Morning routine hacks for after you've had a baby

I know, I know. Everyone talks about having a morning routine and how important it is. Heck, I used to be one of those people. Then I had a baby. I scoffed at the ‘old me’ and all of the things I used to be able to fit in to my mornings.

Yes, my pre-baby morning routine helped to set me up for a productive day, but does it feel achievable now? Ha! No way! There’s now a tiny human that is solely dependant on me, that also has no idea what a clock is (and doesn’t like to have any consistency with wake up time). He likes to keep me on my toes - will he wake up at 5am or 7am? Who knows. Will I have time for my workout or a shower before he is screaming at me to get him out of his cot? Probably not.

Now that we have emerged from the ‘newborn bubble’ and there is some sense of normalcy and routine starting to make its way back into my life, there’s some hacks that have helped me to feel like I can still have some time allocated to the things I want to do in the mornings. You know, like eating breakfast and having a shower.

Try to stick to a consistent wake up time for yourself

This one felt so easy pre-baby. But the night feeds, wakes at 3am and teething that feels like it’s never going to end means some mornings you’re just not going to want to get out of bed if bub is still sleeping. I try to think about how I’m going to feel if I do get up instead of laying in - if I know I’m going to feel more accomplished and productive (or if I want to wash my hair and it’s been over a week) it’s way easier to get up and start the day, even if Ollie isn’t awake yet.
Some mornings it means you can fit in some movement, meditation, a shower or even just a coffee before bub gets up and you have some brain space to yourself.

Stop scrolling social media

If picking up your phone first thing is an automatic habit, change it out for something different that’s not going to waste so much time. Jump out of bed and put your favourite podcast or audiobook to bring the focus to you and your self care rather than what everyone else is doing with their lives.

You have the whole rest of the day, feeding times and nap times to scroll on your phone.

Make breakfast for two

If your child is eating solids, make your breakfast something they can eat too. French toast or smashed avocado and eggs has been my go-to lately.

Another time saver here is to pre-make breakfasts in advance so they are ready to grab and eat. Things like overnight oats or baby pancakes. Plus, all of these options can be packed with additions like fruits, chia seeds and quinoa flakes to add extra nutrients for you and bub.

Firgure out your non-negotiables

What is it in your mornings that makes you feel like you’re setting your day up for success? It could be getting a workout in, writing out your to-do-list, having a shower, sitting in the quiet while you enjoy your morning coffee, meditating or even just eating breakfast while it’s still warm.

Figure out specifically what 2 things are going to help you to feel like you. For me, it’s having a shower and moving my body. Which leads me to my next points…

Utilise toys and breakfast time

Ollie doesn’t mind spending time in his high chair, and is too small to get out of it yet, so I put his high chair in the bathroom with me and set him up with some bath toys suctioned to it. It keeps him entertained, he’s happy because he’s in the same room as me and I’m happy because I’ve got my podcast on and am having a shower.

He is however, old enough to love eating foods with his hands. This is also time consuming, so I use this to my advantage! I will cut up a banana, coat it in coconut and give him a few pieces so he can happily munch on them while I tidy the kitchen around him or put the dishes away from the night before. I put the essential oil diffuser on, open the blinds and pop a load of washing on.

Do your main me time thing at nap time

Generally, babies have a morning nap. Take that time to focus on your ‘thing’ - get a 20 minute workout in, meditate, sit outside in the sun with a hot cup of tea, listen to your audiobook, call a friend to catch up, pop bub in the carrier and go for a walk. Whatever your thing is, take the 20, 30 or 40 minutes for you in the morning to reset and turn off your brain.