Love Islander Cara De La Hoyde’s Top Five Tips For Adjusting To Parenthood

Cara explains the importance of listening to your body and connecting to other parents.

Cara De La Hoyde Nathan Massey

by Cara Delahoyde |
Updated on

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Love Island winner Cara De La Hoyde and husband Nathan Massey welcomed their second child, Delilah in July last year.

The couple, who won the show in 2016 in the second season of Love Island, already have son Freddie, who was born in 2017 too.

As part of her role as an Owlet ambassador, Cara gave her top tips on how to adjust to parenthood.

Self Care

You might have seen my recent Instagram post revealing my new nightlife and yes, it might not all be fun and games but let me just say this, a bit of self-care here and there goes a loooong way! Nath has been an absolute star during lockdown and what a difference it made! Make that time for a walk by yourself, making sure you get fresh air everyday. Set aside time to call a loved one or best friend each week or give yourself a bit of a pampering session! It makes a world of difference.

Get the tech to give you peace of mind

Oh my, where would we be without Delilah’s Owlet Smart Sock 3?! We might not be able to change how tired we feel these days but one thing is for sure, this clever and cute bit of tech gives us the ultimate peace of mind. It tracks Delilah’s heart rate, oxygen and sleep so I can rest easy knowing I'll be notified if something's up. I can also track her sleep patterns which has been great for knowing how much sleep Delilah is really getting.

Eat well

Whether you’re breastfeeding or not, this one makes a real big difference. It seems obvious but avoiding alcohol, fizzy drinks, and excessive amounts of caffeine can make all the difference physically but more importantly, mentally. Eating a healthy diet can not only help your mood but can also help you sleep so much better. And let’s face it, that's all us mums want!

Talk to other parents

Whether you’re a first-time parent or you have a five-a-side team of little ones, talking to other parents is so important, for your own sanity if anything. Enjoying the company of others going through the same journey is so, so helpful. I’ve found it even more useful than ever in these lockdowns, whether it’s a Zoom or joining groups on Facebook, reaching out has helped me and Nath loads!

Listen to your body

It took me a while to really understand this one but it is so important, especially for us new mums. Try and listen to what your body is telling you and pace yourself to match your energy levels. Now obviously there will be times where your body says nap but baby says no, but the times you’re lucky enough to have a spare couple of hours (rare I know), make sure you’re staying in tune with yourself so you’re nice and energised when you really need to be!

Cara is an Owlet Ambassador

For more parenting content from Grazia, follow our new Instagram community, @TheJuggleUK.

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