ and easier to stay at home - not having to scramble about with prams or changing bags and not flapping if baby is more unsettled than usual - but this isn't always ideal. Getting out and about, seeing many other people and having a bit of routine to stick to is perfect for breaking up your day. Some great mum and baby classes or events we'd recommend are:
- Baby yoga
- Baby massage
- Baby sensory
- Mum & baby fitness
- Swimming
How can I improve my physical health after having a baby?
It's no secret that physical health is greatly connected to mental health. When you're feeling good in your body, you'll likely feel good in your head, and ensuring you prioritise gentle exercise as part of your daily routine after you've had a baby is a great way to feel uplifted and energised. Whether you were a big exercise fan before, or you're known to just partake in a gentle jog for the benefit of your health, getting back to a similar place you were in before you had your baby is great for your mental health, and feeling more ‘you’ again. Remember, though, if you're in the early stages of motherhood, your body has been through a lot and still needs time to recover, so go easy with your goals and ensure you're taking each day at a time.
Nourishing your body from within is also super important. If you're breast-feeding, it can feel like human nature to grab quick-release energy snacks or sugary hand-held treats to give yourself a burst of energy. While these are absolutely fine, ensuring you're balancing them with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, oily fish, and rich, natural protein sources is the best way to ensure long-term energy release to get you through those long newborn days. Eating a more balanced range of foods is also a great way to support your body while you're getting back into exercising, and makes it less likely for you to experience injury or difficulty in recovery. Many mums are so desperate to ensure their little ones are well fed and nourished that they can forget about themselves entirely, so planning in nutrient-dense meals and snacks is ideal for making sure you're both feeling tip-top.
Some great forms of exercise for nourishing your body, increasing energy, and feeling more spiritually connected to both your body and your baby can include:
- Yoga and meditation
- Pilates (reformer or traditional)
- Light jogging or gentle, easy running
- Long walks or easy hikes
- Swimming
- Aerobics
How can I keep on top of my mental health during the newborn days?
Communication is so important for new mums during the early days of motherhood. On days where it's just you and the baby, it's easy to become entirely consumed by your need to care for them, meaning you forget you are also a human being with needs. Humans are made to communicate, and spending days inside your house with a sweet being who doesn't talk can really take its toll. If you have family nearby - like a doting mother of your own - ensure you're reaching out to them regularly to help take a little of the baby-care burden off you, but also to share your worries and woes, rather than keeping them bottled inside.
Arranging dates, meet-ups, and home visits with family and friends is a great way to unload the mental pressure of motherhood from your mind. If you don't feel you can chat as openly as you'd like with friends or family members, it might be worth considering a therapy route to ensure you're unloading pressure and talking through your thoughts or mental struggles.
Some useful resources for UK-based mums include:
- Mind Perinatal Mental Health Support & Services
- Maternal Mental Health Alliance
- PANDAS Foundation
- NHS Talking Therapies
- Various Mum internet forums
For more urgent mental health support:
- The NHS 111 service
- Your GP, health visitor, or midwife
- Samaritans
Other great ways to keep afloat with your mental health in the early days of motherhood can include meditation, journaling, or gentle brain activities like crossword puzzles, reading, or listening to calming music and podcasts.
How can I feel more 'me' again after having a baby?
So many new mums claim they lose their identity and struggle to regain it for a while after pregnancy. This is due to great hormonal, emotional, and physical changes experienced during carrying and feeding and nurturing a baby. While it's completely normal, it can feel frustrating at the time, and if you're keen to claw back a sense of self during the first year of motherhood, you're not alone.
Setting some time aside to look through your wardrobe and accessories can be a fun exercise to help you fall in love with your style again. You don't have to go it alone, either, get a friend or family member to join you in an overhaul of your wardrobe, or even on a shopping trip for new clothes and jewellery. Make the experience more fun, and it'll no longer feel like a chore to get yourself back in business.
Using the seasons to help guide your style, consider grabbing yourself some capsule pieces to make putting outfits together quick and easy. Upgrading your jewellery is a great way to feel a little more uplifted, too. Instead of donning the same pair of simple studs every day, why not grab some hoops, drop earrings, and statement studs to create yourself a fun, curated ear look.
Having a baby and caring for them as they grow and blossom is no mean feat, so cut yourself some slack, give yourself some grace, and remind yourself that those difficult newborn days are fleeting. While motherhood is undoubtedly magical, everyone finds it difficult at some point, so remembering that you're not alone is vital for helping you get through the days. Surround yourself with good people, fun things to do, and focus on making special memories, and soon enough you'll have ‘you’ back, just as you were before, but maybe even a little bit stronger.
