Go easy on yourself

Heather Thomson and I have a lot in common: we are both working mothers of two children, age four and two; we are both named Heather; we both believe that new moms should find ways to do what makes them happy.

That may be where the similarities end.

I write with Whitney to encourage new moms to drink all the cocoa their boobs could want and eat cream puffs as big as their heads. Women all over the world have muffin-tops thanks to our advice.

Heather created Yummie Tummie following her own search for attractive, supportive and comfortable shapewear. Today women all over the world are muffin-top free thanks to her designs. I wear my YT to counteract all my own advice (see my recent review).

Yummie Tummie designer Heather Thomson with her children Jax and Ella

She shares some of her best advice for new moms below:

Indulge while your baby is a newborn. As soon as they start to have a mind of their own, you’ll have fewer opportunities to do adult things while you’re with them.

1. Go easy on yourself

• Don’t try to do too much! Keep your expectations about housekeeping low-now is the time to rest up and enjoy your new baby. The dishes can wait!
• Avoid those “I lost the baby weight 5 minutes after giving birth!” celebrity tabloids – I’ve worked with lots of celebrities, and it’s not true!
• Try to have a special “date night in” with your partner at least once a month, even if it involves take out and you falling asleep half-way through the movie.

2. Get out of the house

• Make a coffee or tea date with friends a couple of times a week so you have an excuse to get out of the house and connect with friends.
• Go to the movies during naptime. Look for Mommy Matinees, where the audience will be filled with other understanding parents.
• Look online for new Mom groups in your community to do fun things with or without your baby.
• Exercise in the park while your baby is young enough to stay in the stroller and not fight to get out.

3. Pamper yourself

• Plan a spa pedicure during your naptime — babies sleep a lot so use that time to pamper yourself.
• Keep a pack of soothing, moisturizing facial wipes on your bedside table for those times when you are too tired to wash your face before bed.
• Keep sparkly lip gloss in your diaper bag for a quick pick me up.
• Keep bottled water next to all the places where you nurse your baby in case you get thirsty.

Finally, I give all of my new mom friends a Yummie Tummie Nursing T which I designed for myself while I was pregnant with our second child. The snap down bodice panel makes it easy to nurse, the smoothing midsection gives you support through the core, and lets you keep enough covered that you feel comfortable and confident nursing or pumping anywhere.

Congratulations to all the rookie moms out there! Remember, you’re doing great, and stay yummie!

Heather Thomson has been a fashion designer for over 15 years working with style icons like Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce.

Thank you Heather for sharing your ideas, encouragement, and muffin-top fighting goodness!