"Pursue Dreams, Manage Stress- A Happy mother"

 

In the world today where both males and females have equal right to chase their dreams and make them true, the new mothers have to put in some extra effort. This article brings in the regime of a new mother, stress triggers for a new mother, and technique for stress management and to be happy. It will enlighten the readers with the teachings of Sadguru’s (Jagadish Vasudev) “Inner Engineering program”, to help new working mothers to accomplish their dream of being passionate about being financial sufficient.

After becoming a mother, the baby is the priority above personal precedence’s. But one has to also perform a certain compulsory task and also get involved in work to sustain financially.

Managing the home, taking care of personal hygiene and health are mandatory activities for a mother. Exercising, meditating, cooking, cleaning, maintaining grocery, taking an adequate amount of sleep are included in ‘compulsory predicted tasks’ (Image 1). The activities such as a sudden plan of a family program or a visit of a relative or a friend or certain government documentation work where it is uncertain as on how much time will it take or sudden falling ill of a family member and taking care of an unwell family member can be counted in ‘compulsory unpredicted tasks’ (Image 2). Activities like pursuing a hobby are not mandatory but are important as they bring fun, freedom and frees one from stress can be included in the category of ‘voluntary and predicted task’. While certain activities like a marriage of a distant relative can be included in ‘voluntary and maybe predictable or unpredictable task’ (Image 3) and can be avoided.

 

      

Image 1: Compulsory predicted task

  Image 2: Compulsory unpredicted task

 

Image 3: Voluntary predicted task (Hobbies)

The time of feeding the baby, playing with the baby, teaching a task to the baby, taking the baby for sightseeing, taking care of baby’s hygiene, a vaccination day or any other emergency are the tasks where the mother needs to attend the baby and cannot perform any other task. Such tasks can be categorized as ‘mother’s attention time’.

There are times when the baby sleeps and needs no attention but mother's presence is needed for feeding, patting and rocking the baby timely so that the baby feels secure, sleeps longer and peacefully. Under these circumstances, the mother can perform her tasks which require concentration. Such a task can be included in the category of ‘mother’s me time’. The tasks including office work, meditation or a hobby can be completed during this time. 

The time when the baby is engaged in playing by themselves and the mother simply is needed to be around for the baby’s safety while performing her mobile activities can be categorized as ‘mother’s mobile time’. The mobile activities include cooking, cleaning, etc. which require movement.

Apart from the predictable regimes, there are some unpredictable regimes (Image 4). Depending on the age of the baby (in months), the baby’s sleeping time, feeding time, activity time varies. The sleeping time of baby reduces with baby’s age which can increase the stress levels of the mother. Further, baby can wake up anytime, may get hungry anytime, may need cleaning any time and also, may need complete attention any time. A mother must be aware of the discussed uncertainties in the regime and confront the stress. This is where Sadguru’s Inner Engineering program comes into the picture. This program discusses "Accepting the Present as it is", which is a mantra for happiness and helps to confront stress. Thus, the new mothers should work in the direction of accepting reality as it is and try to accommodate her career dreams, happiness and self-fulfilment while being around the baby. This will not only facilitate the new mothers in shaping the baby’s initial months by nurturing the baby with all their time, love and affection but will also facilitate the new mother in not forgetting the women she is, her independence and in retaining herself the way she wants.

A new mother can manage her stress, retain her self and take care of the baby without losing her true self (perusing her dreams) by adopting the following measures-

I. Categorizing and prioritizing task (As explained in above sections)

A.) Compulsory predicted tasks, B.) Compulsory unpredicted tasks, C.) Voluntary and predicted task, D.) Voluntary and maybe a predictable or unpredictable task, E.) Mother’s attention time, F.) Mother’s mobile time, G.) Mother’s me time. A mother must prioritise compulsory tasks and not refrain if the timeline for voluntary task gets extended.

II. Get suitable toys: Having suitable toys and teaching baby to rightly play with the toys can engage the baby in activities which can help baby to build her cognition and help you perform other activities.

III. Singing songs or rhymes for baby: Singing songs or rhymes helps to enjoy her time.

IV. Taking power naps while making the baby sleep. The power nap can help in improving energy levels.

IV. Meditating for a minimum of 20 min while the baby is sleeping. Meditation can help new mothers to relax and improve work efficiency by reducing sleeping time for mothers. Meditation can be chanting a mantra or can be chanting simple ‘AUM’ (Meditations: Sadguru’s inner Engineering Program).

