My Approach to New Motherhood

By Shivangi Tripathi

Seeing my beautiful baby girl filled me with joy, but feeling overwhelmed all the time soon became part of my parenting journey. Countless sleepless nights and constant emotions took a toll on my body, mind, and soul—to the point that questioning my actions and decisions as a mother became routine. 

I was a strong individual in the corporate world and in my personal life, but first-time motherhood hit on a different level. I was surrounded by my loved ones, and my husband tried his best, but constantly heightened emotions were taking me for a ride. 

Finally, I decided to seek professional help. I spoke with a therapist online, and started working with a nutritionist named Deepali. With their guidance, I added eight core activities into my daily routine. 

1. Engaging in activities

The first activity I engaged with was cooking, which does not come naturally to me. My mother-in-law has been my biggest supporter in this transition as she loves to cook. Cooking for my daughter now brings me immense joy. 

Life started taking shape and we moved to Bangkok to be with my husband. Bangkok is very cosmopolitan, but it takes time to discover your tribe. I got introduced to BAMBI and I loved it from the start. The joy of being with kids and playing with them is second to none.

2. Journaling

I found that journaling was a powerful tool to keep my emotions in check. I started writing down whatever came into my head, slowly decluttering my mind and my heart. It’s tough to find time to write with a baby, but it’s possible. Journaling became my go-to strategy to get things off my chest.

3. Eating healthily

Body, mind, and soul operate in unison, and I found that eating healthily is the first step to making sure they operate in sync. Deepali became my mentor and guide. Being Indian and vegetarian, we used to eat lots of starchy, fatty foods. Now we eat lots of vegetables, millets, and pulses, and we make healthy eating part of our routine. I soon started feeling a change in my body and mind.

4. Feeding the mind

The next step was food for the mind. We stopped reading negative news and rekindled our love of cartoons and comedies. My baby girl is my partner in this pursuit. In the process, cricket went out of the window, which did not go down so well with my beloved husband.

5. Meditating

I am a spiritual person, so I started using a quick hack to sync my energy and spirit with my mind and body: chanting “OM” with deep breaths. I also participated in the “Art of Living” under the guidance of a guru.

6. Connecting with nature

We love traveling, and when we travel, we plan our days in ways that allow us to rest and disconnect from our daily routines while reconnecting with nature. Thailand is perfect for this. From beautiful beaches to serene mountains, we are trying to explore everything this country has to offer. The icing on the cake is meeting beautiful and gentle people during these trips who help us, without hesitation, restoring our faith in humanity.

7. Connecting with people with a healthy mindset

The most important thing for me is sharing experiences. I started to realize that I’m not the only person dealing with an emotional roller coaster ride. We can relate to and help each other. Some of my best advice has come from talking to a friend who said I should react to difficult thoughts by asking “why”. Then I would know either why something was happening, or that I needed to make peace with not knowing why this was happening. It worked for me and changed my entire perspective towards dealing with difficult thoughts.

8. Exercising

Finally, I started doing yoga and walking every day. Moving my body makes a difference to both my body and my mind.

Change starts small and builds into a whole ecosystem. These eight things seem simple, but scheduling them into my daily routine was challenging, and it took time for me to adjust. But now my husband and mother-in-law follow the same routine and regimen as me, and it has created a much better environment in our house. We dance, sing, and laugh together. The atmosphere we have created allows my child to grow up in a better, healthier environment. 

I feel that in the end, life is not about not having issues but about how you approach them.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Shivangi! I’m a proud mom to a joyful two-year-old girl and live in vibrant Bangkok. My journey with BAMBI began nearly a year ago, and I currently serve as a playgroup leader and the BAMBI secretary. Being part of this warm, supportive community has been a truly fulfilling experience.