While the excitement of being new parents sinks in, so do the struggles as well. Becoming new parents are filled with joy and laughter but so comes the challenges. Moms go through so many different cycles trying to adapt to the new changes. Here are top 10 common struggles of new moms that many of went through or are currently going through.
Breastfeeding/Feeding
One of the first struggles of becoming a new mom is the feedings. This might one of the top 10 common struggles of new moms. From the minute the baby is born, there are expectations of the mom to get right on to breastfeeding. The pressure of trying to get your little one to latch on as the nurse watches you is pretty intense. When you ask for formula, they give you the look of death as if you asked for poison.
When you finally get home and feel like you are under no pressure, you still struggle to find between feeding your baby and fighting the struggles. For the record, there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with breast fed or formula fed. To each their own and its up to the mom to decide what works for her and the baby.
Struggles Of Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivations might have started even before the baby arrived. The anxiety of the arrival, the labor and delivery, and the hospital stay all continue to take toll on your sleepless days/nights. Once the baby arrives, the feeding demands take over and your sleep patterns will never be the same. Between the on demand feedings, the diaper changes, the crying, and any other episodes, lack of sleep take a huge toll on your life.
Road To Recovery
Keep in mind that not all birth stories are the same and not all labor has the same time, recovery is different. No matter if you had a natural birth or a c-section, recovery is hard for both. I know that something people may argue that c-section recoveries are more difficult but each case is different.
Try having a third degree tear down there and see if you can say recovery is easier. Trying to care for your little ones while recovering from your labor and delivery is such a difficult task for ALL new moms. You just gave birth to a baby but thinking about yourself sometimes comes second to your baby’s needs.
Worry Wart Syndrome
This terminology has been used for many new moms who constantly worry about their new borns. No matter how many books you read or how prepared you may think you are, expect the unexpected. So many different episodes can happen in seconds, minutes, and hours. As a new mom, every thought you can possibly think about will go through your mind. Did you feed the baby enough? Is the baby warm/cold? Will the baby wake up when I’m taking a shower? Is my baby safe? Although the questions will run through your mind countless amount of times, it’s common among many.
Postpartum Depression/Postpartum Blues
A new baby just came out of your body and you should be excited with joy. But sometimes that excitement gets shattered by the postpartum depression/blues. Your hormones are haywire, your body just wen through a wreck, and your emotions are off the roof. These are expected parts of a new mom.
The unusual feelings are common but help is always there. Some people may feel these emotions temporary and some might feel for a longer period. But the important part of it is that if you are feeling down, make sure to consult your doctors about these feelings. Finding help and acknowledging your emotions/feelings is part of new mom phase as well.
When To Call The Doctor
The question of when to call the doctor ponders in new moms all the time. My baby feels a little warmer than normal but the thermometer says normal. How much is too much feeding? What if the baby doesn’t stop crying even after feeding? So many questions will ponder through your mind with each event. It’s common for new parents to want to call the doctor for every questions because you want answers. It’s a learning process that many go through. Obviously everyone wants answers to questions you’re unsure of and who’s the best to turn to than an expert.
How To Ask For Help
Asking for help might be one of the hardest things to do as a new mom. You want to be able to take charge of your own body and baby without anyone’s interference. When someone comes to help, they might not do it the way you expect it to be done. Or sometimes having that extra person around can or cannot be helpful with adapting to all the changes.
Time Management
When it comes to being new mom, time management can work or not work. Many will try to start with a schedule and find frustrations, while it can work for others. Putting a feeding schedule for example on the baby can seem easier but hard at the same time. Feeding on demand works for the baby but may not work for all moms too. The last thing you want to worry about is missing a feeding or a diaper change on schedule. Not everything needs to be on a schedule and things will eventually fall into place as you go.
Your Own Expectations
New moms have their own expectations with this new change. How to be a super mom and a super wife is one of the biggest expectations moms put on themselves. Although you just went through hours of torture giving birth to a baby, you think you can come home and clean the house and wash the dishes like a normal person.
But the mind and the body work in different ways. With expectations comes happiness and disappointments because not everything will work out the way it was planned. Believing that you can master everything is also a new mom’s expectations. Giving yourself too much to handle can put you in an overwhelming stage, which is discussed in Many Different Hats of Motherhood.
Dealing With Unwanted Advise
There will be plenty of unwanted and unnecessary advices from all over and you have to be prepared to say no. When you’re a new mom, all the “know it alls” will want to tell you how to do everything. People will have a say about everything you do, the way you do it, and why you do it.
Sometimes you may even become overwhelmed with so many people telling you what to do. Judgements will fly and comments will be made, but consider this to be normal. Everyone has their own advice and the way they do things. It might work for them but may not work for others. Learning to take in what you can and ignoring the unnecessary is the best way to go.
Being a new mom will come with so many adventures and unknowns. The best part is that you get to write your own story of your motherhood. Hopefully, knowing that these are some of the top 10 common struggles of new moms can help reduce the anxiety of the uncertainty.
The sleep deprivation is so real! I feel like I didn’t notice how bad it was until after we started getting sleep again.