10 Tips to Become a Successful First Time Mom

Prepare With A Birthing Plan

When it comes to new mothers, this is one of the most common tips that is given. Doctors will tell you to have a plan. Your family will tell you to have a plan. So many people will tell you to have a plan that you will inevitably make a loose plan and decide that it will be good enough. Trust us, it won’t be. When people tell you to have a plan, they mean to plan it right down to the last detail. If you don’t, you will feel it when the time comes. If you do, you will get a slight reprieve during an already stressful and magical time.

You can create a birthing plan using Women’s Health Tracker App for free.

Making a plan is not simply a matter of deciding who you will call or packing a bag with extra clothes. Take the time to write out your plan in full detail. As soon as the baby is on its way, you will immediately forget everything. Many women assume that their partner will be able to manage it, forgetting completely that this is a huge moment for both of you. The chances are that your partner won’t be thinking any more clearly than you are. Write out every step of your plan, pack your bag in advance, and make sure that the members of your support system know their roles too.

Get Your Nursery In Order

One of the best ways to prepare for being a first-time mother is to make sure that your nursery is completely in order. Make sure that you not only have a space that you can feel good about leaving the baby in, but also that you love that area yourself. You will be spending the majority of your time there, so make sure that you absolutely love that room. Creating a good space is an excellent way to find motivation for your mommy duties when you are running on two hours of sleep.

When it comes to managing a newborn, you will realize that all of your housework is going to be on the backburner. Your motivation to do anything other than immediately manage the baby will go out the window. This is why it is so important to make sure that the nursery is together. You will not have time to pull it together after your little bundle of joy arrives, so handle it in advance. It will also help you to have everything organized. Being able to find diapers in the dark at three o’clock in the morning is crucial, so find a good way to organize the essentials!

Handle The Food In Advance

If there is one area where first-time moms really struggle, it is with their baby crying. Before you have kids, you will probably regard crying with irritation or perhaps sympathy. What they don’t warn you about is the fact that when you hear your baby cry, it will break your heart. Few mothers are prepared for the emotional blow that your own baby crying can bring. A baby crying is one thing, but when it is your baby, you will realize that you desperately want to do anything to fix it. Unfortunately, you can’t. Even worse for your poor nerves, crying is healthy. Remember to take the time to let your baby self-soothe. Sometimes babies just cry, and that’s okay.

Designate Time and Space For Yourself

When you become a first-time mom, it can feel like motherhood becomes your entire life. In a sense, that is true. After you become a mom, you will almost always feel like a mom first. This is a very good instinct because it drives women to love and care for the needs of their children. Unfortunately, it can be damaging if you are overlooking your own needs. Make sure that you have a committed plan for creating time for yourself. You need to recover to be the best possible mom, so find the time, even if it is just watching some trashy tv while the baby naps.

Communicate With Your Support System

First-time parents desperately need a support system. Whether it is a partner, relatives, or friends, you must find your support system. Being a parent is a fulfilling and challenging role, and sometimes it will feel like you’re changing diapers in a daze. It is hard and grueling work, especially with a newborn, so communicate with your support system. Tell them when you’re tired. Tell them when you can’t bear the sight of one more diaper. Sometimes, venting is all that you need. Other times, you will need some adult company and a moment to breathe.

Find Ways To Be More Efficient In Advance

Babies take up a lot of time, and the chances are that you didn’t have a ton of free time, to begin with. Since you are not going to magically make more hours in the day, it is important to find your efficiencies in advance. Learn what processes you cling to that can be trimmed down, whether it is making easier meals, letting the laundromat handle some laundry, or even saving time on your getting ready process.

Don’t Hoard The Baby

Your baby will become the light of your life from the moment that they are born. You will love your baby so much that you will inevitably find yourself wondering if you even knew true love before they existed. It is such a great feeling, but it makes people hideaway with their babies. You won’t want to let your little one out of your sight, but sometimes, you need to share the baby. Let your relatives or friends visit with the baby. Let them babysit. You need the break, and your baby needs socialization. It’s a win-win in the motherhood game.

Learn To Laugh

They say that laughter is the best medicine, but in motherhood, laughter is crucial. You absolutely must find ways to laugh at the absurdity of being a mom or you will lose your mind. The first time that the diaper doesn’t contain the full mess of your baby, you will have no choice but to laugh at how gross it is because no one else is going to handle it for you. There will be days when you will be delirious with lack of sleep and catch sight of your reflection only to learn that there is cereal stuck in your hair from last night’s snack. The best option will always be to just laugh and then go change the next poopy diaper

Draw Inspiration From Other Mothers

Motherhood is a powerful and wonderful thing, hard as it may be. Fortunately, there are so many mothers for you to draw inspiration from. Whether it is your own mother, a treasured mother-figure, or simply that one lady who lifted a car off her child, use it as motivation. These women did it, and you can too. Mothers are powerful, strong, and driven by love. Focus on the power of being a mother, and learn from the women who have already made it possible.

Conclusion

Being a first-time mother is one of the most intimidating challenges that you will ever face, but you will do great. Even though Instagram would like you to believe that every motherhood moment is picture-perfect, the reality is that it is messy and hard. The great thing is that challenging as it may be, you will never find a more rewarding job to take on. You will learn so much about yourself and get the joy of a beautiful bond that nothing else will ever compare to. There will be poopy diapers, but there will also be smiles, snuggles, and that beautiful baby smell too. Don’t worry, mom. You’ve got this!