We’ve all been there – about to rush out the door, and we happen to catch a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror. Wow. No Makeup. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel vibrant and productive all day while we were getting groceries and schlepping kids? How much earlier would we have to wake up to make ourselves look presentable in 5 MINUTES. FLAT. (Honestly). Many busy moms don’t even attempt lipgloss half the time even though our appearance affects self esteem and confidence. So we asked the lovely Sarah Norris-Jones from Kiss and Makeup for a 5-minute face for busy moms .
Have you noticed that ‘momming’ is not only big business, but it has gained an increasing amount of sex appeal and glamour in the past decade? Gone are the frumpy Moo Moos and demure floral prints in XL sizes that we were once expected to wear. Enter the Yummy Mummy. While some find this term derogatory, we have a very positive image of this fabulous woman. Pregnancy is a time of change and can ground you firmly to your past and future. Your body is beautiful as it grows. You are special. And you deserve to feel sexy and gorgeous. Our Yummy Mummy Tips:
Losing weight is a concern for many mothers after the birth of a baby. Mothers may ask if it is possible to lose weight and breastfeed. During pregnancy, women gain extra pounds to store energy for producing breast milk. For some women, breastfeeding makes it easier to lose weight, since additional calories are used. Mothers who do not breastfeed will need to rely totally on diet and exercise to burn additional calories.
Dr. Judith Roepke, a nutritionist at Ball State University in Indiana and a member of LLLI’s Health Advisory Council, feels that the ideal time to lose weight is during lactation.
(writing start: new beginnings)
The house is quiet. Unbelievably, the house is quiet. I have soup stock boiling on the stove and the kitchen fan hums above it. Our ancient dog is snoring and his paws brush the hardwood as he races like a puppy in his sleep. The dishwasher is running. But the kids. Are. Asleep.
As summer slips into crisp and busy autumn, we have always been taught to switch gears. When we were in school, this time of year meant new outfits and funky pencil cases. Time to learn. Time to re-aquaint with the friends who were at the cottage all summer. And then you got older. Don’t you remember pouring over the thickest Vogue of the year to master that year’s trends? Tweed? Chocolate brown?
You are physically and mentally exhausted, you may not feel too attractive under that housecoat/sweat pants/yesterday’s clothes and you probably missed your daily shower. Not only that but you may be feeling quite sensitive about your weight or appearance post-delivery. Not exactly a recipe for romance! Your hormones are all over the place and may take awhile to readjust – loss of libido is very normal after pregnancy. Just know that you are not alone.
Your Public Health Nurse will probably strongly suggest that you attend your local weekly group meeting, and this is good advice. The group setting we’re familiar with is an informal, relaxed atmosphere where everyone sits on a gym mat playing with their babies and getting acquainted with other moms. If the group is run by the local health unit, there will be a nurse there to answer questions and who will have a scale available for you to weigh your baby. Mom group is an excellent outlet for questions (many of which other mums will have) on things like breastfeeding, teething, sleeping issues and first foods. The age range of the babies is typically from two weeks to nine months old, so moms with more ‘experience’ or who have already gone through some of these things may have good advice too.