Dear New Mom, Here’s What I Know

In just a few short weeks, we’ll be welcoming our second child into our family. We’ll be bringing home a tiny baby boy, and I can almost smell the fresh scent of a newborn.  I’ve been giddy about the tiny stacks of clothes we’ve been washing, the soft blankets, the nursery coming together. I also make jokes about the lack of sleep, the recovery. I wonder how I manage to navigate those newborn days, the ones that seem so far away from where we are now.

You see, it hasn’t been that long since we had a little baby in our home. A few years ago, I was a new mom and frazzled at the thought of making a solo grocery trip. I was stressing about schedules and feeding times, I was overwhelmed and tired.

This time it’ll be different. Not because I think I have it all figured out, that’s not the case at all. Instead it’s because I’m encouraged by the few things I know this time around, the few things I figured out before. Surprisingly, they don’t have anything to do with sleep schedules or a magic formula for making it through a grocery run without a meltdown.

But, I still think they’re pretty important.

Take it slow. 

Those first few weeks should be for small moments, for snuggles, for bonding.  No worrying about baby weight, no fear of never being able to sleep through the night, no stress about the dishes piling up in the sink. Everything will eventually fall into place, this new season will become the new normal, there’s no need to rush any days.

 

Make your own rules. 

There is a great place for resource books and websites, but they aren’t one size fits all. What works for some, doesn’t work for others. Sometimes life with a newborn means making your own rules and that’s something to breath a sigh of relief about instead of something to stress about.

 

Don’t blink. 

As cliche as it sounds, don’t blink, these days go by way too fast. I remember being stressed about nap times and routines and schedules. And don’t get me wrong, those are all wonderful things, they all have a place. What I know now is that once I get one aspect of the schedule figured out and down to an art, something changes. Babies grow and patterns change, but I know that one day there will be preschool and consistently solid blocks of sleep. This time, I vow to spend less time trying to figure everything out and more time soaking in each and every tiny moment.

 

Know that you are not alone. 

Lean on Jesus, lean on your spouse, lean on your family and friends. This time, I won’t be afraid to ask for help, I won’t be afraid to admit defeat, to take a break. Motherhood is much sweeter when you lean on the ones who love you the most.

Don’t be confused, I’m no seasoned mom, I don’t have it all figured out.  I’m confident I’ll be running to Jesus on a daily basis about mothering a newborn. I’m also sure that these days are short, too short to worry about anything other than a sweet baby who adore you.

Go on, soak up that newborn smell. Breath it all in.

 

Are you in the newborn stage?

What advice to you have for the new mom?