Don’t believe all those perfect mum blogs online! The fact of the matter is that motherhood, while rewarding, is also pretty tough, especially in the first year of your baby’s life. In fact, there will be plenty of challenges to navigate as well as smiles and laughter. Don’t let that put you off though, because it is so definitely worth all the struggles. You can also get some help in dealing with some of the most common issues in my post below. Stay strong mummy, you got this!
Sleep
Number one on this list of things you might just find a challenge in your first year of motherhood is sleep. In fact, if you ask any new parent what they miss most about their life before Baby arrived, it will be an unbroken nights rest.
Of course, it not just about the fact that mums aren’t getting as much sleep as they are used to as other factors exacerbate this too. Such factors include the physical and hormonal changes that occur postpartum, as well as the fact that any time that you are awake, you have a tiny human that needs constant attention and monitoring. A task that would be exhausting, even if you have a good 8 hours every night.
Now, you are probably wondering: what the heck can I do about this lack of sleep issue, then?’ Well, one tactic is to use acceptance. Yes, that’s right, you have a baby under one, and that means you will be getting less and broken sleep. In fact, by accepting this, you can do yourself a favour in two ways.
The first is that it will be easy to get used to functioning on less sleep, something that parents all over the world have done for millennia. The second is that if you accept that your nights won’t be chocked full of refreshing sleep, it also allows you to take guilt-free naps in the day when Baby is sleeping. Something that can provide you with just enough rest and recuperation to get what you need to as a mummy done.
Feeding
Next, on the list of challenges after sleep is nearly always feeding issues and how to overcome them. Of course, as we all know, breast is best, but that doesn’t mean that breastfeeding will be all smooth sailing. In fact, it is common for mum or baby to struggle with the breast from time to time. After all, Baby may have trouble latching on or doesn’t seem to be gaining enough weight, and mum may have issues with mastitis or cracked and sore nipples.
Luckily, getting ahead of the problem by reading posts like the 12 best breastfeeding tips for new mothers from Mustela can help. After all, if you know what issues can occur, you have a much better chance of constructively dealing with them.
Of course, that is not to say that alternative to breastfeeding such as expressing, and formula are entirely suitable in some cases. In fact, if choosing these methods will mean that Baby gains more weight, and mum is happier, they are often the best choice there is, and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise!
Teething
Ah, teething its a mother’s favourite time in her child’s first year! Yeah right! Unfortunately, teething can turn a happy smiley baby into a screaming gremlin, literally overnight. Which of course is not only upsetting for mum but can be very trying as well.
Happily, there are some strategies you can use to help soothe your baby while they are cutting new teeth. One is to use a clean finger to massage their gums to provide pain relief. Alternatively, you can use an approach of soothing them by picking them up and then directing them with other activities, something that can actually help your little one forget they have gnashers coming through, at least for a little while.
Lastly, whatever you do, do not underestimate the power of a good teething toy. In fact, these wonderful rubber and silicon devices are designed to be soft enough for baby to chew on, and provide them with some relief from their pain. You can even try putting a teething ring in the refrigerator (not freezer) for a short spell to chill it. Which should help soothe the pain of teething and the tantrums that go along with it.
Crawling
Lastly, when it comes to challenges in the first year of Baby’s life, crawling can be a big one. Of course, it’s not so much that your little one will find it hard, but that you will need to babyproof your home to ensure they stay safe.
Happily, this is not a task that is too difficult to do. You can get some advice on how to go about it right here. See mummy, you got this!
this is a collaborative post