They say it takes a village to raise a child, so I’ve invited some fabulous bloggers to share their thoughts on motherhood. This week they’ll be discussing everything from pregnancy to newborns to baby gear for first-time moms. Today, Emily is here with the five pieces of new-mom advice she plans to follow after her second child is born in April. Her blog, Peck Life, is filled with gorgeous photographs of family, food and crafts, so check it out!
When you have your first child, you don’t know what to expect. Is it going to be hard or easy? What will I feel like? Will my marriage change? Will I have time to ever take a shower again? You just never know until that little bundle joins you.
Being the type A personality that I am, it’s very hard for me to let things go….to not be able to cross items off my “to-do” list….or to let the dishes stay dirty in the sink. So when my first baby was born, it’s safe to say I had a pretty difficult time merging my “old” life with the “new” one.
I tried too hard to keep up, got a little too overwhelmed, didn’t take care of myself as well as I should have, and in hindsight {of course!}, now realize that I could have benefited from the advice sprinkled over me those first few months. It’s hard to implement good judgment, especially when you are still in the fog of the first few months. Now, with baby #2 joining us next April, I have a better idea of what I need to do to succeed. Ironically, much of it is the same guidance I was given before. Except this time? It actually means something. Here are my top 5:
It was probably the curse of having December baby combined with the extreme damage to my lower half that prevented me from really “getting out there”, but I can tell you first hand that staying in the house 24/7 really can make you a little insane. Even if you don’t want to go….even if it takes 3 hours to get out the door….just go. Starbucks, 10 minutes in Target, a stroll through the farmers market….a baby support group….ANYTHING.
The beginning of a baby is fleeting. You will have 10,000 photos of your new little person. But where is mom? Even if there has been no shower or drop of makeup applied, just get in the picture. Your baby will thank you for it later.
This is the one I am worst at. I’ve never been a napper EVER so sleeping at sporadic intervals throughout the day is foreign to me. As I’ve become more sleep deprived over the years, I’ve realized just how much sleep I really do need to properly function. I expect it will be easier to sleep on queue with #2 {assuming my toddler lets me} but I’m sure this will still be a difficult one to stick to.
I’m not very good at meal planning when I’m NOT pregnant. So, you can only imagine how this panned out the first time around. Thankfully we had friends and family who helped us with meals. Once I learned just how much food I needed to eat to nurse AND how cranky I got when I was hungry, this quickly became top priority. There is no time for dishes {sorry, I am usually a good environmental steward but desperate times call for desperate measures} so paper plates are a must. Anything you can do to plan ahead, even if it’s meal delivery, will make everyone happy.
Assuming you have a good, safe, relationship with your family members, accept any and all help. Let others hold your baby so you can grab a snack and have 5 minutes of quiet time or grab a quick coffee with your hubby. If they offer to watch your baby, just let them!! It was really hard in the beginning, especially when I was a paranoid first time mom but looking back, I really wish I would have accepted more offers for help, even if the help wasn’t directly for the baby. It’s the one time in your life when you have a right to be spoiled by others. Just accept it and say thank you as much as possible. You can repay them later.
It’s only 5 things, but I really think it will make things smoother for me in this next go around. Is there anything major I’ve left out? Any advice you would give to a new mom that was valuable in your situation? I’d love to hear!
Good luck, Emily! I certainly hope the transition is easier the second time around. In the meantime, I’m so excited to meet you at Alt Summit in January. We’ll both be dining with BHG!
Leave a Comment