For many of her life, Maria Sharapova has thrived on routine. As a retired tennis professional who performed the game for 28 years, being ultra-disciplined in coaching and restoration helped her accomplish main targets, like being ranked primary on the planet and successful 5 Grand Slam titles.
When she grew to become a first-time mother in the summertime of 2022, Sharapova, 36, continued to lean on a constant, albeit extra versatile, mindset to attain one other aim—this time, to be her finest self for her son, Theodore. “All these classes I’ve gained throughout my profession, I’ve actually utilized into this subsequent chapter,” she tells SELF.
One, particularly, was the significance of consistency. For instance, in her son’s new child days, Sharapova dialed within the timing of his feeds and tried to match his nap schedule together with her personal throughout the day, which helped her log sufficient cumulative relaxation regardless of interrupted nighttime sleep. She was additionally diligent in sustaining her milk provide, and frequently wakened in the course of the night time to pump.
Whereas welcoming a brand new child has introduced on a ton of change for the Unstoppable creator, Sharapova says being routine-oriented with some tried-and-true self-care practices has enhanced her strategy to motherhood. “Many individuals assume it’s all in regards to the child, however to ensure that your child to really feel their finest, you additionally need to deal with your self,” she says
Throughout a photoshoot close to her house in Los Angeles, Sharapova caught up with SELF to share the methods she makes self-care a precedence whereas navigating her new position as a mother. Right here’s what she’s discovered up to now.
By no means underestimate the advantages of the fundamentals.
For Sharapova, sleep and hydration are very important, particularly when she’s not feeling her finest amid the fixed calls for of feedings and diaper adjustments.
“As a brand new mother, it’s quite common to neglect about your self as a result of you might have this new being to deal with,” she says. “[The basics] are such refresher they usually’re easy, however you should be constant with the intention to have outcomes.”
Take sleep, as an example. As Theodore approaches his first birthday, he’s now snoozing via the night time—and she or he not has to get up at random hours to pump. However caring for a child is exhausting normally, so she’ll usually lie down for a quick nap whereas Theodore sleeps, just like her earlier routine on the professional circuit after robust coaching periods.
However she doesn’t strain herself to truly go to sleep: She’ll merely take the time to relaxation, put down her telephone, and benefit from the calm, quiet house—a reprieve that gives a “nice increase of power,” she says.
Then there’s hydration. Particularly within the first few months after giving start, Sharapova prioritized ingesting sufficient water as a part of the postpartum therapeutic course of. “You’re giving your physique an opportunity to replenish,” she says.
That’s why Sharapova, an Evian ambassador, all the time has a water bottle close by—she wants easy accessibility to fluids all through the day. “There’s all the time a bottle of milk for the infant, and there’s a bottle of water for Mother,” she says.
Intention for a gradual, constant exercise and restoration routine.
After the large effort of childbirth, Sharapova wished to present her physique the time it wanted to heal, so she took her return to health slowly. When Theodore was about six months outdated, she started a gradual buildup to energy coaching.