New Parenthood is Hard

Being a new mom is extremely hard. You’re still hormonal and now you have a little human you have to take care of. Your sleep schedule is messed up, every three hours you have to get up to nurse. You may be having trouble latching or getting baby to take the breast, so you have to use a bottle. You may be recovering from a c section while also taking care of a new baby, or you may have the baby still in the NICU or baby unit. You are tired, stressed, overwhelmed and the last thing you’re thinking of is taking care of yourself.

I know, I’ve been there. My oldest was a c section 3 months early due to severe Pre-Eclampsia. She was in the NICU for over 8 months and had multiple surgeries.

We were tired, scared and it took me days to see her because they couldn’t get my blood pressure under control. It was scary but I decided I wanted to find some way to give back.

When she was 16 months, we got pregnant again. This time, I had a folic acid deficiency and she died from Anencephaly. It took me a whole six weeks to recover from the c section because I was a depressed lump.

They wouldn’t tie my tubes and put me on prescription supplements. I got pregnant two years later and had a healthy, happy baby. She was big and perfect.

We now are raising an 11 year old with special needs and a healthy six year old. I had a strong support system through everything. My parents still play a very active role in my girls’ lives so I know the importance of having a strong support system.

Even if you have no support, a life coach specializing with working with new moms can be beneficial. A life coach helps you through the rocky roads of new motherhood. She can help you when you’re unsure if something is normal. She can talk to you when you’re needing someone to talk to and can help you take the steps you need to take to be the best new mom you are meant to be.

This course will take you through the lessons I have learned in my 11 years of being mommy.

Pregnancy is a scary time, filled with emotions and fears. A good parenting coach can help you work through those heavy emotions so you won’t waste money talking to your doctor unless it’s needed (now, psychosis or PPD requires a psychiatrist, certain symptoms require a doctor but going to the ER can cause you to actually get sick instead of fixed; especially if it’s a normal pregnancy symptom. On the other hand, they can tell you to do a home treatment when it’s actually something you need to see the doctor over.

I was pregnant with my second. I had wet pants so I called labor and delivery and they told me I peed. It wasn’t and by the time my appointment rolled around, I found out it was my water breaking. I was in active labor and didn’t know (no bad pain- it was like a moderate period cramp)

When you are pregnant, you need support. You need people to help you through the process. As a new mom, you need to have support in place to talk you through how to stay from losing yourself. This course covers everything from self care to keeping from losing yourself. It covers breastfeeding, when to see a doctor, long term pumping, NICU stays and how to handle hard to handle babies.

This is ongoing, so there will be much more added and there will be multiple courses in the school.

If you’re interested in visiting my Mom School, visit here. The beginning of Self Care is listed, these are all ongoing courses and the school is still new.

Baby Necessity- Pack n Play

We were given a Pack N Play for our oldest at our baby shower, my mom and dad also bought one. I would recommend it to anyone who travels with babies or grandparents who keep baby over night occasionally.

The Pack N Play worked well when we went on vacation, it stored easily in the back of the car with our luggage and didn’t take up too much space. It was cheaper than a crib, so my parents used it with both kids as babies when they stayed overnight.

Pros- lightweight, works as well as a crib, cheaper than a crib, holds up through babies- my girls are almost 5 years apart and we used the same Pack n Plays with both.

Cons- none that I can think of off the top of my head. We used a normal crib on a day to day basis, but she did nap in the Pack n Play more than a few times.

*Just for the record, this site lists items I have found absolutely essential over the years and doesn’t contain affiliate links. I will not be getting paid for endorsing these products, unless specifically mentioned in a post, it’s all just my personal experience and opinion*

New Mommy Necessity: Boppy Pillow

I can’t think of any product I used more than the Boppy. It’s a circular pillow that goes around your stomach while breastfeeding or feeding baby. You can give baby a nice, comfy spot to eat or nap. It also works for tummy time beautifully.

I had the same Boppy pillow and used it multiple times a day for both my children. It got us through breastfeeding, bottle feeding, learning to sit and tummy time and the pillow itself is still in such great condition, it looks new.

When baby is in NICU, the Boppy works well to support baby comfortably for either skin to skin or normal holding and cuddling.

Pros- fits around your waist and sits perfectly on your lap, boosts baby up high enough to comfortably reach your breast if you’re nursing, works well for bottle feeding as well, can be taken most places with you, shaped perfectly to support baby after s/he learns head control and also works to help with tummy time.

Cons- not as portable- it does take up some room, can take adjusting to get fully comfortable.

This is another product I couldn’t see myself going without through the early baby phases. It worked on the floor and on the bed/couch. It helped us with tummy time as well as nursing. I would fully recommend to anyone to get one for the pregnant woman in their life.