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New Mothers Quotes To Support You Through This Life-Changing Experience

Jordan N. — Sat, 14 Jan 2023 19:13:31 +0000

Spread the Love6 6Shares New motherhood is full of surprises. Besides the good, there are also the bad and the ugly. But through it all, there’s one thing that every new mom needs: rock-solid support. So we’ve gathered some of our favorite new mothers quotes to help you get through those first few months (and beyond). From the hilarious to the relatable, these quotes capture everything about this fantastic—and crazy—journey. The journey is both beautiful and challenging. There are so many things to learn as a new mom and discover through every moment. It can sometimes feel daunting, but it is also an extraordinary time for you. And yes, becoming a new mother can be an overwhelming experience. And it is only natural for new moms to feel lost and unsure of what to do. Many new mothers worry that these feelings of uncertainty are signs that they are not doing the right thing. However, it is essential to remember that these times are part of the adjustment process, and all new mothers go through them. Please take a moment and take it all in slowly. Finding your feet as a new mom takes time; each day with your little one will bring discoveries and new challenges. Challenges provide unique learning opportunities – look at each as an opportunity to grow in confidence and discover more of what you can achieve. With every success, you will gain understanding and eventually conquer the mommy puzzle piece by piece! Here are some quotes for new mothers that may open up hidden feelings, give some needed laughs, and all in between. NEW MOTHERS QUOTES FOR YOU Birth “Birth is the epicenter of women’s power.” – Ani DiFranco “Birthing is the most profound initiation to spirituality a woman can have.” – Robin Lim “In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within ourselves.”– Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn “Birth matters. It brings us into being, on many levels.” – Ananda Lowe “Birth takes a woman’s deepest fears about herself and show her that she is stronger than them.” – Unknown “A miracle is really the only way to describe motherhood and giving birth. It’s unbelievable how God has made us women and babies to endure and be able to do so much. A miracle, indeed. Such an incredible blessing.” – Jennie Finch Recovery “Just as there is no warning for childbirth, there is no preparation for the sight of a first child. There should be a song for women to sing at this moment, or a prayer to recite. But perhaps there is none because there are no words strong enough to name that moment.” – Anita Diamant “There is nothing like a newborn baby to renew your spirit and to buttress your resolve to make the world a better place.” – Virginia Kelley “A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.” —Eda J. Le Shan “I begin to love this little creature, and to anticipate his birth as a fresh twist to a know which I do not wish to unite.” – Mary Wollstonecraft “There will be so many times you feel like you’ve failed. But in the eyes, heart and mind of your child, you are super mom.” –Stephanie Precourt “Postpartum is a quest back to yourself. Alone in your body again. You will never be the same, you are stronger than you were.” –Amethyst Joy “When the baby is born, all that pain (that was endured) vanishes in an instant. Love for that tiny baby makes one forget the pain, the fear.” – Hope Bradford Emotions “A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.” – Princess Diana “The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will find forgiveness.” – Honore de Balzac “Whether your pregnancy was meticulously planned, medically coaxed, or happened by surprise, one thing is certain – your life will never be the same.” – Catherine Jones “A mother’s joy begins when new life is stirring inside; when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone.” – Unknown “Nothing compares to becoming aware of the massive face of the universe hidden in a newborn’s stare.” – Curtis Tyrone Jones “A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years and in your heart till the day you die.” – Mary Mason Love “Love as powerful as your mother’s leaves its own mark…To have been loved so deeply… Will give us some protection forever.” – J.K. Rowling “We are born of love; love is our mother.” – Rumi “Before you were conceived, I wanted you. Before you were born, I loved you. Before you were here, I would die for you. This is the miracle of Mother’s love.” – Maureen Hawkins “Making the decision to have a child — it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” – Elizabeth Stone “A baby is born with a need to be loved—and never outgrows it.” — Frank A. Clark “I don’t remember who said this, but there really are places in the heart you don’t even know exist until you love a child.” – Anne Lamott “No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all, you’re the only one who knows the sound of my heart from the inside.”- Kristen Proby “Loving a baby is a circular business, a kind of feedback loop. The more you give the more you get and the more you get the more you feel like giving.” – Penelope Leach Related Posts: 21 Most Inspiring Motherhood Quotes Every Mom Needs to Hear First-Time Mom? The Honest, Raw, and Obvious Truth Ways to Boost Your Confidence as a Mom in Nine Simple Actions Challenges “To all mothers in every circumstance, including those who struggle, I say, ‘Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are.'” – Jeffrey R. Holland “Being a mother is the highest paid job in the world. Since the payment is in pure love.” – Amina Sambo “The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children” – Jessica Lange “You’re always going to wonder if you’re doing things wrong, but that’s what it means to be a mom, to care so much about someone else that you just want to be as perfect as possible.” – Naya Rivera “There are hard days in motherhood, but looking at your baby sleeping reminds you why it’s all worth it.” – Kara Ferwerda “Having kids – the responsibility of rearing good, kind, ethical, responsible human beings – is the biggest job anyone can embark on.” – Maria Shriver “Whilst challenging, you will find caring for your baby one of the best experiences of your life.” – Gina Ford Strength “Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.” – Barbara Kingsolver “Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.”- Linda Wooten “Becoming a mother makes you realize you can do almost anything one-handed.” – Unknown “I like to think of motherhood as a great big adventure. You set off on a journey, you don’t really know how to navigate things, and you don’t exactly know where you’re going or how you’re going to get there.” – Cynthia Rowley “In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within ourselves.”– Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn Lessons “When we encourage new parents to ‘treasure these moments because they don’t last forever,’ we need to remember to also reassure them that they will survive these moments because they don’t last forever.” – L.R. Knost “Tell the story of the mountain you climbed. Your words could become a page in someone else’s survival guide.” – Margan Harper Nichols “Everything has changed, and yet, I’m more me than I’ve ever been.” – Iain Thomas “Be patient with yourself. You and your baby are both learning new things each day.” – Unknown “You never understand life until it grows inside of you.” – Sandra C. Kassis “Don’t stand unmoving outside the door of a crying baby whose only desire is to touch you. Go to your baby. Go to your baby a million times. Demonstrate that people can be trusted, that the environment can be trusted, that we live in a benign universe.” – Peggy O’Mara “While we try to teach our children all about life, they teach us what life is all about.” – Angela Schwindt “Your most valuable parenting skill is learning to manage yourself first.” – Dr. Laura Markham Journey “To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.” – Maya Angelou “You’ll learn to lower your expectations about what you can accomplish in a day. Some days, it will be all you can do to keep a baby safe, warm, and fed, and that will be enough.” – Unknown “Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.” – Carrie Fisher “A mother is always the beginning. She is how things begin.” – Amy Tan “Parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about, but the hardest thing in the world to do.” – Matt Walsh “All those cliches, those things you hear about having a baby and motherhood –– all of them are true.” – Penelope Cruz Humor “Motherhood: The only place you can experience Heaven and Hell at the same time.” – Unknown “I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.” – Phyllis Diller “People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one.” – Leo J. Burke “Ah, babies! They’re more than just adorable little creatures on whom you can blame your farts.” – Tina Fey “I don’t want to sleep like a baby. I want to sleep like my husband.” – Nicole Fornabaio “Becoming a mom to me means you have accepted that for the next 16 years of your life, you will have a sticky purse.” – Nia Vardalos “Sleep is like the unicorn—it is rumored to exist, but I doubt I will see any.” – Unknown Beautiful Quotes for New Mothers New mothers have a particular time of adjusting to their new roles. Feeling clueless sometimes is normal, yet it also empowers you when overcoming a mom hurdle. As you embark on this motherhood journey, take a pocketful of quotes regarding new mothers. How you walk your path is unique to you alone. Growing and learning become your new way of life. Understandably, new mothers may feel out of their league when having a rough day. Learning new roles on the spot and managing new stress and anxiety levels can be challenging, especially when it seemingly doesn’t end. Knowing this is only temporary can provide new mothers with comfort as they bravely journey through motherhood. Although these rough days will undoubtedly test your limits, take heart in knowing that eventually, you’ll find new success and skill in each new challenge you face, growing stronger by the day. So if things seem too overwhelming today, remember to reach out for support, keep breathing and stay determined– things will get easier! We hope this post inspired, encouraged, and made you laugh and feel better. Please share this post or PIN it for later. Thank you. Spread the Love6 6Shares

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Simplify To Ditch Holiday Stress

