Self-Care: Making Time for Mama This Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is a special time for any mama. Whether you’re pregnant for the first time or welcoming another, you deserve to celebrate yourself for all your hard work.

It’s time to start thinking about Mother's Day 2024 and how to make this day truly special for yourself (or for the #1 mama in your life)! Here are our favorite ways to celebrate Mother’s Day, whether you’re still pregnant or recently postpartum, and some top gift ideas for the mom in your life:

Whether celebrating with the whole family or focusing on togetherness with your partner, taking a babymoon to celebrate Mother's Day can be a great way to honor this milestone. A babymoon allows you to relax and indulge in self-care before your bundle of joy arrives. Take this precious opportunity to celebrate your journey of motherhood and bond with your body, partner, and family in a beautiful environment!

A babymoon getaway can be a great way to ditch the stress, connect with your partner or other children on a deeper level, and create lasting memories before your family continues to grow. By taking this time to nurture yourself and your relationships, you can enter motherhood feeling rejuvenated, supported, and ready to embrace all the incredible adventures ahead!

While not all spa treatments are approved for pregnancy, plenty of pregnancy-safe spa treatments can help you feel pampered and cared for during this special time. Enjoy a mani/pedi, a facial, or even consider a prenatal massage if it seems right for you! Take the opportunity to enjoy some quiet moments of self-care and reflection as you prepare to welcome your little one into the world.

Remember, you deserve to be celebrated and cherished not just on Mother's Day but every day. So go ahead, treat yourself to a day of relaxation and rejuvenation at the spa! Celebrate the beauty of motherhood in all its glory.

There is power in exercising self-compassion! Research shows that moms who engage in these practices reduce their risk of developing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

One tool we love to recommend to mamas is “compassionate letter writing.” Research shows that expressive writing improves immune function and decreases feelings of depression, stress, and rumination. Writing helps people understand their experiences and become more aware of their difficulties.

We encourage all mamas to write a brief letter to “future you.” You can read this letter to yourself when you’re feeling low or when you notice the negative self-talk starting to take up mental space.

There is no wrong way to do this! The purpose is to connect to your emotions and let that flow through your writing. Try to speak from that authentic and kind place in your heart, as if you were talking to a friend who needed to hear a voice of compassion.

Here are some prompts to get you started:

• If you are currently pregnant: Write to yourself as a new mom to offer a gentle reminder that you are still learning, and this is a brand new experience for both you and baby.
• If you are recently postpartum: Write to your future self with gentle reminders of the importance of self-care and allowing yourself to lean into your support system.
• If you are a parent at any stage: Write to future you navigating a particularly hard parenting day to remind yourself that it’s okay if today is hard. You have experienced hard things before and have been resilient every time.

If you’ve recently given birth (congrats, mama!), try some of these tips to honor yourself this Mother’s Day:

Take some time to celebrate your incredible journey and honor yourself by capturing beautiful family photos! These photos provide a lasting memory of this precious time in your life. You can hire a professional photographer to capture candid moments of you and your little one, or you can set up a tripod yourself. The key is to capture the love and connection between you, your baby, and your family!

These photos can be a sentimental gift to yourself and a reminder of your strength and resilience. Whether you choose to display these photos in your home or keep them as a personal keepsake, they will serve as a beautiful reminder of this special time!

Mother's Day is the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones—or even by yourself! Enjoy a special day with your kids and partner to celebrate the joys of motherhood. Consider a Mother's Day brunch at your favorite restaurant or even a cozy breakfast in bed. Eat some of your favorite dishes while being pampered by your loved ones!

And if you want to celebrate with some alone time, enjoy a self-care day at your favorite spa or in the comfort of your own home. Draw a warm bubble bath, light some scented candles, and relax. After, you can set up a movie night, snuggle up with blankets, and enjoy some popcorn and treats while watching your favorite movies.

If you’re looking for the perfect gift to celebrate the mom in your life this Mother’s Day, these are some of our favorite ways to spoil her:

Making a gift basket is a thoughtful gift that shows appreciation for the mama in your life. Consider putting together a personalized gift basket filled with items that cater to her interests and self-care needs. You can fill it with her favorite candy if she has a sweet tooth or add personalized gifts that remind her of what she means to you and your family.

If you want a self-care theme for the gift basket, try a bathrobe, slippers, candles, tea, the book she’s been wanting, a journal, or a gift card to her favorite coffee shop or bakery! You can also add drawings from the kids or any other homemade crafts that show her how much she means to you.

Remember, the best gift is one that shows you understand and appreciate her, not the price or amount you give.

Gifting the mama in your life a piece of jewelry can make for a heartfelt and meaningful gift for Mother's Day. It’s a great way to remind her how much she means to you.

Some fun ideas may be a birthstone ring that features her birthstone or even the birthstones of her children, a charm bracelet that allows you to add a new charm for each milestone or memory, or a pendant that can be engraved with a special date, message, or phrase, which can make the gift even more sentimental and personal.

If you have young kids, making homemade jewelry is a fun activity that lets them join the celebration while giving mom something personalized. This can be as simple as beads from the craft store, but it will mean so much more because it is uniquely hers and made with love.

Whether you're a new mom, have been around the block, are still expecting, or you’re celebrating a mama in your life, taking the time to show love and appreciation on this special holiday goes a long way. Remember, the best gifts are those that come from the heart! And mamas, remember to show yourself some appreciation—you deserve it.

This year, go the extra mile to make Mother's Day 2024 special. Happy Mother's Day!

Information provided in blogs should not be used as a substitute for medical care or consultation.

References

https://www.amtamassage.org/resources/massage-and-health/medical-treatments/pregnancy-and-massage/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8396946/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1744388116300214?via%3Dihub

https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/is-it-safe/prenatal-massage/

https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/preventing-deep-vein-thrombosis

https://cssh.northeastern.edu/pandemic-teaching-initiative/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2020/10/GlassetalTraumaResilience.pdf