October 25th, 2018
Who can give better advice and insight than those who have been through it themselves? I asked a group of moms to give some words of encouragement to all you soon-to-be moms out there.
“He's eating, he's peeing, he's stooling. He's doing good, so don't worry.”
“Have a plan but also learn to go with the flow and accept what may come. I went into the delivery room with a plan in my head- I would have a natural birth, no painkillers, no epidural. My body was made for this, I can handle it. But when my baby didn't flip tummy up and his spine was rubbing against mine, each movement caused extreme pain with no dilation. So I had to shift gears: it's either I was getting the epidural and this baby would come out or he would stay in there, cozy and comfy. I think it's the same for every day mom life. I like having a plan, but having a baby has made me realize that sometimes plans have to change in order to be the best mom possible. Sometimes an outing turns into a night in because of teething or you have to drop a few activities to dedicate more times to your family. In any case, being flexible is key and being open to change in plans is helpful to keeping yourself and everyone around you sane.”
“Whenever you feel low or discouraged just remember you're the center of your baby's universe so you're kind of a big deal”
“The baby came into the world to be a part of the family, not to run it. So the baby needs to get on schedule.”
“Honestly, everyone has their own style of parenting, you have to trust your instincts and not stress out about everything.”
“Wash your pajamas and tops (if not all your clothes) in dreft or whatever baby detergent you're using so you don't have to worry about baby's skin getting irritated while breastfeeding or holding them.”
“Being a mom is stressful sometimes but worth it.”
“Life changes drastically, going from a single person to being married.. then you have another person in your life who is dependent on you.”
“Postpartum depression can range from light to severe and you don’t know what is happening until you are out of it. Your body goes through changes during pregnancy and continues to go through a lot of changes once you have your child. You are in pain, you are trying to recover and all of a sudden nothing you do is for yourself. Everything you do is for your child. Make sure to take ‘Me Time’ to rest and recover, fill your own cup so that you can fill theirs.”
“Expect to laugh a lot, it is a funny journey. Kids will surprise you and do the funniest things.”
“Remember that their young stage is just a short phase in life, even though it feels forever.”
“Don’t let other people stress you out because of what they do with their kids. Your kids are different, their kids are different. It is great to always ask questions and to do research but don’t allow anyone to pressure you to make you feel that you are supposed to be doing a certain thing with your kids. For example breast feeding, some people think that you are supposed to breastfeed fully and to not do formula at all. Or they make you feel bad if you only breastfeed a certain amount and stop. At the end of the day you have to do what works for you.”
“Listen to the advice of of others but you have to use your own instincts. You have to do what you think is best for your child and watch them flourish.”
“It can be very scary to think that ‘I am one of the prime influencers of this child’s life’ and that depending on what I do or what I show them they are going to grow up into. So that is where you pray a lot and where you rely on God for wisdom, and your parents or others who are helping you out. It is scary but it is such a blessing to have the opportunity to do that.”
If you have anything to add to this list please leave a comment and continue to encourage and love on the new moms!