I became a new mom seven years ago, and still remember the first few weeks of adjusting to our new normal as parents of a newborn. It was almost like the TV show, Survivor: the mind games, the shifting alliances, the foraging for food. But it wasn’t all horrifying and weird; there were very sweet moments of bonding that took place as I learned how to be a mom, and my son learned how to eat and sleep on something resembling a routine.
Going outside (even if just to the mailbox) really helped those first few days. Taking a car ride and parking at Sonic for a few minutes to get a cold drink was a game changer. Thinking beyond my present (of the nursing every three hours and sleeping maybe four hours at night) and focusing on the little person I was getting to know, thinking about his future, really helped, too.
It’s a lot easier to think back now with rose-colored glasses, but to all the new moms out there, I see you and acknowledge how life-changing it is when you have your first baby. You are not alone! My advice? Try to join a new moms group at your hospital, church, neighborhood, or even get hooked up with one of our playgroups. I promise that talking to other new moms is exactly what you need to get through the first few months of having a newborn. (And know that if you choose/are able to have a second baby one day, it IS SO MUCH EASIER!)
