How to Boost Your Confidence After Having a Baby

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Because sometimes you need a little boost.

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How to Boost Your Confidence After Having a Baby

I feel like I have been to hell and back when it comes to feeling awful about myself after having a baby and then gaining confidence back again. I’ve lived to tell the tale, so I know that you will, too! For real: self esteem after having a baby is one of the toughest things to navigate through. As women, we’re hard on ourselves to begin with. Add motherhood to the picture, especially first time motherhood, and the pressure is on. We’re learning so many new things, adjusting to this new little person, while at the same time feeling all of these big emotions when it comes to our bodies and this new role in general. It’s a lot to take in.

Having babies almost nine years apart, I had two completely different experiences. I was twenty-one when I gave birth to Branden and my body bounced back immediately. In fact, I looked and felt better than I had in years, after struggling with my weight my whole life. I wasn’t working yet and embraced motherhood as the biggest thrill of my life. Then with Blake, I gained a lot of weight in places I never struggled with, and being nine years older I had a lot more trouble losing it. I felt uncomfortable in my skin for much longer than I probably should have – but everyone takes their own time to adjust.

5 tips to boost your confidence after having a baby

Believe me, I still have my moments. But with Blake turning three in August, and my mindset fully shifted back to my normal, I wanted to share some tips that I’ve learned over the years that have made an impact on my overall confidence after having a baby in partnership with Health Warrior.

1. Daily self-love mantras.

I know that at first, it can feel a little bit weird giving yourself these little pep talks, but they really do work! My husband was actually the one who had encouraged me to start doing this and they have really stuck as an everyday part of my life. I’m such an advocate of self-love mantras that I wrote a whole post about them here, that even includes a downloadable printable so you can hang them somewhere you will see everyday.

2. Eat good, feel good.

I love food. There is no denying that at all. But whenever I make “bad” food choices over and over again, it makes me feel horrible. Whenever I’m making food choices that are purposeful to give me energy and fuel my body, I’m able to be a lot kinder to myself. Enter my favorite Health Warrior Pumpkin Seed Bars. These are delicious bars of superfood that makes you feel like you’re eating a guilty indulgence, without any of the guilt. And you need allll the energy boosting foods you can get with a newborn on your hands!

3. Get out of the house.

If you are lacking confidence because you’re having trouble believing in your motherhood capabilities (believe me, this still happens to me from time to time), there is no better confidence boost than getting out of the house with your new baby. Whether you make a solo trip to the grocery store or meet friends for lunch, there is something pretty invigorating to know that yes, you can get yourself and this tiny little human out of the house and still tend to their many needs while doing it.

4. Buy at least one outfit that actually fits your postpartum body.

I’m not saying to go and buy a whole new wardrobe (I’ve got some postpartum outfit inspo here though!), but there is nothing worse and confidence crushing than not fitting into anything at home (because duh…your body just did an incredible thing and grew a baby). You will eventually fit back into your favorite jeans, but it’s not going to happen overnight. Invest in an outfit or two that fit you right now. Let the world see you wear it over and over and over again.

5. Hang out with some new mom friends.

There is nothing that made me feel more confident after having my babies than when I hung out with moms going through the same things as me at the same time. Anytime I made plans with other moms, it was like you could see this ripple effect across the room as everyone had those “I’m not alone” moments. It was truly empowering and helped me get my confidence back in such a big way. (Read: How to Find Support Groups For Moms)

Now obviously, working out after you have been cleared by your doctor to do so will make you feel amazing – even if it’s just 10 minutes a day to start. But I feel like that’s an obvious one and didn’t want to include it in my list. The 5 tips above are the things that not only boosted my confidence post-baby, but things that helped make me feel whole again.