Jordan N. — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 23:31:57 +0000

Spread the Love3 3Shares Holidays can be stressful for some people. Who can resist the hustle and bustles of the December festivities? But what if you can do something to lessen the stress of this beautiful season? Would you leap to simplify and ditch holiday stress? With over-the-top gift-giving expectations, endless shopping errands, and chaotic family gatherings–holiday stress can accumulate quickly. This season, simplify your holiday prep and permit yourself to let go of unnecessary stress by trying viable strategies that will save you time and energy. Impact of Simplifying During the Holiday This post is primarily written for moms who want to minimize stress during this time of the year. You may think I’d instead do more than be bland, and it’s not about that. When you simplify things, you already know and feel a breath of relief thinking of a holiday to-do list cut down to a minimum. You regain control of the household or free up calendar days to relax. You may find more time for a couple of nights in because you don’t have to go anywhere. The core of reconnecting with the people most important to us becomes the center point of celebrating the holidays. Come Back to Enjoying The Holiday Thinking about the holidays, moms tend to cringe over the preparations. Let’s turn it around, shall we? Let’s get in the holiday spirit without breaking our backs and dragging our heels around town. Getting stressed over this time is expected. No one says you can’t be stressed or feel it down to your bones. But let’s focus on how to enjoy the holiday without adding to our already stressed-out mom life. Beautiful moments are out there for grabs without overcomplicating things. Ten Ways to Simplify The Holiday and Ditch the Stress Stop overbooking yourself. Prioritize. Ask yourself if this is worth your energy and time. Skip a Christmas event? Do you get joy in doing more and more activities for the sake of holidays? Pick the top activities you want to partake in with your family and stick to them. When overbooking the December calendar, the power to intentionally reconnect might not happen. Instead, you or your family end up drained and stressed out for being everywhere instead of lavishing these times on three or four great holiday activities. Order what you need 1-2 months prior. If you think your menu will be the same for the Holidays, you already know what to get. But on perishables, this isn’t the number to read. I’m talking about food ingredients that you can store. So you don’t go out last-minute shopping when holidays can extend check-out lines. Also, what about presents? Now we’re digging deeper into getting ready for what to buy for kids if you plan on multiple presents under the tree. Order the gifts ahead of time; most likely, your kids had been hounding you about it five months ago. Waiting until the last minute might cost you more, such as hiked-up prices and shipping costs; worse, the item might be available later. Nothing like a good sale on an item when you can get them in the summertime for December presents if that’s you go for it. Plan accordingly and get ahead of the game. Say no to frazzled gift shopping. Use ready to put together meals. If you don’t have time to make food from scratch, by all means, don’t. However, don’t open that can if it makes your stress level skyrocket. You can buy already pre-planned, pre-packed ready-to-cook items for holiday dinner. You can even order your food from your local stores or even the neighbor down the street whose food advertising her service. Christmas cookies? Making them down to the last details from scratch is fun with the kids. However, it’s still fun to get them ready to bake cookie dough and go all out on decorating those cookies with them. Instead of making five different Christmas cookies, ditch the stress, and you may have to cut down on one or two to simplify the holiday baking. Stay focused on what you can accomplish and enjoy holiday cooking/baking time. Say no to clutter. Cut down on Decor. Is it time to clean and declutter again? Maybe or not. Once you decide on your theme for the Christmas Decor, you may purge out your Christmas boxes full of decorations from the past holidays. I’m all for saving decorations if I know I’ll use them yearly. We’ve only got three themes going for the last 13 years since our son was born. A traditional red/green/gold theme, pink/blue, and silver theme for when our children were born that year. The tabletop decorations, the wreath, and the Christmas ornaments stayed about the same in circulation. And guess what? You can have the same tree year after year – if you don’t use real Christmas trees. Talk about saving. Unless you plan on spending more and gathering more decorations, you don’t need to buy a whole Christmas theme every year. Instead, you may change the ribbons or some look. Less clutter, less stressful. Fewer decorations to store, less stress. Reset the Gift Giving. The joy of giving comes from the giver. The person who gives feels the pleasure of sharing. If you feel that this year may be a bit tight on finances, there isn’t a significant rule that you give to everyone in the family, relatives, friends, and more. When money is an issue in a household, you may feel guilty about not giving to everyone. But, at the same time, you don’t want to incur debts to provide a gift. When you are stressed about what to buy, who to buy for, and where the money will come from. Stop. Get some fresh air. Even if you don’t buy everything for everyone, you still honor them for not getting worked up and stressed about all of these. Secret Santa can be a great one to do. Pick one name in the group and place the unnamed gift together with everyone’s gifts. Check out the rules of Secret Santa. So, if the gathering group is 20-plus people, it may be hard to dive in and buy 20 gifts for everyone on a tight budget. You decide how you’re going to do the gifting. Be practical and take control of the stress of giving. If you are still in the spirit of giving, you may have to plan to save for it. For example, you are cutting costs on extra things and saving that money to buy for someone. Related Posts: Holiday Gift Guide for Learning Toys December Family Bucket List Be present. It’s natural for everyone to get all festive and spread cheers everywhere. If you want to do that, be present. Not just for the sake of holidays, as I’ve said, but for the connections, you are trying to make. It’s for the moment to treasure and not for picture-perfect holiday photos only. Kids will ask you to do more for them, especially during these holiday breaks. You may feel touched out after all the holiday preparations and invites. Please take a moment and rethink what my kids remember about the holidays when they’re grown. The mom is running around tirelessly doing everything, or the mom who sat and engaged with them in a burst of time or moment. Meet their need for reconnections, and the tantrums may send that signal – it may be time to slow down and be present. Quality time over things and extra stuff – wins all the time. Return to Traditions you love. Having newer ideas to do during the Holidays can make you feel like you’re really into it. Being merry and bright. However, doing the family traditions, your family loves to do every year can be as magical as a new one. This year, your kids are one year older. So they can participate in the traditions you’ve shared from past generations. Older traditions may need to be readjusted or skipped if they don’t apply to your family anymore (after consideration). Your family traditions are yours. If you opt to include some of your childhood traditions, let it continue if it’s not adding more work for you. Find newer ones that simplify and represent your family – the traditions that value your family celebrations. It’s about bringing the family together to celebrate and memory stamping to enjoy. Remember What Matters. Family matters. You. Your Spouse. Your kids. Each member of the family matters. It may also extend to relatives and friends. Getting together for a simple celebration is what family connections stem from. It doesn’t have to be extravagant for it to happen. Sharing a meal with the people you love is what matters. The joy of the holidays can be overshadowed by the weight of the stress hanging over your shoulder. Simply, remember what matters. Check on your Stress Gauge. As for moms, it’s always good to check your stress level. You can tell when something is getting out of hand or too much to handle. Step back and reassess your priorities. Get some suggestions and accept help when needed. You may have to decline some holiday invites or may do a virtual one for relatives who are far and not travel this year. Do what brings you joy this holiday season. Say yes to the priorities you’ve set on Operation Holiday. Say no to the ones that may add up to the stress gauge and bust it all up. Your emotions are also an excellent giveaway to your current stress level. Stop unrealistic Holiday Expectations. Simply lower the expectations around this time of year. There’s too much to do if you love the holidays, and nothing is wrong with that. Yet most times, you don’t want to get tangled with all the chaos that comes with it. It’s time to reflect on what makes your life simpler. You don’t have to hop on a comparison train. It’ll suck the joy out of you for not meeting those expectations. Do what your family loves, what you can do, and nothing more. Enjoy the cheers and happy feelings around the home. Breathe, ditch the holiday stress! There isn’t one way to fix all holiday stress. Yet, you can minimize the impact of getting riled up during this festive season. Adjustments on your holiday calendar can make a difference once you’ve freed up some space to be present. You can swap some holiday activities to do a much simpler one and still be able to engage with the whole family. It will be to enjoy a lot more during the season and lower the stress around you. You don’t have to put much pressure on yourself to meet expectations around the holidays. You can simply be – do what makes you happy, less stressed, and everyone enjoys. What are your strategies to keep holiday chaos at bay? Share in the comments. Spread the Love3 3Shares

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13 Simple Habits of a Happy Mom

