Advice for Mums…Knowledge, Instincts, Keeping things Simple, Common Sense and Trial and Error

Having a baby and becoming a parent is such an exciting time in your life, full of precious moments that you will treasure forever. It is life changing and probably one of the toughest things that you will ever do though undoubtedly it will be the most rewarding.

You will learn so much about yourself during this journey. You will have a new respect for your own body and what it is capable of. You will experience exhaustion like you’ve never known and will discover an inner strength that you never realised you had. Motherhood is a beautiful and powerful experience but it can be really tough at times and it may not come naturally or easily to some women. Some women have never had anything to do with babies before they have their own, while others have been surrounded by babies all their life. However it does not make you immune to the challenges that some babies bring the more babies you have had either as every baby is different.

At times you are going to feel stressed, exhausted, anxious and confused by this little person and all their needs. The constant changes that you will face can be challenging. You just get a grasp of one stage only for it to change. This can be tough for a first time Mum, as probably up until now you have had quite a bit of control over your own life. Suddenly you have this little person who is totally dependent upon you and this can sometimes feel really overwhelming.

You will be offered a lot of well-intentioned advice from people around you, which can sometimes cause you even more confusion and bewilderment. Listen to people whom you trust and that you know their advice is based on good experience and evidence-based knowledge. Knowledge is power and will not only help you to make informed decisions but it will give you a good understanding of what to expect, setting you up with a healthy mind set and allowing you to relax and really enjoy this precious time. By understanding your baby’s needs, you will feel so much more confident and be prepared for the challenges that you will face along the way.

Babies are much more resilient than you think so are very forgiving with the many mistakes that we make as parents. There is no right or wrong way of doing things, just easier ways and more difficult ways and there is no such thing as a perfect mother and accepting that you can’t be perfect is really important. Every baby is so different so keep things simple, trust your instincts and common sense and with a bit of trial and error you will start to work out what will be best for ‘you and your’ baby. This time will go by so quickly, so look after yourself, love and nurture your baby and try to enjoy this special time in your life.

I hope all is going well for you and your baby but please feel free to contact me at anytime if you have any concerns.

Elysia x