Being a new mom is hard, and that’s why Healthier Baby Today wants to take the time to share the BEST advice for a new mom! There is absolutely no type of shortage when it comes to advice available for new moms. Between loads of best-selling parenting books, well-meaning family and friends, and even strangers on the street, there’s more than enough advice going around for you to consider. Just being able to sift through the enormous amount of information placed upon you can be a tiring task. How do you choose whose advice to take and whose advice to disregard?
We have compiled some of the best advice we could find from moms who have been where you are in hopes of helping out a new mom at her wit’s end with an overwhelming amount of advice that she’s not sure how to follow. In this article, we’ll keep it simple, we promise.
Do Less – The First and BEST Advice for a New Mom
You could currently be feeling like you are doing everything at once your baby is born. Please note that this is not true. Do as little of everything around you and ensure you spend the most of your time with your baby. These first few months go by so fast, and it is impossible to establish a routine within the first week. As long as your new little life is feeding, sleeping and happy, the dishes can wait. Take all the time you need to get to know your baby instead of just jumping into housework again. Perhaps have a close relative or friend come help out for the first two weeks so that you can take time to adjust and focus all your time and energy on your little one. You don’t need to prove you’re a superhero. You’ve already done enough giving birth to a beautiful baby.
It Really Might Just be a Phase
Eventually, your baby will go back to sleep, stop crying during bath time, or keep their socks on. Phases are something that is quite common in newborn and infant development, and babies go through plenty of those. There will be a hand chewing phase, a foot chewing phase, and at some point, your child may eat off the floor like a dog. Just tell yourself this is just another phase of development, and let them be. Don’t place pressure on yourself or your child to progress through a stage faster. Enjoy these quirky little moments. It will make for a great story one day.
Your Body is Your Superpower. Treat it as Such
When you search socials these days for “Advice for a new mom” you will come across thousand upon thousands of body-positive moms, and we agree! You are not obligated to “bounce back” straight after pregnancy. You’ve just spent 9 months growing a tiny human, and now you need to focus all your energy on keeping them alive. Forget about the post-partum belly and accept that your body is amazing. It can create life. If you’re breastfeeding, you’re using your body to nourish your child. It is an amazing journey. Love your body for what it did and what it is doing. You have all the time in the world to get back into shape when you are ready.
Don’t Worry about the Small Stuff
Your baby will fall over from time to time, generally more often than you’d hope for. If there are no signs of distress, there is no need to visit the emergency room. Spit-up will also be a common occurrence, don’t waste time changing your shirt every time a little spit-up spills on it. In the end, does it bother you? No? then, who cares what others think. You’ll probably need to change shirts a few times a day if it does.
Find Perspective
Be careful of projecting your own insecurities onto your children. This is a common occurrence amongst parents. Take pride in their individuality and trust that they are developing as they should.
Advice for a New Mom – Ignore Advice
Advice will come in heaps when you’re pregnant. The great thing is, that you get to choose how you’d like to raise your child. This means that if you don’t agree with the advice given, you can simply choose not to follow it. There is no textbook on raising children. No child is the same. What worked for someone else may not suit you. In the end, it is your child, and you have the final say.
Sleep
Sleeping is extremely important for both you and your baby. Therefore, it is imperative that you ensure that you get enough sleep. Newborns are awake quite often, so whenever they nap you nap. The dishes can wait, we promise. Being overtired may cause you to become stressed and agitated, moods that your newborn may pick up on, which will ultimately result in them becoming fussy themselves. Ensure that you get enough sleep, especially if you’re breastfeeding, as it may be an exhausting task for some.
Trust Yourself
A mother always knows! Your instincts will guide you, and you know your child best. Trust yourself to make the right call for your baby. You will know when they’re sick or when something is wrong. If a situation doesn’t sit right with you, trust your gut. Your mothering instincts will kick in, and you’ll just know exactly how to handle your newborn.
Take A Lot of Pictures
This is very important. Pictures are the best memories to have, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly things change as your baby grows up. Taking pictures will ensure that you keep all those precious memories close by.
Don’t Try to be A Perfect Mom
You do not need to be the perfect mommy, just be the best mom you can be, and your child will think that you are perfect. As they get older, their opinion may change for a short while, but always stay true to yourself. Every mom makes mistakes and then learns from them.
It’s Okay to Do Things Differently
You don’t need to follow the same parenting styles and traditions as the mothers before you did. You are allowed to do things differently with your child. In the end, it remains your choice how you’d like for your child to be raised. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting and needing to break away from what you might not have agreed with.
A New You
Being a mom has absolutely no manual. Therefore, it is best to follow your gut. Don’t try to be a hero. Rest when you need it, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Parenting is a learning curve, but it will come more naturally after you and your baby get to know each other.