Jordan N. — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 06:28:15 +0000

Spread the Love36 36SharesWhat if there’s one thing that you can do about being happy in your life? What is a happy mom, and how can simple habits help you feel happier? Anything can wear out a mom’s bandwidth. These days, it’s easier to get caught up with matters at home, work, and out in the community. Moms are stretched to the limits and barely surviving. You may be working during the pandemic and figuring out kids’ daycare/school needs. Or you’re navigating homeschooling for the first time or working from home with kids not yet able to attend school. Overstress is enough to get your emotional state at a crisis. So how can you give when your tank is almost empty? Are you frustrated to the point of wanting to burrow up beneath the sheets? Do you feel like piles of housework are engulfing you? You are not alone. Many moms who feel at the brink of exhaustion. No denying that they may surrender any small glimpse of joy for themselves can become burnout, weary, and even unhappy. You all must do what you know is best for your situation. However, you can adjust some aspects of your life to accommodate some that help brings you joy. It is time to think about what drove you at this point? What did you let go to make space for others? Everyone has their definition of happiness in life. We can’t argue that we see life through a different lens and mood. We might seek happiness in every milestone related to our personal, home, and work-life almost every day. It’s validating for us. It holds reality in check. Yet, you don’t have to wait until we meet these monumental moments to feel happy. Instead, you can create habits into your daily routine that help you feel happier, no matter what life throws at you. 13 Simple habits you can incorporate daily to be a Happy Mom Get enough sleep and make physical health a priority. I know, I know. So why do these have to be the first one on the list? Less sleep and decreased recovery mean you’re tired or become moody. What about your immune system and heart health? These two can become affected when your sleep schedule isn’t great. Invest in a calming bedtime routine after the kids have gone to bed. Select bedtime rituals that encourage your body to slow down and relax. A study suggests that sleep and happiness are linked. So why not create better schedule for sleep to happen, whenever possible. Trust that your body will get you through the day. Fuel your body with a balanced diet and moderate physical activity. You are more than capable of practicing habits that keep your body in a healthy state. If you’re battling a chronic health condition, it’s more critical to regularly see your doctor and make use of the individualized plan to manage your condition. When you’re sick, take care and don’t push yourself. As moms, we tend to continue the grind even when we’re sick. Let others help you. You need to rest and recuperate. Go outside. Even for just 30 minutes, a short walk around the neighborhood can reset your mind from the daily grind of motherhood. Even on your workdays, stepping out to get 10 minutes of air from outside can help you flourish. Set a calendar day to go hiking in nature and take in the fresh air and the calming benefits of nature sounds. Or visit a public garden and sit in silence under the trees. Spend time with the people you love. Your spouse may also crave some time alone. Let it be the norm to spend time together. If you both work outside the home, set aside time to communicate and connect. Plan a fun evening for the two of you and refrain from talking about the kids. Instead, refocus your attention on what makes you love the person you’re with. Spending one-on-one time with your kids can do wonders in their emotional development. They become the focus of your time, not a household chore, not errands. They see you cut out time to be with them and intentionally connect. Kids feel safe and loved when parents are mindful about reconnecting. RELATED POST: Intentional Motherhood: Mothering with Purpose Do things with purpose. Work with purpose. Being purposeful takes practice. We are all prone to auto-pilot. With that, you have your schedule of chores, appointments, and activities. However, there’s an opportunity to slow down. Take the time to indulge in the moment of what you’re doing. When we love our job at work, we don’t feel the drag. We feel passionate and motivated to do our best at work. Do your work with purpose. Answer the why; why you’re doing what you’re doing. Do you feel happy about your job? There’s a thin line between happiness at work and because you need to work. Search for your purpose when you aren’t feeling fulfilled in where you are right now. I don’t mean, quit at once. Instead, reset and rethink what benefits you and check your happiness gauge. Aim for simple, realistic self-care. Self-care is this and that. Everyone tells you what to do. Please take it as your guide for starting on self-care. However, what method you use or choose to take care of yourself – depends on what keeps your spirit up. You don’t want to be lifting three times a week when your heart isn’t in it. Or gardening on the weekends when you want to read or relax. Choose what makes you happy. Choose something that fuels your mind and body. Indulge in self-care that refuels you and your joy. Practice gratitude. Being practical doesn’t mean being dull. On the contrary, things and people in our lives bring us joy in moments. What sets gratitude apart is that it comes from within. Your inner voice tells you that “I’m grateful for small things, for the challenges that made me grow, for the supportive people in my life, and more.” It helps you see things in a different light, and you become grateful for what you have. Decrease media time. In a world full of instant access, media is helpful when you’re looking for information. But when you dwell on negative news every single day, it takes away your peace of mind when you take in what’s happening in the world. Take little at a time. Maybe listen to the morning news and shut it off afterward. Social media scrolling, if it triggers you – skip the ones that don’t serve you. Get home in order. I’m not referring to the type of HGTV home organization-level and simply illustrating getting clutter and chaos out of sight and creating a cleaning routine that fits your schedule and lifestyle. It can’t be something that forces you to do every single day. However, homemaking brings joy to those who do it with purpose. Getting overwhelmed with chores can become stressful enough that it disrupts your happiness. As a result, you become whiny, short-tempered, and even unhappy. Share the load. Everyone shares the homemaking load. Remember, it isn’t only you who use the space at home. You have the whole family. So let them pitch in with what they can appropriately do. The kids can do chores that can quickly be done and delegated. You can check out my post on the chore list by age. Sharing household management with your spouse or significant other can lighten up the load on you physically. However, taking into account how it can liberate your mental load when you know that some home care isn’t just your responsibility, but everyones’. Reach out when it’s all so overwhelming. RELATED POST: Declutter Before Organizing Positive mindset. Positivity in all the things you do can become taxing. I get it. You can’t just happily skip around town and stay positive. But intentionally reminding yourself of what matters and remaining positive can help you reframe your mind and feel happier. Talk it out with someone if you feel you can’t get past an event or are causing you undue emotions that aren’t dissipating. Release the negative thoughts. Seeing the brighter side of life takes patience and reminder. Acknowledge the not-so-good part and move forward with what you can do and control. You can decrease the mental load of motherhood when you focus on what makes you a happy mom and simple habits that you can change along the way. Keep a routine. Either doing an early morning routine, having a journaling schedule, or getting your kids’ routine down with them, it gets easier for you to navigate life. When you spend time doing personal rituals that make you happy or keep you motivated to stay happy, you’re more likely to keep them up. Setting up and implementing routine needs discipline and flexibility to adjust to anything. But, it doesn’t have to be done or anything. Seek out what you can do; joy becomes the focus, not perfection. Learn to manage your time. Don’t you have enough time to do everything at home and work even? Prioritize and have a plan for everything. As mentioned above, routines for kids can help you streamline the things that need to be done. They’re aware of what they expect to do at a given moment. And as your kids do their daily routine in the morning or evening, you have that window to do other things to help everyone get out the door or get ready for bed. You can’t be cleaning all day. Start creating a time block for your cleaning routine. You don’t have to multitask all the time. Permit yourself to do one thing at a time to give your brain a break from processing multiple information. Assign time limits if you can, so you are not stuck to one task for a long time. As a work-from-home mom, I do timer for my focused daily tasks. I already have a set schedule to homeschool, my kids. I can block out times for other priority tasks around those times. When I put time for my freelance health writing, I batch tasks in an hour or two, like researching or creating content. As for this blog, tasks needed to keep it running and writing blog posts draw priority. These are somehow a loose schedule for all work-related tasks. Nothing is written in stone. However, I value the time when I can focus on one task at a time and be flexible enough to adjust when I need to. Breaks are essential to keep you on track with your scheduled tasks. Set prayer as part of your day. Let it lead you to seek solace in times of trouble and sadness. Those challenging times draw that grace from prayers when you question your worth. Seek the strength from Him that gives life and perfect refuge. It isn’t temporary joy. When you give your all and lead a prayerful life, you open up your heart to find happiness in His love and mercy every single day. Final Words of Simple Habits to do as a Happy Mom Ultimately, being a mom is hard work yet comes with beautiful moments to treasure. So you tuck those moments somewhere and draw joy from remembering them. Making time on your daily habits as a mom will help you feel happy and fulfilled amid the chaos of mothering and managing the home. As moms, we draw our strength from within. We give love without expectations. Start small and add on what you can. Starting a habit doesn’t require you to completely overhaul your life. Instead, let these steps help you become a happier mom in the days to come. Take a small step to change and weave it into your day-to-day journey of becoming a happy mom. Liking this kind of post? Please leave a comment to let me know about what you do to stay a happy mom?...

