Survival

I’m not going to lie — the first month with a newborn is a challenge. It is survival of the fittest. You have to be ON all the time. When people tell you to get rest when the baby sleeps listen to them. 

Today, I want to share with you a few tips that you may find helpful as you embark on your first month with a newborn. To be fair, my husband has been a huge help with Baby E. Recovering from major surgery has its challenges especially if you are trying to care for your newborn.

5 Tips To Survive Your First Month With A Newborn

1. Establish a routine early. I can’t stress this one enough. The sooner you establish a routine, the easier things will be. For me, I made sure to set up things to make life at home easier. I made sure to organize bottles, clothes, and things I would need to use daily. Baby E would wake up every two hours and I would make sure to have everything bedside. Having a C-section made my mobility a little challenging.
2. Ask for help. I know you want to be a super mom but listen: Keep your sanity and get comfortable with asking others for help. No, they will not always do things the way you would. But at least things would get done and you can catch a break. If you need to walk away because the baby is screaming, ask a family member or your significant other to step in and help. Asking for help is hard for me, but this time I made sure to ask for help when I felt I needed it.

Let me say, it makes a world of difference.

3. Give up your expectations. I get it. We all have expectations of what life will be like when we finally get to bring baby home. Sis, don’t make it hard on yourself with unrealistic expectations. Just because you think the baby will sleep all night doesn’t mean the baby will. There will be things that happen that are unexpected and you have to learn how to go with the flow. Know that you are amazing and you and your baby WILL get into the flow of things, but it takes time. Don’t have these “Instagram moms” with the “perfect” life have you out here stressed out.
4. Cry if you have to. Listen, I can’t even tell you how many times I have cried while adjusting to this new life of a mom of three. This ish is hard! There are days where you seem to have it all together, then you will have days that nothing seems to go right. It is OK to cry. We are strong, but we also get overwhelmed and need a release. A good cry can definitely help. Crying doesn’t make you weak or less of a mom. It just helps you to re-center so you can get back to what is important. I am past the one-month stage and I STILL cry. 
5. Show yourself some grace. It’s OK not to do all the things. Remember as you are adjusting to life with a newborn to show yourself some grace. Don’t be so hard on yourself about little things. It will all work out you just have to give it some time. By showing yourself grace, you understand that this too shall pass. Before you know it, this phase will be over and you will look back on it and remember the challenges and how those challenges have made you into an AMAZING mom.

What are some tips that helped you survive your first month with a newborn? Share in the comments below!

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