The one thing I remember from being a new mom last time is the strange way your days feel.
On the one hand, they seem endless. Constant feeding, sleeping for short periods of time only and the frequent need to nappy change make your days feel like they never end. Maybe because they never end. There is no bedtime, no end-of work, no weekend. It is just the same stuff over and over again.
On the other hand, there just isn’t enough time. Even though you wake up at 5 am and don’t lay down until late, you never seem to get anything done. Except feeding and nappy changing, of course. But in the blink of an eye, the day is gone and you are still wearing yesterdays PJs and haven’t showered.
Now if you ask me, it is non negotiable to get showered immediately and change into a new set of clothes in the morning to feel remotely human throughout these first few weeks, and with the loving support of your family you will accomplish that task, but what about the other stuff?
Like moisturizing after the shower, washing your hair or even shaving your legs?
Well, none of them are absolute necessities, but they really add to the human feeling. So for all of you looking for short cuts, I compiled a list of my favorite ways to make these tasks possible, even if you just have one minute to spare.
Dry shampoo
Most of you have seen that coming, so I will address it first. If your hair is long and takes a while to wash and dry, try washing it less often. With a good dry shampoo I can go up to five days without washing my hair, and that should see me through the week until the husband is home and I have more time on my hands.
Now I have tried several ones in the past (the Batiste original one, the LUSH “No drought” one), but my favorite at the moment is the Klorane Dry shampoo with oat milk.
I discovered it at Melissas lovely blog (Kiss & Makeups Beautyblog), and even though I cant vouch for the nourishing part I do feel like it is non-drying on my scalp, I can apply it several days in a row without getting the feeling of build-up in my hair and the smell is fresh, but subtle.
Needless to say I stocked up on a few bottles already.
In-shower moisturizer
As much as I love my body butters, they do take some time to apply and sink in. Time I usually don’t have. Really, babies do wake up from their naps exactly the second you are in the shower and turn on the water. It is a general law of nature.
And while many options I have tried didn’t convince me at all (the Nivea ones did nothing for me), the LUSH Ro´s Argan Body Conditioner (buy here) is enough to keep my skin from feeling tight after a shower. plus it smells lovely of roses. I just apply it all over my body, rinse it and pat dry. Ready for another feed in minutes!
Epilating
Of course, shaved legs really aren’t top priority for the first few weeks with a baby. But if I can get that sorted out and be done with it for a long time, why shouldn’t I?
Epilating my legs has been my method of choice for many years now, and while I really appreciated the convenience of not having to think about it for at least two weeks, I really learned to love it once I had my first child. It takes me five to ten minutes, probably just as long as shaving would, but leaves my legs silky smooth for two weeks and at least presentable for four. That is the puerperal period almost sorted!
My weapon of choice is the Braun Silk-épil 7, but there are many other options out there to try.
And yes, there are body parts I wouldn’t touch with an epilator, but prefer waxing or shaving. I haven’t found a short cut for those, but I guess you can´t have it all…
So even if you are not a new mom, but pressed for time for other reasons, I hope these things will come in handy.
What do you do to feel yourself even if you don’t seem to have a minute spare?