Words of Wisdom for a New Mom

Every new parent experiences "new-parent-stress." Some of that stress requires just some deep breathing and work. However, I believe that there is also some unnecessary stress that parents, mothers especially, place upon themselves. Here are some of my mothers words of wisdom that will hopefully eliminate the avoidable stress as you enjoy the early days of parenthood. 

1. Pray for and trust your husband

   
   

Early on, I was very controlling and expected things to run a certain way. This caused a lot of conflict with my husband. Go figure! Isn’t he supposed to lead? Many of the issues that I created were not a big deal either! So, TRUST YOUR HUSBAND. Try not to stress if he wants to try comforting, or caring for, the baby his way. Unless it is a safety issue, just swallow your pride, keep the communication line open, and let him lead. You will never believe how much peace I was able to experience once I learned to let go. 

2. Ask God to free you from caring about the opinions of others

   
   

That being said, try not to let the opinions of other people, friends, family, coworkers, get to you.  Figure out what works best for your family, what brings you peace, and fiercely protect that. Sure, be open to good advice, but if it doesn't work for you, do not hesitate to throw it out.

3. Do not compare yourself to others

   
   

Set up a healthy routine and home environment that you love. Breathe. Let your house get messy if need be. Keep in mind that your mental and physical health, along with your relationships, are the most important things in your life. Prioritize those things. Also, ask for help if you need it! (This was the hardest thing for me to do.) However, the sooner I learned to ask for help the quicker I started to love my life!

4. Hold your baby whenever you can

   
   

There is no such thing as too much time spent holding your baby! Love your child. This time is going to go so fast and you are going to wish you slowed down and cherished the little, sweet moments. Turn on some good music, make a delicious drink and sit down to spend time with your little piece of heaven.