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Breastfeeding a Preemie in the NICU

Jordan N. — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 01:06:02 +0000

Spread the Love78 78SharesDid you deliver your baby early? Were you planning to breastfeed your baby after birth? Breastfeeding in the NICU can sometimes take you by surprise when you have a preemie. If you’re a first-time mama, it can get overwhelming. Learning the ropes of breastfeeding pumping while worrying about your preemie and your health makes your early experiences as a new mom more demanding. There are multiple ways to gather breastfeeding information a little at a time. You’ve probably researched it already before giving birth. Take those lessons in as you navigate breastfeeding your preemie baby in the NICU. You may also be worried if your milk will be enough or have to use donor milk for the first few days. But, Mama, again, there’s no right or wrong way to address these questions, depending on your circumstance. My personal experience: I breastfed my 28-weeker preemie daughter in the NICU, and our journey wasn’t that easy but worth it. It was exhausting and hard. I was a working mom when I had her, so I also pumped while I worked during my breaks. Finally, we reached over two years on our breastfeeding journey that started in the NICU. Also, for my disclaimer – I am a breastfeeding advocate. I support all moms who choose to breastfeed, use donor’s milk and use formula milk. I don’t shame anyone for their choices. Whatever you decide to do with regards to feeding your baby – I am all for baby’s fed and happy and a happy mama too. Your breastfeeding journey isn’t the same with any NICU mama. But, knowing what to expect when breastfeeding a preemie in the NICU can help you feel secure and informed. Reasons a Preemie needs Human Milk. Best suitable nutrition for your baby Lowers the risk for Necrotizing enterocolitis NEC (infection in the gut), Sepsis (infection in the bloodstream), and other health problems. They are getting the extended passive immunity your baby needs in the first few weeks/months. Part of your baby’s treatment plan. A study suggests it helps develop preemie babies’ brains and help a sickly preemie. What can you expect when you plan to provide breastmilk to your Preemie Baby or start breastfeeding in the NICU? Preemie babies may have multiple health conditions when delivered or become sick preemies during their NICU stay. Early preemies may not have the coordination to suck, swallow and breathe yet. Your breast milk may come in between 3-4 days after giving birth. It’s natural to feel worried about this Colostrum in the first 24 hrs to 2 days is enough for your preemie baby needs. It may be a few drops of breastmilk at a time. Moms may use hand expressing at this time. You can help stimulate milk production with frequent pumping sessions. Per orders, the NICU staff may fortify the breastmilk you provide for your early preemie with multi-nutrient such as calcium, phosphate, and more; may need more protein, etc. It is crucial because the very low birth weight preemies consuming your breast milk may not get sufficient nutrients for better neurodevelopment and overall growth. Get proper nutrition for yourself. Your top priority as a breastfeeding mama is taking care of yourself. Your body will need what it can get to produce milk. Hydrating frequently keeps your body balanced to function correctly and supports a good milk supply. Establishing your milk supply even before your preemie can direct feeding is crucial. Slow start of milk supply: stress, worry, personal recovery from birth can affect your milk supply. Your body can sometimes limit prolactin production – which helps you make milk for your baby. Non-nutritive sucking for preemie practice and milk stimulation. This method is encouraged in the NICU setting to help preemies practice coordinating their breathing, sucking, and swallowing reflex; mom benefits in bonding and more milk supply. Weight Feeding: Before and After – Preemies are weighed before they have a breastfeeding session and weighed afterward. The difference will show how many ounces of human milk they have transferred from mom. You will see a lactation consultant during your NICU stay. In my experience, I’ve seen my lactation consultant throughout my hospital admission and even the entire NICU stay of my daughter. She provided me with information on how to get started with pumping and increasing my milk supply. During NICU visits, I also spoke with the lactation consultant about breastfeeding techniques, pumping troubleshooting, creating a proper latch, and addressing breastfeeding issues. A lactation staff can be a valuable resource for any NICU mom who plans or breastfeeding their babies. NICU nurses will help you out as well. They’ll be there to show you how they do tube feeding, explaining the TPN and when your baby will transition to oral feeding. They also showed me how to bottle-paced-feed my preemie daughter with my breast milk. Some NICU graduates may go home with a feeding tube; it’s best to get lessons from the assigned nurses of your baby. One-on-one teaching sessions can help boost your confidence in feeding your preemie at home. Ask questions and write them down if you need to, so you’ll be able to refer back once your baby is discharged. Most Common Questions When Breastfeeding a Preemie in the NICU How does the NICU feed preemies? As mentioned above, having a baby in the NICU, you will witness different preemie feeding methods: Feeding tubes with your breastmilk. A nasogastric tube (NG) will be placed on your preemie and adequately secured in place. The nurses will deliver your milk through this feeding tube at scheduled times. Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) through an intravenous line with specialized nutrition for preemies. There’ll be constant monitoring of the TPN, blood draws, and rates adjustments. Breastfeeding – where you come in. Paced bottle feeding – this method mimics how a baby does while breastfeeding. The baby controls the milk intake, takes breaks, and gives cues when the baby is full. Some helpful tips to be successful at paced bottle feeding a preemie. How to keep up with milk supply for your preemie? Hand expressing – you use your hands to massage your breast and help express the milk into a sterile container or syringe. You are pumping every 2-3 hours for the first two weeks, day and night. Time your pumping schedule with your preemie feeding schedule in the NICU. How long to pump depends for every mom. Some moms don’t feel full on their breasts between sessions. Don’t pump for more than 30 minutes. Average pump sessions from 15-20 minutes. Power pumping sessions: additional pumping sessions as needed Spend as much time with your preemie in the NICU Kangaroo care when possible – skin-to-skin time with your preemie. Some call it therapeutic touch, some healing hugs. RELATED POST: Kangaroo Care for NICU Babies Proper Latch and Positions A gentle approach and patience are what a NICU mom needs to breastfeed a preemie. Breastfeeding babies need to have a proper latch when feeding; however, it can be challenging for preemie babies to do that. Oral muscles development, tongue function, and coordination are needed to do proper latching. A speech therapist will often work with your baby and the lactation consultant to assist you. They will check for tongue-ties and other oral feeding issues involved. Keep working with the NICU staff as you learn how to breastfeed your baby. Position your preemie as much as you and she are comfortable and undistracted during breastfeeding in the NICU. Usually, you will have a recliner next to the NICU isolette, prop up pillows behind you, and one under the side where your baby is feeding. Preemie Feeding Issues in the NICU Preemies need to learn how to feed (suck, swallow and breathe) Feeding too fast may lead to oral feeding aversion, more spit-up incidence Practice paced-feeding to give preemie time to develop and adjust to the feeding. It also lessens their energy used while feeding. Sleepy preemie – preemie babies get tired quickly. It’s essential to consider the timing of primary care and feeding times. Nipple diversions – either breast or bottle, some preemies may not adjust properly to the switch. Moms can use temporary nipple shields until the preemies are reintroduced to mom’s nipples each feeding. Preemie feeding is challenging enough. Some NICU babies will have therapists work with them with oral exercises to help develop muscles and learn to feed. When do you start directly feeding your preemie baby? It will depend on how your preemie is doing medically, how your baby has adjusted to non-nutritive practice feeding, your baby’s gestational age, and readiness. Most preemie babies start to do direct breastfeeding around 34 weeks. However, early preemies under 34 weeks can also do limited breastfeeding sessions with moms. It depends on every preemie, health condition, and other feeding factors. What If I can’t provide Breast Milk? Donor human milk – these breast milk are donated by moms who are thoroughly screened and health checked. The donated milk undergoes pasteurization to eliminate possible pathogens. For the first 24 hours, we used donor’s milk donated by a mom in the NICU my daughter was admitted. I am forever grateful for her for being able to share her milk. I was sick from severe preeclampsia and couldn’t produce milk yet. My preemie daughter was able to receive that mom’s gift. Preemie formulated milk – specialized milk for premature babies. PAUSE: It’s okay if you want to stop for your benefit/health. No one can force you to pump or breastfeed your baby. Your decision is your own, and it can change at any time. Don’t feel pressured to produce if you aren’t able or feel you’re going insane with providing milk for your preemie. Your health and mindset are important too to care for your NICU baby. This post contains affiliate links to products. If you purchase from these links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Please see the full disclosure. What pumps should I use to help my milk supply? The pump Having a reliable and quality pump makes all the difference in any pumping/breastfeeding mama.If it doesn’t fit what you need, it’ll only sabotage your efforts. Research and ask around any pumping moms you know or lactation consultants for pump options. Will my insurance cover the pump? Renting options? Most insurance will cover the pump or pay for part of the cost. You may also want to check the possibility of renting a hospital-grade pump and send an insurance claim to cover the cost. Hospital-grade pumps are available in the hospital where your NICU baby stays. Check out this Medela Pump I rented. The commercial personalized pumps are readily available in stores or online, with plenty of options to choose from portability, quality, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. I was able to use the hospital pump during my admission. I rented one from the hospital on the day I got discharged. You can extend rent periods or return the pump whenever you have your pump. Honestly, the Medela hospital grade pump was a lifesaver for my early pumping days. It delivers the perfect suction and encourages milk production when I wasn’t producing enough. I purchased the Spectra Two pump for home use and work; I got the Medela Pump in my pumping bag, and my insurance covered the cost. Also, I recommend getting a Haakaa silicone milk collector. Pumping Accessories: Properly sized flanges – for comfort and to prevent nipple issues.Bottles for PumpingPumping storage bagsPumping tubes and duckbillsNipple creams What if I take regular medications and pain medications while pumping/breastfeeding? Most importantly, speak with your healthcare provider and your baby’s doctor about taking medications while pumping/breastfeeding. Some medications can affect your baby. However, if you are in pain from childbirth, you most certainly don’t have to skip the prescribed medication regimen. If you had a C-section birth, you want to keep on top of the pain before it gets worse. Learning more about breastfeeding and medications can...

