Being a new mother is awesome; nobody can deny it. There is no feeling like it any way or anywhere else in the world. And as a new mom, you tend to want to sacrifice everything for baby, which is good and great and all, but you have to remember to take care of yourself too.

Many new mommies make that cardinal error of just living for and through their babies, and forgetting that they are still human beings too. And ultimately, the better you keep yourself, the more capable a mother you are going to be in the long run, in the grand scheme of things.

The first order of business for any new mother whatsoever should always be to get your support network set up. Obviously baby and you will be spending tons of time together, but it also can’t be 24/7. You need your own time, and it’s only natural that baby gets exposed to your own inner circle of people you trust right from the beginning, too.

How do you spend that time? Keep up with physical exercise, I’d say that’s an absolute number one priority. Visit friends with and also without baby in tow. Shop. Take walks. Eat out. And keep up your appearance; it’s a habit that there is no need to drop for any reason.

Let baby grow up proud of his or her momma still looking like a goddess no matter what. Keep dressing for beauty; it may feel counter-intuitive at first but in the end it will make you feel more positive about yourself and your life, and will give others an absolutely spectacular impression of you.

The other aspect is your mind. The better you take care of your alertness, the easier it is to keep up your appearance. A new trend are smart drugs. A new mom could think about what it would mean to buy modafinil and the benefits to the brain.

Don’t be afraid to lay down the necessary money on taking care of yourselves. For example, don’t start wearing trailer-trash makeup because you think you need to save money; save it some other way. Use good stuff. This line from Osmosis Skin Care for example, will keep you looking as fresh as you ever have before for years to come.

The bottom line is, if your child sees you staying strong and fighting to be the best version of yourself, he or she will invariably imitate you by doing the same. This is the most valuable lesson a child can ever learn from his mother. Children learn first and foremost through imitation. This is why when you are serious about yourself, you should never feel like you’re being selfish. Remember you are setting an example here.