by Maggie Downs posted in Life

After I gave birth, the only word I heard more than ?milk? or ?diaper? was ?self-care.?
It?s the buzzword du jour, I guess. Everybody talked about self-care, including the doctor, my friends, my mom?s group, and a random person in the drugstore aisle. And while they meant well, I always wondered how" How can you possibly care for yourself when time is in short supply, money is tight, and all your energy is given to the tiny human who depends on it"

I do think it?s true that moms ? and new moms especially ? require a solid dose of self-care as a necessary part of caring for others. My doula always used the example of an emergency on an airplane: You need to put the oxygen mask on yourself before you can help anyone else. But it certainly feels counterintuitive. Moms routinely eat cold food as they feed their own children first, abstain from sleep to tend to another, and do without the resources they need in order to provide for the babies. It doesn't surprise me that women report higher rates of extreme stress than men.
Whenever my well-intentioned acquaintances offered suggestions of self-care, like, ?You should treat yourself to a pedicure!? I couldn?t help but laugh like a maniac. Yeah, I know my needs should come first, but how do you suggest I do that" Who will take the baby" How will I pay for it" Is it worth the guilt I?ll feel for spending resources like time, energy, and cash on myself"
There has to ...