Motherhood 101

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This is for all the new mommas out there! We are wrapping up week 7 and going on 8 weeks now and I’m realizing how hard motherhood is and the fact that nobody can prepare you for it. It is also the most rewarding experience and no one can explain how much you will love that lil nugget either. Here’s the things I’m learning...

The house work can wait. Yes, girl! Let that laundry pile up - load that dishwasher down - don’t make the bed. Seriously, you just carried around a baby for 9 months. You did all the prepping you could. Now, hold that baby and get all the baby snuggles. They are only little for a little while. 

Stay hydrated and don’t forget to eat. You are their sole source of food and they need you to take care of you so you can take care of them. Also, don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t eating the healthiest diet - I get that it’s hard to make and eat a salad holding a newborn. If you can’t set them down - just grab that pop tart out of the pantry and rock that baby! I’ve been there and done that! 

You don’t have to do it alone. I am a type A personality. I like to have it all together all the time. I, also, like to do it myself. That isn’t always realistic with a newborn. Sometimes you need help. All those mommas that look like they do everything by themselves on Instagram... let me tell you - they had help somewhere! They may not talk about it or show it on their social media but they had it - somewhere, sometime, somebody held a baby so they could nap or shower or something - I just know it! 

It’s temporary. It’s all temporary. The growth spurts, the crying, the cluster feeding, the spit up, the millions of diaper changes - it’s all just a few grains of sand on a whole beach. But your marriage and this child - they are permanent. Don’t forget that when you are on 2 hours of sleep and your baby is going through a growth spurt and is on their second day of constant crying... It’s easy to snap and it’s easy to cry and it’s also really hard to have a valid argument on so little sleep - you literally won’t be able to put together a full sentence that makes sense. So just do yourself a favor - remind yourself it’s temporary - it’s just a moment of time and it will pass! Love your husband - try to love his advice (he’s just trying to help) and keep doing it momma! You’re doing great! 

Give yourself grace. Motherhood was not designed to be a sole job. It always included Jesus. He is our strength, our endurance, our hope, our light. He is what you need when you feel like you could just fall into a million tiny pieces. Isaiah‬ ‭40:11‬ says “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.” Did you catch that? Jesus, our shepherd, will gently lead us through motherhood. I LOVE THAT! He knows how hard it is and he wants to help. We just have to be willing to ask! So reach out to him - anytime, any day! That’s what’s so great about God - he is ALWAYS AVAILABLE! 

Maybe you read this as you were breastfeeding, maybe you don’t have kids yet, or maybe your a mom of many (and to those, I tip my hat to you!), but I  hope this post helped you or prepared you for your motherhood journey. If you need encouragement or you just want to let me know your in my boat, reach out to me! I’d love to connect with you. 
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In the meantime, hang in there mama! They tell me it gets better! Looking forward to sharing more of my motherhood journey with you! 

xoxo - A


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