First Time Mom: A Helpful Guide for What is to Come

There are many jobs and roles you can prepare for, however, motherhood is not one of them. Whether you are a first time mom (birthing a child, adopting, marrying a spouse who has children) whatever your first time mom situation is, this post is for you. Right now you may not really understand what road you are about to walk down, and that is okay, no mother knew exactly what they were getting into. You may be nervous, scared and a little anxious, and all of those emotions are perfectly normal. My goal today is to help ease the worry and offer some guidance as you begin this journey.

Change is on the Horizon

I married my husband in December of 2018 and in October of 2019 we welcomed our first child. Talk about change! Marriage was a major change in my life, then in less than a year another change entered my life. I knew that adding a baby to our lives would alter a few things, but I did not realize that it would change everything. Here are a few things that changed when our son arrived:

• Sleep

  • Before I had our son, I slept when I wanted to, how I wanted to and however long I wanted to. After our son entered into this world, I slept when he slept and for however long he slept.

• My diet

  • Before our son was born, I ate when I wanted. After our son, I would often forget to eat because I was busy taking care of his needs or the needs of the household.

• My body

  • Before our son, I worked out when I wanted and tried to keep in shape. After birth, working out was not an option for the first six weeks. After that it was difficult to keep an exercise regimen until he was a little older (around 6 months). Prepare for your body not to look exactly the same as it did before you gave birth. Many people talk about snapping back and your body going back to its original shape and weight. Do not be discouraged if this is not your story.

• Relationships with friends and family

  • Your time is no longer your own. You will no longer be able to do what you want to do, when you want to do it. Your baby will now take center stage. Depending on your community, your friends and family will understand that the baby is now your priority. This may change the dynamic of some relationships. I was not able to call and hangout as frequently as I did before.

• Finances/Budget

  • Children are expensive!

• Daily routine

  • A lot of my days were planned around the baby. As the baby grew, my routine would change to accommodate the baby. I wasn’t able to get much done when he was awake, then when he went to sleep, so did I. That meant that I had to figure out how and when to get my household work done.

Prepare

Preparing for your baby can mean a lot of things. You have read all the baby books, attended doctors appointments, and read all the baby blogs, now what:

• Wash and put the baby’s clothes and linens away

• Show your spouse or support system where all the essential baby items are kept

• Make sure that all baby items are accessible (you may not be able to move well after birth)

• Cook and freeze meals (if your up to it)

• Sleep

• Take a tour of the hospital and know where you are going to go once in labor or reporting for a C-section.

• Clean your home (outsource if you can)

• Discuss boundaries with your spouse

  • Do you want visitors at the hospital or your home once the baby is born?

  • When can visitors start coming to your home?

  • How many visitors can be in the house at one time?

  • Do you want visitors wearing masks when visiting the baby?

• Create a support system

  • Join a local mom group

  • Join a social media mom group

  • Have one or two close friends you can reach out to when needed

• Pack your hospital bag

  • Pack an outfit for you and the baby

  • Something that brings you comfort (blanket, pillow, robe, aromatherapy)

  • Pack your headphones, phone charger and an tablet or laptop, you may be there a while

  • Undergarments

  • Toiletries (body wash, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste)

Support System

Advice to Mom's