How will I keep my life with a baby?

“How will I manage to keep up my activities if the baby wants to feed all the time?”

Perhaps the first thing we can tell you is: your life after having a baby is not supposed to be exactly the same as the life you had before. And that doesn't mean you have stopped being yourself.

In the first few months, your baby needs a lot of closeness and, if you are breastfeeding, it is to be expected that they will feed frequently and without rigid schedules. Perhaps, because of this, the question doesn't have to be “how can I keep doing everything like before?”, but rather “how can I adapt my life to the needs of this phase?” Some activities will continue, others will need to be adapted, and some can simply wait.

Six months can seem like a long time when looking ahead, but it is very little compared to a whole lifetime. You don't have to stop being yourself to take care of your baby, but you also don't have to demand of yourself that you keep living at exactly the same pace. This phase is not forever. It is just a small part of your story.

You can start preparing for this change while still pregnant

What things would you really like to keep doing after the birth? And what small adjustments could make them easier? If you like being with friends, maybe for a while they will be the ones coming to your house. If going to the gym involves long journeys, you can look for one closer by, train at home, or see if there is an option where you can take your baby later on. If you like going for walks or having a coffee, you can start by choosing nearby places where you feel comfortable stopping to breastfeed. It is not about giving up the things you love, but about finding new ways to make space for them.

Still during pregnancy, talk about who can take care of meals, shopping, laundry, the house, or older siblings. Your partner and support network may not be able to breastfeed, but they can do many other things that allow you to have time to feed the baby, rest, and continue to have moments that are also your own.