V. Maintaining strict hygiene conditions including keeping the floors, premises clean, cleaning baby’s toys, cleaning milk bottles regularly using bottle sterilizer can help to maintain babies health and reduce doctors visit. Also using disposable diapers instead of re-usable cloth diapers, making use of suitable anti-rash creams can be can help in maintaining hygiene for baby. Additionally, mosquito repellent can be used to protect the baby from mosquitoes.

VI. Get all electronic gadgets charged: Charging the electronic gadgets while doing the mobile task will allow a mother to work using a laptop/ mobile being close to the baby. This will help the baby to have a sound sleep as the baby frequently checks if someone is around them during the course of their sleep. Also, charging appliances will allow the mother to work in any corners and at any times, regardless of the charging points or power cuts.

VII. Maintain a minimum of five milk feeding bottles: Using five milk feeding bottles per day will help a mother to have sufficient me time as baby needs feeding while sleeping as well and feeding the baby while baby is asleep helps to prolong baby’s sleep time.

VIII. Use bottle sterilizer equipment Using automatic bottle sterilizer equipment instead of boiling bottles in an open vessel aids to save energy (time, fuel). Use a thermos bottle: Using a thermos bottle helps to keep the warm water ready for use when required for making the baby’s milk or baby’s feed. And can thus allow an efficient ‘me time’ for mothers. Also, using warm water for baby is required for the health of the baby.

IX. Feed and rock the baby while the baby is asleep: Feeding baby or rocking baby in arms (in case cradle is unavailable) or holding close in arms while the baby is asleep

X. During ‘me time’ work being next to baby, so that baby can be patted or given feed when required and hence mothers can prolong baby’s sleep.

XI. Accept that are and will be several uncertainties: There will be several uncertainties in both mother and baby’s regime which should not become stress triggers for the new mother.

XII. Mothers must write down the valuable ideas when they strike and plan to execute ideas stepwise in ‘me time’

XIII. If possible live in a joint family or hire people for assistance: The extra helping hands can help a working new mother to be emotionally balanced, be efficient in her activities and be a beautiful mother to the baby.

Thus, a new mother can provide the best care to her child as per her motherly instincts and continue with the activities that she loves (apart from taking care of her child) by making small changes in the day to day life and “ACCEPTING THE REALITY AS IT IS”.

Following are a few selected links  

Links for Sadguru's inner Engineering program: https://isha.sadhguru.org/inner-engineering-online/overview. Links of hygiene materials for baby safety and to easy work: floor cleaning 360⁰ mop https://amzn.to/3iNj6Gl, 5 L liquid floor disinfectant: https://amzn.to/3g4xwQT, wet wipes for baby: https://amzn.to/2DQuFxV, liquid handwash anti –germs after cleaning baby: https://amzn.to/2CwIyAq, Sanitizer spray for the room: https://amzn.to/30ZZzwq, hand sanitizer: https://amzn.to/2YaRyTD, baby moisturizer: https://amzn.to/3h4sogB, Baby bottle cleaning liquid odour free: https://amzn.to/3aBgbhd, Glass bottle cleaning brush set: https://amzn.to/3hci3zq, https://amzn.to/2Q0bZy7, Thermos bottle: https://amzn.to/34b7NDO Links for selective baby toys for building cognitive abilities of baby: https://amzn.to/3kMgkTL, https://amzn.to/3g8WWwp, https://amzn.to/3g8WWwp, https://amzn.to/310YfJA, https://amzn.to/3awOwOe, https://amzn.to/2Ef9Ag4. Links for baby diapers: https://amzn.to/2CzBTWd, https://amzn.to/313w9h5, https://amzn.to/2EeWHmc Links for baby feeding plastic bottles: https://amzn.to/3kSUWvV, https://amzn.to/3g1JBWY, Link for breast feeding pump for collecting milk https://amzn.to/310WxId, https://amzn.to/3haItBO Link for baby bottle sterilizer: https://amzn.to/2CzBTWd, Alexa: https://amzn.to/317YJ0s

Acknowledgement:

I would like to acknowledge Sadguru’s Inner Engineering program to make me realise to “Be certain in uncertain times by accepting the present situation as it is".