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To Be More Purposeful This New Year

Jordan N. — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 01:16:11 +0000

Spread the Love12 12SharesYou may be ready for it or not – New Year is about to walk in. So naturally, everyone’s looking for a fresh start, but sometimes, you don’t need it. So instead, shift to be more purposeful this coming New Year. People tend to reflect on the past year with the New Year coming. Whether you’ll want to get this New Year to a high gear or you’re not ready to do just that. You’re stumbling on the realization that a whole year is completed, and what’s next? What goals are you setting up for 2022? On your mothering, homemaking, career, or personal life? Simple, realistic goals that are achievable and timely to what you need at the moment. People embrace the New Year as an opportunity. Be it a chance to pursue your dreams. A new start on fitness or continuing current health goals? It can be a shift to how you parent nowadays. Simplify home management? Be more mindful of self-love and improvement. Wherever you stand on this New Year can point you in a direction; let it be something that gives you joy. Let it be a beacon to continue what worked for you and a path to reroute what hasn’t. Steps To Help You Be More Purposeful This New Year. RESET EXPECTATIONS AND GOALS Starting with high expectations towards goals can sometimes be detrimental to yourself and your mental health. However, there’s nothing wrong with pushing yourself to do more than what you are capable of; in the end, it’s you who knows yourself better than anyone else. But not at the expense of yourself – struggling on a steep hill to push those boulders up. Intentionally set your goals with tools that can help you out. Ditch those unrealistic expectations. STAY ON THE PROGRESSIVE ROUTE. Get to see what matters in your life at this point. Then, pause to admire the things you’ve accomplished and your progress throughout 2021. Be brave to speak up for anything less than what you deserve. Stand tall with how you overcome life’s trials and day-to-day challenges. It might be this time; you don’t need a fresh start. But, on the other hand, you may want to refresh your approach on your journey. Find your purpose. Find your joy. Take this as your fuel to catapult yourself to doing things a different way, your way. ACCEPT THE LESSONS Although we can’t see all the positives only, we learn to grasp the hard lessons brought to our doors unexpectedly. The rawness of life, some errors, and not-so-nice attitude – we’ve all had those. We aren’t escaping this side of life. We all fall into what we don’t want to face. That is life; we make mistakes, people get hurt, invisible guilt and other issues limit us to remain in our corner. It can be an eye-opener because of the learning experience you gained from those life events. Don’t be scared to fail. Let it guide you to make a change in your life. It may be time to take the first move to move on. It may be time to hear each other out. But, then, when all is said, and it didn’t work out – you’ve done your best. Falling doesn’t mean defeat. So dust off your knees and keep walking. LET GO OF THE PRESSURE As mothers, we place too much pressure on ourselves more than we give ourselves credit for. We see what’s right in front of us, and sometimes intentionally, we choose to be doing more when we don’t have to. Maybe it’s time to step back. Reset relationships and strengthen connections to be more purposeful. It can get tough to shift our minds to be present mindfully when our mom brains are sorting a million boxes in our heads. Again, let it go. How can we improve ourselves without putting too much on our plates? What do we need to do to make progress in each journey? Is a fresh start the answer? RELATED POST: Rediscovering Yourself After Motherhood REIGNITE YOUR WHY You’ve grown into a slightly different person at the end of this past year. You’ve made strides. It’s time to shift the focus on your priorities. Readjust the list if you need to. Moreover, build on the reasons for your WHYs. Prepare yourself for another year while pondering the one that’s about to end. What matters most? What area in your life do you want to change? Which goals do you want to achieve and why? BE CLEAR Chiefly, goals can be monumental or small-scale. The way you approach them and your mindset will take you to a whole different course of action in the future. So don’t be scared to step back and reflect. Let your past year encourage you. Let your vision motivate you. Define why you do what you do. Purposefully, be clear on what you need this time. BELIEVE AND REVAMP YOURSELF Ask these questions: Are you confident on reaching a specific goal? Will you give up after a few stumbles? How will you sustain your motivation? What best qualities do you have that will help you with your intentions? What strategies will you employ when obstacles are in the way? How do you feel when you succeed or fail? KEEP TRACK OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH It’s a more significant chunk of mom’s mental load when there’s an imbalance in mind. A sharp incline and constant stress won’t go away unless you find a positive way to cope or manage your mental health. Address guilt and perfectionism head-on. Discover ways to reduce your stress. Then, let’s get rid of the limitations on ourselves by us. Celebrate small wins and pack up the phrase – “not good enough.” Step away from the negativity and recondition your mind. Recognize your growth and progress. Roll with your best self. Bravely embrace your imperfections. Ask for help and don’t walk alone. Wrapping It All Now On Being Purposeful This Coming Year. Stay positive with the knowledge and experiences of the past year. You remain hopeful for a positive future. Strive to be more purposeful in your everyday encounters. Create a life that you can control, letting go of what doesn’t serve a purpose, capitalizing on your life’s challenges, and seeing yourself reach those goals you intentionally set. Time for some reflections till that bell rings in 2022. Hope for a beautiful year ahead! Happy New Year to you and your family! Thank you for taking the time to stop by today. Please share this post. Spread the Love12 12Shares

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12 Survival Tips for Working Moms

