Being a parent is not easy. And the experience is hardest on first-time mothers. Their bodies go through significant changes to prepare them for motherhood. These changes can have lasting impacts on their personality and caregiving traits as well.
Nevertheless, motherhood is considered a welcome journey in a birth giver’s life despite severe anxiety about what lies ahead!
The fact that there are endless tips and “ideal” child-raising methods being bombarded on them is not helpful with such anxiety either.
Therefore, acquainting yourself with practical solutions can help overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed.
If you are a first-time mom or going to be one, keep these tips in mind throughout your parenthood journey.
Breastfeeding Is Not Always Pleasant
One of the primary ways newborns bond with their mothers is through breastfeeding but that doesn’t make it the most pleasant experience always.
You should know that it’s okay to feel so!
Breastfeeding can be challenging and painful mentally and physically. Sometimes the child won’t latch or reject breastmilk.
You will have to give the child some time to adjust to the new nutrition method. If you feel there is something wrong, then consult a lactation expert immediately.
If you’re struggling too much or breastfeeding feels absolutely impossible to you, your consultant may advise you to feed the baby breastmilk with a bottle. But pumping breastmilk is not as glamorous as you may believe. Use the best equipment like a wearable breast pump to make the process simpler and more comfortable.
Set A Schedule
Newborns mean a lot of sleepless nights and routine disruption. To make life easier, try to form a routine for yourself and your baby.
By establishing set feeding and sleeping times you can create space for some relaxation and prevent exhaustion while also making tending to your child a more pleasurable experience.
Obviously, those routines won’t always come through but by trying to create some you will be able to carve more time for yourself gradually and perhaps for other important things such as your job.
Don’t Fall in the Comparison Loop
It is easy to compare your parenting ways to others. Especially, when there’s so much pressure on mothers to be perfect all the time.
Stay away from such thought processes. There is going to be a lot of unsolicited advice being thrown at you. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, a mother knows their child the best.
Therefore, use the advice given to you but always go with your instinct instead of blindly following it. If social media makes you feel the need to compare. Quit it.
Not every newborn is the same and so if standard practices fail don’t be afraid to experiment with what works for you.
Crying is a Way of Communication
Mothers often feel flustered when their babies won’t stop crying. It almost feels like no matter what they do it isn’t enough for the baby. This can be jarring, but what you have to realize is that babies cry frequently.
This doesn’t have anything to do with your abilities as a mom. Look at such crying as a form of communication. It could be hunger, attention, desire to sleep or general discomfort.
Such an outlook will help you feel less nervous when your kid starts to cry again and again.
Take Care of Yourself
By finding the right fitness regime for pre and post-pregnancy you can feel refreshed and more confident in your body. Don’t be afraid to take time off and share responsibilities with those around you to take some burden away from you.
Eat healthy and properly to regain and maintain your strength. It will help you remain patient with your child and also enjoy motherhood more.
Check in with yourself about your mental health regularly to avoid reaching exhaustion. Use innovative ways such as decluttering the house or other small activities that you enjoy to deal with baby blues.
Conclusion
Motherhood is a very beautiful yet challenging experience. It is easy to think you can do it all alone but very frankly, it does take more than one person to raise a child.
Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help, whether that’s for your baby or yourself. In fact, it is okay if you didn’t have the breeziest ride into motherhood. In the end, you’ll enjoy the ups and downs of this path and cherish the beautiful moments with your baby.
