5 Tips for first time Moms

October 16, 2017

Before Little J was born, I did my research. I read up on breastfeeding and getting babies to sleep, I took classes at the hospital to teach me about bathing and diapering, and I asked other moms for advice. And I got a lot of advice. Lots of moms telling me to do things, not do things, what worked for them, and what didn’t work for them. Some of it was helpful, and some of it was not. But I had the information and that was the best way I could prepare myself.

Now I know that having two kids does not make me an expert, but I have learned a thing or two from having two babies. And if you are a new mom looking for advice, which I assume is why you are on this post, I have a few tips for you to get through those first few months with a newborn.

1. Find what works for you. Like I said, new moms always get tons of advice. Some of it is good, and some of it is bad. One thing a lot of people told me was to nap when my baby was napping. I’m sure for some people that is good advice, but I’ve never been much of a napper so napping, while Little J was napping just, wasn’t good advice for me. To find out which advice works for you, and forget about the rest. Everyone baby is different and every mom is different. Embrace it, and don’t worry if a piece of advice isn’t for you.

2. Don’t obsess about germs. Yes, your baby is perfect and you obviously don’t want them to get sick, but sanitizing your hands every time you touch a door handle is a little excessive. Keep your baby away from sick people and try to relax a little. I still have a hard time with this, but if your baby stays inside all day every day, their immune system won’t build up and they will end up getting sick more. So be smart, but don’t get obsessive.

3. Your husband will love you even if the house is a mess and dinner isn’t ready. Sometimes you don’t get everything done that you want to. Some days feel like they last forever and when your husband finally comes home, your house might look like an atomic bomb went off with laundry everywhere. On those days, you might have to order a pizza. And that really is no big deal. You are a mom. You are doing a super hard job, and you are rocking it. And your husband knows that. So if you have a day where you don’t get everything done on your to-do list, it’s okay. Your husband is still going to love you.

4. Ask for help if you need it. If you feel overwhelmed by staying home all day with your tiny little baby, ask for help! Ask for a friend or family member to come visit and help out. If you need someone to come over for a bit so you can pee or sit at the table and eat without holding your baby, then ask! It’s totally okay to need some help. You are new at this motherhood thing, and it isn’t something that people are pros at overnight.

5. Write things down. Dates, questions for the doctor, things you don’t want to forget. I just recently started keeping memory journals for my kids, because baby books just don’t cut it after the first year. First smile, first laugh, the day they started crawling, funny things they say or do. Write things down! Something I have learned as a mom is that your memory gets worse with each child (I hope that’s not just me!) and if I don’t write something down, it’s likely to be forgotten. So write things down, because later you will want to remember exactly how they were when they were little.

 

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