Jordan N. — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 06:54:43 +0000

Spread the Love15 15SharesDo you cringe when you hear work-life balance? Is there such a thing? Of course, when you’re just trying not to run a red light in the sea of cars, you’ve got to grapple with surviving—working as a mom comes with sacrifices and priority resets. So working moms are keen on knowing survival tips to stay on top of work-life and motherhood. What does it look like in your life right now? Do you ever feel like hours of the day aren’t even enough? No, downtime, maybe? How about getting to the school drop-offs early so you can clock in on time at work? Your mind is constantly on the go, planning, remembering, and maybe fogging too. I walked on this path every day when working 36 hrs/week as a nurse. My work may not be the typical 8-5 Monday to Friday; nonetheless, it all comes down to the remaining hours of each day. Finding your rhythm amid parenting and working is a struggle. But, you’ve probably thought, that’s why I’m here. But is there such a middle ground between your home life and work? It all depends on you. What you’re willing to let go of, happy to reset, or comfortable to keep in your life to make it work. I’m sharing with you what I’ve learned from being a working mom and the survival tips that you can try in your life today. Tips for Working Moms on Survival and Thriving Boundaries. Be prepared to say a hard no. When it feels like it will be a tight schedule this week – breathe in and say no. Suppose there’s another invitation in the mail. Politely decline. There’s no need to be present in all extra activities involving going outside the home. If someone has dropped a bomb on you by calling you about an unannounced out-of-state trip that involves hosting in your home – be that NO without explaining yourself. When the boss wants you to stay later after informing them that you’ve got an anniversary dinner for your parents, take that exit when the clock rings closing time – no overtime. Remember, you are in survival mode this week. You can barely wrestle your activity lists. Set your healthy boundaries to save you. Admit Your Limits Moms are limitless when given a chance to do it all. However, when you struggle to survive the days, learn to step back and accept that you can’t be everything. Sometimes you miss a school lunch program because you can’t get a day off from work. You may extend a work assignment because you had a sick kid this week. There’s no shame in admitting when the top of your bucket is full. However, surviving doesn’t equate to drowning in the abyss of work and home life. Putting a halt once you’ve felt you’ve reached your limit. Slow. The. Drive. Down. Work on Routines Working moms can benefit from routines. Attempting to get everybody ready in the morning can be a stress point for you. Take time to create a solid morning routine for your kids to follow to offset some of the chaos expected when everyone’s trying to be on time. Getting organized with your kids’ activities and your work schedules will aid you in planning and making sure that nothing gets missed. Setting up your routines can help you not get overwhelmed throughout the week. Control your Time Time is a precious commodity to all working moms. Yet, it can be pushed down to only two to four hours tops before bedtime. I don’t know about you, but that’s a narrow window for everything to get done, spending quality time while doing household chores and errands. Planning out your day can help you block time for each area that you need to accomplish. Of course, family time is non-negotiable, so it goes top on the list. Then think of 3 top priorities you want to be done before you go to sleep and do just that. Remember, you are in survival mode here. Manage your Guilt Guilt will poke around when you’re struggling. But is it pretty much every day for moms? Mom guilt is hard to shake, and it lingers around waiting to roll. But, take it from a working mom like me who only had about an hour left to give to kids because I worked 12-13 hrs day shifts. That was exhausting – yet as mothers, we still get to squeeze any ounce of energy for everyone. Who knows where it comes from. Kids’ bedtime is set early, which is the best time for them not to get cranky in the morning and beneficially healthier to get total hours of sleep. Not to mention that I’m already exhausted by the time I clock out of work. I felt guilty that I was trying to reconnect with kids when I was almost running on empty – not the best of myself. But I did it anyway. Because of that, I get stressed out, thinking I am not giving the best of what a mom should be providing. I felt like a failure, and what could I do? Reflect on the positive side of the situation, instead of wallowing in my pity party, switching some days so I can be there for my kids. It might be an option for you to sort out your working schedule. It’s truly difficult for each situation when it comes to you working, but it’s doable. Turning it around when days off come, make the most of the day to connect with your kids. Remain positive. Intentional Acts A lot of the time, your kids may be a bit rowdy on top of your struggling days. These are days when your patience is tested to the max. Stay focused on the positive. Select the battle you want to fight. You don’t have to win every time, all the time. It’s hard not to multitask as a mom, especially when kids become the center of your daily schedule on top of work commitments. Being intentional frees you of your expectations. When you attempt to do everything without being purposeful and simply tuning in the auto mode – you don’t see the joy around doing; you complete tasks without regard. It takes emotional presence and empathy to be able to stay connected with your kids. But, in these times of many distractions, we do what we can to push through as parents. You’ve loosened your bolts on screen time – for sure, and it’s not the end of the world in your parenting. But, something has got to give – use it to your advantage when you’re in survival mode. Couple Connection The schedule may not permit a weekly date night for you and your spouse. Instead, find the time to have a couple of hours to talk and reconnect. No kid topic, no schedule talk; just you and him. Find some date nights activities bringing in the fun together. Take a hike and reminisce about your old times. Flip those picture albums you’ve saved in the attic. Grab a coffee or make a meal together. Hire a sitter. Take up that offer from friends and families to watch your kids for a couple of hours. Self-care Now, this isn’t a reminder of what you’re putting aside instead of ahead. However, moms do get the endless responsibilities piling higher and more. Some will say it’s so overrated. It plows on your guilt that somehow in this busy world of mothering, you can’t even begin to think – when will I have the time or money to do stuff for myself. I’m here to encourage you to choose ONE simple, pure joy of doing something only for yourself. Some may argue that taking a soothing warm bath in the middle of the week is impractical. But, if it rejuvenates you, why not? Others will argue, it’s part of your daily grooming. But have you ever had days gone by without showering? Yes? Then, mama, you’re not alone. It is taking care of yourself – it’s called self-care. I understand the struggle when you’re crawling out of the duties as a homemaker and working. Find one thing that makes you happy. Then, choose to make it happen. Choose you. RELATED POST: How to Incorporate Exercise into your Daily Life Stay Organized Clutter minds, hectic calendars, school, work deadlines – are just the tip of the iceberg moms face on their tasks list. Keep yourself amenable through planning your daily tasks and responsibilities. Get a planner. Trying to remember everything can be too much on our mental loads as moms. You may not accomplish all that you’ve set out to do during the day because something came up – but extend flexibility on your end. When unstructured and chaos persists in the household, it’s harder to corral anything that adds to the overwhelmed. Create an “ahead of time” attitude. Be ready when things might take a turn. Then, you’ve got your A-game in or your Plan B. So, staying organized will help you to try to survive as a working mom. Goodbye Perfection When you’re trying to stay afloat, it’s magnificent to let go of perfection. Let go of all of it. Don’t hook your leg unto perfection when all you want to do is survive. Let it go. Done. Dwelling more and seeking perfection in your motherhood will only contribute to despair on your part when it’s nearly impossible to achieve. Perfectionism can be a learned trait. It’s easy to get exhausted from unrealistic expectations of yourself and even your children as well. Don’t let it consume you. Never let it be the fuel that your children will strive for to gain your love and attention. Children are sponges to the environment they’re in. Feeling unheard by parents, and when perfection is expected of them, they’ll tend to find some control from other areas. Keep stress down As moms, holding it all together can be demanding. You’re being stretched out in all directions. Your patience may be thinning out between parenting and working. Stay on top of your stress level. It’s easier to be aware and vigilant about it than to realize at the end that you’ve nowhere to go but crash. Take charge of what’s getting on your nerves and stay grounded. RELATED POST: Stress Relief Products for Moms: Recover and Relax For your sake, hire help. When in survival mode, you are already at the edge of a turn. Take this chance to delegate tasks at home. Such as household duties that can be outsourced and automating other responsibilities. Accepting that you need help and taking that step to ask or hire service – can take off a few loads from your hands. Final Thoughts on Surviving Between Working and Motherhood Moms tend to run themselves to the last drop of their gas tanks. They can all feel the stress rising and their bodies showing a ragged front. Deep inside, you are drained. You are constantly questioning if you are fit to be in this role. But, then, suppose you’ve made the right decision to both work and mother simultaneously. We face those questions every single day, most especially when we are in survival mode. There’s nothing glorious about faking it to the outside world. But, unfortunately, the opinions of others won’t make your struggle any easier. What’s important is how you see yourself, how you feel inside, and what you’re going to do about it during challenging days. We see in our modern world where those perfectly cut images on the outside – those are the highlights of other people’s lives. But, behind closed doors in anyone’s life, we don’t know. We aren’t made to be perfect mothers. Instead, we are shaped into moms of what our children need. So if you are struggling, check off those lists above, and maybe one can stir a change. Let these survival tips guide and...

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13 Hacks for Better Sleep for a Pregnant Mom

