I’ve never done well without proper rest. Even in college I was the one who preferred good sleep over staying up into the wee hours of the morning. And yet here I was. Sleep-deprived and unsure how I would survive this newborn phase. With exhaustion as my constant companion and an infant in my arms at any hour of the day, how on earth would I find any sense of normalcy?
Stepping into motherhood is a daunting endeavor. And while nothing can prepare us for the transition, knowing many mothers just like us have blazed the parenting trail ahead can spur hope that one day we will sleep a full night again.
As I navigated the new terrain as a mom, I was forced to reconfigure how I did everything. If this baby I cradled in my arms couldn’t survive without me, then I had to adapt my former life rhythms to this new season of life. I needed to revise what I defined as a productive day while I cared for an infant. Because, for now, gone were the days where I possessed ample energy to tackle whatever long to-do list I’d crafted for that particular day.
REDEFINING DAILY GOALS WHILE RAISING A BABY
What I needed to stay healthy during this intense, yet beautiful season of sustaining and nurturing the life of a little one boiled down to three priorities for me.
First, spending time with God was essential. Even though it no longer looked like what it used to and I could barely focus as I read Scripture, I would fight for these intentional moments with Jesus. And God met me in my exhaustion and refreshed my weary soul. I didn’t need an hour of silence but a commitment to get focused time on Scripture—even if it was while breastfeeding.
Second, once my body had healed from delivery and my doctor gave her stamp of approval, I started to work out again. I could no longer find time to work out for extended time periods, but I could exercise for 20 minutes during an afternoon nap. And so I did. Sometimes that didn’t pan out but sometimes it did.
Third, taking a shower pressed the reset button for me. While my days often blurred together during the tired baby phase, taking a shower signaled a new, fresh beginning—even if this transpired well beyond morning hours. Maybe I wouldn’t step outside the doors of my apartment that day—or maybe I would—but either way, I was taking care of a basic need. Sometimes tears mingled with water from the shower, but somehow those showers helped recharge me for the day ahead after a long night of caring for an infant.
Each day I strived to meet these three goals: connect with God, get physical exercise, and take a shower. And while these felt like odd new standards to adapt to, they served as tangible targets to guide my daily rhythms and help keep me healthy physically and spiritually.
Motherhood is messy yet wonderful. When we keep our goals realistic and focused on what we need each day, we can meet the days ahead knowing we are prioritizing what was necessary to keep caring for our little bundles of joy.
As our babies grow, so can our goals. But matching realistic goals with the current season we find ourselves in can be useful so we didn’t overextend ourselves. Raising a child is not for the faint of heart. But as C.S. Lewis says, "Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work."
As our babies grow, so can our goals. But matching realistic goals with the current season we find ourselves in can be useful so we didn’t overextend ourselves. Raising a child is not for the faint of heart. But as C.S. Lewis says, "Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work."