As a seasoned expert, new moms often ask for my advice on what to expect when the baby arrives. Most of the time, I reassure them and tell them to just call me if they have any questions. The fact is you will learn countless lessons raising your children, so it’s hard to condense all your advice down into one simple conversation. Also, it’s tough to give the truly meaningful advice on the spot. Since this comes up so often, I’ve decided to make a list of the most important pieces of advice I wish someone had told me before I became a Mom.
- You Don’t Have To Do Everything Yourself:
The saying “it takes a village” still holds true to this day. When you are a new mom, you are trying to navigate the added responsibilities of a newborn on top of your already busy schedule. You may feel humbled when someone offers to help, but trust me, take it. Your friends and family want to support you and the new baby so let them help out a bit. You’ll get the rest you need, the chores will get done, and your baby gets to spend time with people who love them. Everyone wins!
- In Fact, You Don’t Have To Do Everything:
You bought the expensive baby food maker, the washable diapers, and you have the ultimate must-do list to be the Pinterest-perfect new mommy. We all start motherhood with this idea of the mom we’d like to be, but sometimes we just take on way too much. You don’t have to do everything and if you do, look for things that will streamline your life like Package From Santa’s Free Countdown Calendar, not things that add extra chores.
- Mommy Brain Is So Real:
You’re going to forget every single thing. It’s okay. It happens to all of us.
- You Will Get To Sleep Again:
You know that when you become a mom, that you’ll not get much sleep. Between night feeding, irregular schedules, and post-pregnancy pain, you are going to miss out on a lot of sleep. Even though everyone will tell you this is coming, you won’t know how bad it is until you’ll so sleep deprived it feels like you are going to die. However, your baby will eventually go to sleep. It may take a few weeks, months, or even a couple years, but eventually, you will have a regular night’s sleep again every night. I promise.
- Streamline Your Registry:
This is a big one. When I first got pregnant, I had no idea what supplies I’d need, so I put everything on my registry. When my first child came, I realized I didn’t even need a quarter of the things I had. Then I had to deal with organizing it all, cleaning it, and then donating it down the line. It was just too much stuff. Talk to another Mom, see what they actually use every day and go from there. It’ll make your life much easier.
- You Will Become A Human Napkin:
Everything thing will be wiped on you, spilled on you, and dropped on you. You will be dirty, sticky, and covered in stains you didn’t even know you had. A Tide stick and some extra diaper wipes go a long way. Avoid wearing white for a while!
- Take Time To Enjoy The Little Moments:
Children grow up faster than you can imagine. One day you’re leaving the hospital with a bright, shiny newborn and the next you’re dropping them off at the senior prom. Sometimes we get so busy we forget to take the time to really enjoy those important milestones in our baby’s lives. The chores can wait; you can take a break and just enjoy rediscovering firsts with your baby. Also, people may roll their eyes, but go ahead and take 400 pictures, you won’t regret documenting all these moments when they get older.
- Trust Your Instincts:
There’s something truly magical about motherhood. You know on the most natural level what is right and what is wrong for you and your baby. So stop over analyzing and doubting yourself, and just listen to that inner voice and trust your instincts and you won’t go wrong. You were meant for this!
- You Are Going To Hate A Cartoon Character:
This may sound really silly because cartoons are not real, but your young child is going to watch their favorite cartoon over and over and over and over again. They are going to sing their songs and want everything with that cartoon character on it. You will soon start to hate this character. It’s just too much for any adult to bear.
- You Are Going To Love Your Child More Than You Ever Thought Was Possible:
It’s that simple. When you baby enters the world, you are going to experience a love so profound it will change everything and it is the most wonderful feeling in the entire world.