Jordan N. — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 01:56:46 +0000

Spread the Love18 18SharesAre you sleeping enough these days? Sleeping during pregnancy can be tricky, no matter what trimester you are in. So finding hacks and strategies for a pregnant mom for better sleep at night – is a top priority for your health and your baby’s. Pregnancy-related bodily changes bring on challenges for the mom to get comfortable and have a restful sleep. You’re growing your baby every day, from conception to the day of delivery. It’s hard work. As you progress through pregnancy, you may discover that your sleeping patterns are jeopardized. Although pregnancy can be beautiful, it also becomes taxing and hard to get enough proper sleep. Pregnant moms are vulnerable to insomnia and sleep disruptions. It could also pose health risks to both mom and baby. This post may contain affiliate links; if you purchase from any of the links provided – I may earn a commission at no cost to you. Please read the complete disclosure here. Helpful hacks to help you sleep better as a pregnant mom in any trimester you’re in. 1. Consider the trimester you are in. During your first trimester, you may be more sleepy as your body tries to catch up on the fast-growing process in your pregnancy. As a result, tiredness and mild aches are the ones you may encounter during these times. Different bodily changes and responses happen in all three trimesters depending on what stage or weeks you’re in. For example, frequent urination, nausea, feeling unwell overall, and more. Hormonal shifts are expected. The third trimester will have you visiting the bathroom more often than you’d like to, and sleep becomes a battle for you. 2. Check your bedtime routine. Are you creating a bedtime ritual that’s calming? Are you consistent, at least to a portion of it? Setting up a bedtime ritual that helps you slow down is essential even if you are pregnant. So, while you’re experiencing pregnancy for the first time, you may continue to see through your bedtime routine. Your bedtime hour is your guide to getting yourself ready. That way, you have a set time to prepare your body and mind for sleep. Your ritual may consist of skincare, a warm bath or shower, reading, pregnancy yoga, or even a quick meditation. Choose the ones that replenish you and help you get into a relaxed mood. 3. Calm your senses. With pregnancy, your senses can change dramatically. You may become sensitive to smell and taste as much now as before. Try to choose home scents, detergents, or even essential oils that help you relax and not make you more nauseous during your pregnant state. If for some reason you are sensitive to scents at all, then maybe skip scents altogether. Smell – diffuse some essential oils that promote relaxation and inner calmness. Sound-play soft calming music such as ocean waves or forest night sounds. Sight – choose some calm, spa-like colored walls for your bedroom. Touch – wear soft, comfortable sleepwear for ease and non-sweat material. 4. Support for your body. Sleeping is hard when you’re pregnant. When I was pregnant, I couldn’t get the position to help me sleep well. Not until my husband bought me a huge body pillow for pregnant moms. It was perfect! Just what my pregnant body needed. It supported my back and pregnant belly. The pillow cradled my body, and it kept me comfortable all night. I also continued to use my body pillow during my postpartum recovery, careful of my C-Section wound. Here’s one that I recommend for that good restful sleep. Sure, you can stack pillows around you, but as you toss and turn, those pillows will end up on the floor. Why not invest in these pregnant pillows that can support your body as you sleep. You may opt to buy a mattress that conforms to your body and help your body stay aligned. If the household budget is a bit tight, choose the ones that can help you because sleep debt isn’t going anywhere. Instead, it’ll keep adding more and more hours of sleeplessness, and every day you wake up with fatigue and not feeling rested. Check your sleeping positions during pregnancy. Read on here what’s the best positions for pregnancy sleep. 5. Minimize clutter in your bedroom. Your visual sense is in play here. When you see clutter, your mind will somehow go on hyperdrive and keep your stress levels up. Always tidy up your sleeping space that way; visual disturbance is to the minimum. You need a tranquil space for a goodnight’s sleep. RELATED POST: Quick Declutter Tips You Need To Know About 6. Mindfulness before sleep. There’s a method to get into mindfulness. When you hear mindfulness, it may feel overwhelming, but here’s the thing about it – it’s merely paying attention. Yes, pay attention to your body and mind. Being pregnant comes with plenty of bodily changes going on. Try a body scan mindfulness practice to get you started on mindfulness. Get your body relaxed. Visualize your body from head to toe; how you feel when you travel down each body part or section. While doing these body scanning, practice your breathing and slow it down. Bedtime mindfulness is an excellent way to help you settle for the night and get restful sleep. 7. Limiting your fluid intake at night. Aiming to cut down on liquids before bed and making sure during an early dinner you’ve got your fill. Doing this will minimize your middle-of-the-night bathroom trips. Thus, cutting down on your sleep interruptions. Although you limit your intake of fluids at night, be sure to keep yourself hydrated during the day. 8. Be cautious when using sleeping aids (herbs/teas) Before incorporating these warm drinks after dinner, please ensure you have spoken with your doctor about the benefits and risks of taking natural herbs to help sleep. Most teas aren’t regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration or have not been tested on pregnant women. There are teas made for relaxation and sleep for pregnancies. But the ingredients used aren’t regulated. So it’s best to be cautious even if they are labeled safe for pregnant moms. Be careful with these because the dose in which your body absorbs them may be higher in concentration. Considering the nature of your sleep disruption and its severity, researching and talking with your doctor before starting anything can help you decide whether you need the extra sleep aids. Again, gather your information with your doctor’s guidance and determine if natural drinking teas are helpful options for you. 9. Enjoy a warm bath. If you prefer to soak in a bubble bath before bed, then do so. Opt for some natural bubble bath that helps relax your body and calm your senses. Be careful entering and exiting the tub; ask for help if you’re in your third trimester when balance might be a bit shaky. RELATED POST: New Mom Care Package for Postpartum Self-Care 10. Setting the room temperature and dimming the lights. When you’re about to start your bedtime routine, remember to set the aura of your nighttime environment. Wear comfortable sleep clothes and set your thermostat to your liking. Pregnant moms may feel hot at night, so keeping the room temperature a bit cooler will help with the flushing sensation. Easing into bedtime means turning off all electronic devices and screens. No unnecessary lights preventing you from sleeping. 11. Curtail the worries and write them down. It’s normal to feel new parents’ worries. You may lie awake at night thinking about your pregnancy, finances, work, or other concerns that are keeping you from your sleep. Write them down if you must. Then, dump everything into your pregnancy journal and be sure only to reread your writings the next day. Don’t dwell too much on what you wrote during bedtime. The purpose is to write down your worries, fears, and stressful thoughts. Manage your prenatal stress. RELATED POST: Journaling for Wellness 12. Pay off your sleep debt. How? Sleep deprivation can quickly add up. If you’re short on sleep, you may opt to take a shorter nap of 20 minutes but not longer than 30 minutes more. And remember to take this nap earlier in the day that can backfire if you do nap later, contributing to difficulty falling asleep. 13. Tackle your health for better sleep. Pregnancy can manifest other health problems that can disrupt your sleep, whether you have them now or before your pregnancy. Acid Reflux Pregnancy causes organs to shift around to accommodate the growing baby. It’s recommended that you elevate the head part of the bed slightly to help minimize acid flowing back up from the stomach – tips for managing acid reflux and heartburn during pregnancy. Sleep Disturbed Breathing Moms may experience this temporary health condition as they go through pregnancy. It may present due to maternal obesity. It shows as snoring or even obstructive like sleep apnea. According to this published article authored by Texas doctors, moms are predisposed to Sleep Disturbed Breathing in pregnancy when they have underlying health conditions such as chronic hypertension, older age, habitual snoring, and high pregnancy BMI. Addressing sleep breathing issues help lower the health risk to your growing baby inside. Restless Leg Syndrome This condition is seen among pregnant women and, fortunately, is temporary. Symptoms experienced by moms can range from mild to severe. These are more of a nuisance when you’re trying to sleep. You’re already bombarded with pregnancy-related sleep issues; adding on restless leg syndrome makes it harder to sleep. Assess your diet and have your doctor check your electrolytes and minerals levels; see if some are deficient and need treatment. Back Pain During pregnancy, it’s essential to keep watch of your posture and protect your back. Physical changes accommodating the pregnancy increases your risk of getting back pain. Comfortable positioning during sleep is critical to prevent pain in your back. Also, proper back support when you’re up and about is an excellent item to have as your pregnancy progresses. Mental Health Issues Why do moms need to address their mental health during pregnancy? Anxiety and stress can become causes of sleeplessness for most pregnant moms. The intricacies of mental health conditions affect the brain and also affect the mom’s emotional stability. Therefore, managing and getting help with your mental health is imperative to improve your well-being and sleep. Contact your doctor and discuss treatment plans that address your mental state and health. Insomnia Well, aren’t we done yet? If left untreated, insomnia can become a permanent resident affecting your health. According to American Pregnancy Association, insomnia can result from “difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night, difficulty returning to sleep and unrefreshing sleep.” It’s challenging to treat sleep problems during pregnancy when the mom already has underlying insomnia before pregnancy. Working together with your doctor will help you stay on top of this health issue and help prevent the worsening of your condition. These health conditions aren’t the only ones that affect you and your sleep during pregnancy. There are more that aren’t mentioned here. In addition, complications such as preeclampsia, high blood pressure, difficult labor, and other health-related conditions may also arise if continued sleep disruptions and lack of sleep happen. Sleeping during pregnancy is challenging enough. These helpful sleep hacks for a pregnant mom are simply recommendations for anyone battling sleeplessness or difficulty falling asleep. You know your body, your current health status, and how you’re addressing these sleep issues at home. Try to visualize your bedtime, set up a sleep-inducing environment, tackle stress and health issues, and embrace calming activities for better sleep. Taking a multi-approach in this temporary sleep predicament during pregnancy doesn’t have to be complicated. First, of course, reach out to your doctor for recommendations for sleep during pregnancy. These information and sleep hacks are in no way a substitute for medical advice and only intended for general information purposes. Share your tips and hacks for better sleep during pregnancy. I’d love to hear...

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Ways to Boost Your Confidence as a Mom in Nine Simple Actions

