Guest Post: Getting Ready for Motherhood

I'm excited to feature my first guest post!  When Katie contacted me she shared her passion for new moms I agreed to share her article with you!  I have a lot of people in my life who are very new moms, or will be in the next few months.  I found many of the tips she offered to be things that were extremely helpful to me in the early days of motherhood.  

Getting Ready for Motherhood

Guest post by Katie Moore

Motherhood is a rewarding and challenging experience that begins right after delivery. Having a new baby is a momentous occasion, but it can be overwhelming at first. Mothers who build a solid support system, take time for themselves and prepare for the unexpected may find the transition to motherhood easier.

A Support System

Motherhood is fraught with moments of uncertainty. New mothers may feel unsure when it comes to dealing with crying and fussiness, feeding, illness and sleep issues. It can be difficult to deal with these situations, especially when new mothers are exhausted. Knowing where to turn for assistance and support can help new mothers feel less anxiety, loneliness and frustration. Women with a strong support group tend to experience fewer symptoms of post-partum depression than women who have little or no support.

Focusing on Mom’s Needs

New mothers spend so much time attending to their newborns that they may neglect to take time for themselves. However, after giving birth, it is important to get enough rest, eat healthy, stay hydrated and nurture oneself. Many mothers find it beneficial to sleep when the baby sleeps, even if it's not at night. If a newborn wakes often at night but takes several naps during the day, mothers can rest while their babies nap.

Keeping healthy food available to nibble on throughout the day can help new moms maintain their energy and stay healthy. Snacks that don’t need to be heated and that can be eaten with one hand are easy to grab while holding the baby. Foods like nuts, bananas, smoothies, rice cakes with peanut butter or crudités require little to no preparation and can help keep blood sugar levels steady throughout the day. Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water is critical and will help new moms feel more energetic and alert.

Prepare for the Unexpected

Although having children is a lesson in giving up some control, new mothers can still prepare enough to be able to handle unexpected situations with a clear head. Prior to delivery, mothers can enroll with an umbilical cord blood banking service, which stores collected cord blood for potential use as a medical treatment for certain illnesses in the future. Some mothers may also feel more confident if they have taken an infant CPR class. Post delivery, keeping a list of important numbers, such as those for the pediatrician and poison control center, can save valuable time in an emergency. 

Newborns don’t necessarily follow a particular routine; their needs change as they grow and develop. Just when it seems that life is becoming predictable, a newborn may change his or her patterns. When experiencing growth spurts, babies may feed as often as every hour. Although it is culturally expected for babies to sleep through the night, infants younger than four or six months old generally need to wake to eat during the night. A baby may wake up every hour one night and sleep for six hours the next night. Being prepared to handle changes in patterns can help new mothers feel less overwhelmed. In fact, when it comes to motherhood, expecting the unexpected can be the first step in making life a little easier.

While newborns present a challenging lifestyle after birth, being a mother is a loving and exciting experience that gets better with each day. Soon, when her baby starts to crawl and walk, a mother will miss the beginning months of a baby that only needed her.

"This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26."