A few of my good friends are getting ready to have their first baby. I am so very excited for them and am enjoying sending out packages for them and their new babies. It brings me back to the feeling of being a new mom for the first time, so I have been creating packages of “essentials” along with some fun tips for a new mom. I include things like shaving cream, snacks, baby wash, etc., along with the following tips:
1. Feel like a champ if you can manage a few showers a week. When you do shower, shaving your legs can make a world of difference in your overall attitude.
2. There is no shame in having baby in a sleeper suit 90% of the time, even when you have a closet full of cute outfits for him/her.
3. Don’t worry about all the baby genius products out there. Simply reading to your baby is great for their mind, plus it is cheap and offers great cuddle time.
4. As baby gets older, always have snacks on hand. Food can fix a multitude of ills!
5. Don’t worry about bathing baby too much, before they are getting into things, they really only need a bath or two a week. Plus their sensitive skin can’t handle too much washing and it gives you one less thing to have to worry about each day.
6. It is almost impossible to nap every time baby naps, but a couple of times a week will really help with feeling tired from the interrupted night sleep.
7. Just when you think you have baby figured out, something will change and they will throw you for another loop. The first year is just one change after another, which is the grace of God teaching you to learn to go with the flow!
8. Sometimes there is no explanation for a baby crying. Different babies have different temperaments too, so don’t compare your baby to another.
9. Take time out for yourself and your marriage once a week or so. Even getting out for a short walk can lift your spirits.
10. Relax and enjoy the baby stage. Even though it feels like it can take forever at times, it really does pass by too quickly and you will some day long for these times again.
I also posted a tip for new moms on Kearstin’s blog. What tip(s) would you give a new mom?
Erin, thanks for this post! Some made me chuckle like #1 as I know it will sadly be true! Looking forward to many more wise tips from you as we go. How about some book recommendations on baby sleep, discipline/ child rearing for a post?
P.S. Great pic of you and Ab!
Fun list, Erin.
I thought #2 was completely normal. I mean, babies sleep 90% of the time, so I always dressed TB for it. Ha ha! I did have him in clothes, but the first weeks especially– nearly all sleepers all the time.
I usually tell moms:
–Relax. It seems like so many are stuck in the “how many wet/poopy diapers?” “when did I last feed” rigidity and forget that this littler person is constantly changing, and as long as the little person’s needs are being met, s/he is healthy and growing, the rest just adds stress.
–Listen to your Heart. I believe God designed us to meet the needs of our babies, and when we suppress what our heart is telling us to do, we make being a mom unnecessarily hard.
–Try to get outside at least a couple of times a week. Early on this was very important to my sanity, and I was happy to take TB out with me. I would walk around the block, wander the streets of Germany, go to the bakery or (later when we returned to the US) just sit outside for a while. The fresh air freshened my attitude and energy.
–Recognize when you are frazzled and line up help or find a way to allow you time to regroup. Taking the moment to assess your own condition is one key to the puzzle, and then being upfront about your needs so you can regroup. There is NO SHAME at all in needing 30 minutes (or less/more) to refresh and then finding a way to meet that need– with or without baby. Our husbands are incredibly capable too, and parenting is a joint-venture, so allowing him some time with baby, so mama can grab a shower, take a quick nap, or sip some coffee/tea– is important. Plus that’s extra bonding time for daddy and baby.
I could probably write a lot more, but these are a few that I find myself repeating to new moms…and to myself!
Thanks Erin! Great post! How about some tips for soon to be moms of two! I feel like this transition is going to be much harder going from one to two then zero to one! And you have it mastered!
Thanks, E!
I needed a little bit of a pick me up today and this post did it. Sometimes I feel guilty for following my gut – I get to thinking that someone knows better or I should have read more books about how to help my little one grow and so on. Being a new mom lends itself to a whole world of doubts that I never knew before. It’s hard beleive that the choices I make are the right ones – even simple descisions like letting the baby sleep in the crib rather than in my arms so I can take a shower
Great thoughts! The one thing that comes to mind for me is something that you actually told me
…you said with Abby that (I believe your Aunt Carol told you this??) you made a goal to make it to 6 weeks nursing and then evaluate from there. For me, nursing is very difficult, so to make goals for myself (specifically that first 6 weeks) was hugely motivating. It is not a failure to NOT make it to the 6 weeks or to not nurse at all, but if you are excited about nursing, I think to ask God to grant grace to make it that first 6 weeks is a wonderful idea. It was a great blessing to me! Thanks for all the great posts lately…I thank God for you, Erin!