Become a mom in her forties made me stop taking my health to acquire

I met my partner at 38, and given my age, we assumed that the children were not in the cards. So when I fell pregnant at 42It was both a shock and a joy. During these frantic first years with an infant, however, I began to fear that my energy reserves already exhausted decrease more in the coming years.

It took a while, but I slowly started to focus more on my health. Here is what I did – and the surprising lessons that I learned along the way.

I no longer take my health to acquire

As a young single woman living for Saturday evening, I drank regularly, exerted sporadically and avoided doctors unless it is absolutely necessary. Parenting has changed this.

In the forties and now from the 1950s, regular checks with my primary care provider and my gynecologist have become a priority. I’m going to be honest – it took time to make it a habit. Adaptation to routine health meetings can look like one more task on an overloaded task list. And even in Europe, where I live, medical costs can add up.

But here is what I have since achieved as an average age mother: to prioritize my health is to live better now, not only live longer. I used to accept the stroke to empty as usual. As a parent, I see how it is a bad service for my daughter, especially when a simple control can help discover a problem with an easy solution, such as a vitamin deficiency.

For my 53rd birthday, I offered myself a complete medical examination – including blood and urine tests for cancer, mammography and, on my doctor’s last minute advice, a bone density test. To my surprise, this test revealed that I had osteoporosis, which finally explained the muscle pain and the fatigue that I had put in a busy life. Now, I take calcium on a prescription and adapt my exercise to build bone strength and energy.

Good health is not only physical; This affects our mood. When I feel good, I am more present for my daughter and I really appreciate our time together. That, more than anything, makes my health on the right track.

Regular exercise is now a must

Once I became a parent, I was determined to do more exercise. But after too many Saturday morning rumba lessons, I started to find easier ways to integrate it into my daily routine.

To start, I walk everywhere and follow my stepstargeting 5,000 to 7,000 per day. I always liked swimming, so once my daughter started school, I undertook to swim at least one morning a week. Since he struck menopause, I have also added bodybuilding to my routine, although the busy weeks, it sometimes simply means wearing a weighted vest on my walks.

In my youth, I admit that I worked for a summer “beach body”. Now my Fitness objectives are all about endurance, strength and energy. My main motivation is to be there for my daughter at the moment as much as when she grows in her adolescence and her adult.

Sleep is not negotiable

I have always been more a morning of the morning, but that did not prevent me from scrolling without thinking until 2 a.m. or taking drinks in the middle of the week that ended after midnight.

When my daughter was a baby, sleep became sacred. Then, as she grew up, I made the effort to visit at least 7 to 8 hours of Shuteye. I saw quickly enough that if I did not do it, I would be more grumpy, less patient and certainly less capable of managing his complaints, concerns or without endless conspiracy involving something that this friend said to this friend!

By doing sleeping a non-negotiableI can manage my day more effectively while presenting myself as a parent she deserves.

I give priority to mindfulness practices

After a cesarean under general anesthesia and a post-surgical blood clot, I was anxious and agitated during my first weeks of maternity. Kundalini meditation and yoga helped me find calm, and I have incorporated mindfulness practices in my life since.

As Many teenagers todayMy now 13 -year -old daughter often feels anxious, so I shared several mindfulness techniques with her, and they have definitely helped. Just as important, they strengthened our link. Being able to step back and reset when we are frustrated has defused more situations than I can count.

The essential is as follows: my daughter deserves a strong mother, present and under tension, regardless of her age. As an older mother and woman, I deserve to feel the best so, so that I can fully enjoy maternity and the future.