Jordan N. — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 03:30:36 +0000

Spread the Love83 83Shares Looking into how you parent and how you feel about yourself can be challenging. Are you looking for ways to boost and build up your confidence as a mom? Becoming a parent, no matter how you think you are prepared, there’ll be an impression of doubt within yourself in your parenting. You may even question yourself if you are equipped to face the challenges of being a new parent. There are ways you can incorporate in your life to gain confidence in being a mom and boost yourself as the ride begins. You can start by examining yourself on how you feel about your role as a mom. When the hard questions start to roll: How confident are you in becoming a mom? What are the pressing issues that you have as a mom? Are there any obstacles that you’ve overcome? What are the experiences that make you proud of yourself in parenting? How is your relationship with your child? In becoming a new parent, what were your emotions? These questions are simply a few of the many that moms have. However, doing some deep reflection of yourself and how you feel about your parenting will open up issues that may need to be addressed. When I became a mom for the first time, I wasn’t confident. I nearly question every single choice and put my parenting under a microscope. I didn’t slip into mothering naturally, to be honest. After almost 12 years of parenting under my belt, I’m more settled and confident in how I parent and how I feel about it. What others think of my parenting isn’t a focus of my mothering days anymore. Instead, I do what feels suitable for my kids and me. So here I am sharing and listing some tips to help build you up and become confident in your parenting. Here are Nine Ways to Boost your Confidence as a New Mom 1. Encourage yourself. Initially, believing that you can do it will help you gain new confidence through experience. Then, as a new parent, that trust will root in how you see and trust yourself to achieve the goals you’ve set as a mom. I know it’s easier said than done. Drawbacks can arise, and it’s not going to derail you in your quest to build confidence. Whenever you feel like a total failure on some days – don’t beat yourself up. Brush yourself off this time and learn from any parenting obstacle. Setting up realistic expectations as a mom will allow you to be flexible and practical with your mothering skills. Life can get tough as you continue to grow into motherhood and, more so, even adjust when your nest becomes empty. Every mom learns along the way; there isn’t one answer to all the questions that occupy her mind every day. So every move and each choice you make in parenting – focus on what you can do now – appreciate the process, plan for tomorrow and remain steadfast within you. 2. Gather more baby knowledge. There isn’t a perfect manual in becoming a parent; heck, there isn’t a manual at all when it comes to parenting/raising your kid. Yes, you can read plenty of parenting books and parenting classes you can join nowadays. In addition, your detective and researching skills will be heightened as you take on your new role. So, it’s good to boost your knowledge about baby’s development, what to expect, remedies in kids’ common ailments, and such. By doing so, you are more secured in handling new situations around you and your baby. You can not go wrong with equipping yourself with information to help your parenting journey. But, as always said, time and time again, experience is the best teacher. The same as parenting, you learn as you go through it, retain what works and change what didn’t. 3. Choose the advice you want to take. As you navigate motherhood, parenting advice floods in from well-meaning friends, in-laws, your parents, co-workers, and such. Their advice can give you more insight on both sides as to what you think is best for you and your kids. It doesn’t mean you’ll have to follow them; take them as a guide. Whatever advice that doesn’t align with what you believe and think is for your kids’ best interest and safety, you can keep them on the sideline. You decide what you do- you’re the parent. You know yourself and your kids, and you definitely know what works and what doesn’t. Please don’t dwell on parenting battles with whoever; they’re not the parent of your kids. At the end of the day, the mom who gets to go home with your kids is you. You’re the one whom your kids need. Criticisms can be hard to hear, especially from moms who are already ahead of the game. It might throw you off your path sometimes. Brush it off. Don’t get caught up in the battle of all other know-it-all moms. Stick with the values you uphold and your decisions; if changes need to happen, you can be flexible enough to do it. 4. Listen to your mom gut. This one goes with #3 as you take what you feel is best in the course you’re in, listen to your own instinct. Following your parental instinct is an intrinsic trait you do have. By doing so, you become confident in your actions. Moms rely on our instincts whether we are newly delivered or already an experienced mom. Remember, the times when your kid felt sick, and you brought your child to an ER, you get brushed off sometimes that it isn’t severe, only to find out it was after you’ve already left. We have the innate motherly voice that tells us – it just doesn’t seem right, and we push for further actions. I’ve been there myself. I always feel like I’m overboard, but in the end, it is my child, and their best interest is my priority. As a mom, I’d prefer to be on the safe side than be on the regret side. Yes, I’m a nurse, but I’m a mom first. I do everything I can at home to remedy any ailment, injury, etc. However, you’ll know in your heart when it’s time to see the doctor or visit the ER. 5. Practice positive self-talk can help boost your confidence as a mom. Why do we need positive self-talk? This practice helps us regain control of the flow in our lives. So we don’t linger around negative thoughts and overcome negative issues trying to crawl out of our space. Positive thoughts bring positive emotions and boost our worthiness and confidence. Of course, we can never negate all negative flow; however, we can reroute our thoughts and actions away from it. We have the will to choose what we feed our minds and what we allow ourselves to feel. I ‘m not saying for you not to feel these emotions; I’m saying find ways to cope positively and seek help when you get overwhelmed. You can be mindful of everything within and around you. Also, you can reflect on what you can do to make it better. So dive deep into your emotions and keep an eye on the everyday maternal mental stress that can occur anytime. 6. Reach out to your kids’ doctor. Taking in information from the experts can help you support your quest to gain more confidence in your parenting. Through that information, you can stretch the knowledge you’ve acquired about your kid’s development and health. So do your research and be informed. There may be instances that you’ll doubt yourself or not follow the recommendations. However, you as a parent have this choice. Additionally, being informed and knowing the facts – you can freely choose what’s best for your situation at a given moment. No kids are identical, even twin siblings. You parent your kid according to what you think is for the best. 7. Create a supportive mom circle as your village. Over time as you develop your mothering, there’ll be times you will also rely on your village. Other moms who have been there and moms are going through the same situation as you, although different. You share your joys of motherhood, and you carry the burdens of the journey – together with your circle. Basically, you don’t have to do this alone. Learning when to raise the flag and ask for help is a big step. When you learn other moms’ situations and see how they handle such matters – you get an insider’s perspective. You also extend your support to those moms in need and strengthen bonds among your circle. Having a strong support system is essential for moms. You can strengthen your confidence knowing you have fallback support when the going gets tough. 8. Embrace the journey head-on and hold on. Mothering is not an easy feat. There’s never a dull moment; you are always on the go. Your kids change in season, they grow up, they become more independent as the years come. You also need to adjust to these changes to handle the new season of your motherhood gracefully. Hold on to those tender moments of parenting, the feeling when your kid flourishes in front of your eyes. Enjoy those moments. Be brave in facing any challenges along the way of your parenting. Parenting can be messy, and I honestly can say it’s hard. No one denies that absolute fact. Yet, these too shall pass, your doubts will turn into a firm stance, your confidence will soar high as you learn from experience, and you adjust accordingly. 9. Get inspiration from God’s words. Starting your day with a prayer and reading His words will give you guidance in your parenting. Leaning on His plans for you helps you become centered in the daily grind of motherhood. You can rest assured that His words will not fail you. There’s always a lesson behind everything you’re going through and will go through. From there, your confidence will not fall nor become frail. Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 1 Peter 5:2-3 NIV Finding ways to boost your confidence as a Mom in whatever season you’re in. Your motherhood journey is your own. However, the lessons you gain from your experience will immensely help build your confidence in parenting. Working on yourself and solidifying your self-esteem can also aid in the growth of being a confident mom. Stand tall for yourself and take pride in your own mothering. In sum, boost your confidence as a mom through encouraging yourself, picking what advice to take, listening to your gut, and boosting your knowledge. Plus, practicing positive self-talk, reaching out to the experts, creating your circle, taking in your journey, and trusting God’s word. As time continues to roll, you will grow steadily on your own and be the confident mom you’ve set to be. What are ways you do to help build up your confidence as a mom? Do you feel like your parenting isn’t enough? Would you mind sharing your story to help another mom out there? Also, share this post with your friends and family. Thank you for your continued support. Want to read more about motherhood? Check out these motherhood posts. Spread the Love83 83Shares

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Rediscovering Yourself After Motherhood

Jordan N. — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 16:25:58 +0000

Spread the Love105 105SharesThere’s nothing wrong with trying to step back from motherhood for a moment. It doesn’t mean you’re abandoning the ship. That’s not the case. You are embarking on a new sail of rediscovering yourself when motherhood tends to overpower everything. You may be realizing that something in your life is quite missing. You’re standing at a fork in the road, unsure of where you’re supposed to go or who you are. Motherhood is undoubtedly a blessing. Yes, you know that by heart. Are there times, however, when you just want to put the apron away? Those times that you just want to get out of the mothering loop? I feel you, right there. I know that eerie feeling in your gut. That inner sensation that’s crawling up to your throat. Your heart is where it is, but your mind is somehow drowning with questions and doubts. You look deep inside, and you don’t recognize yourself anymore. You are lost, and you feel you’re just scraping motherhood at its border. That spark of joy – in just being yourself. You. Not mom, not wife. You. It’s perfectly natural to experience feelings like this at some point in your life. It is your right to reclaim your identity. To look for something that you believe is missing. To re-discover you. How can one lose identity in motherhood? It is not black or white when it comes to losing one’s identity as a mother. There were hints, but it’s how things go sometimes. It’s as if you’ve just awoken from a long snooze and have no idea what day or hour it is. There could be a variety of reasons why you haven’t seen the sense of self-identity eroding day by day. It could be a result of a large number of obligations, an inability to see the bright side of things, a lack of coping skills, parental concerns, or a troubled marriage relationship. No matter your reasons acknowledge that it exists and own it. Then, choose the next step, to take action. The path of rediscovering yourself after motherhood isn’t one step and done. It’s an ongoing process of self-discovery of who you were in connection with your now. So, I want to share my thoughts and experiences of finding my way back. Now let’s break it down to the 6 Steps of Finding yourself again. How to Rediscover You after becoming a Mother. 1. Start a hobby or resume one. This is the time to reflect on what were the things that you loved to do before you became a mother. What made you flourished as a person. If you’ve put these hobbies on pause, maybe it’s time to resume them again. Also, you can find a new hobby to start. Whatever interests you at the moment, you can try it out. When you invest time in cultivating yourself, you find joy in what you do in the process. Let this hobby inspire you to seek out self-improvement skills or improve mastery of the skills you’ve already acquired. The great thing about starting a hobby these days is that you only need a reliable internet connection, to begin with. True, you can check out a book from a library or even call someone to help you out. Searching for what you are interested in and how-to’s are learning opportunities waiting to be explored. I picked up sewing again when my daughter was a toddler and much more so last year when I became a SAHM. Simply because being a full-time nurse, managing my home, and keeping my sanity while parenting my children didn’t allow me to indulge. I also pursued my passion for writing. There’s a calming, therapeutic effect when I write. I feel liberated and grounded. I’m able to express myself and share the lessons I learned being a mom myself. 2. Self-Care and how it can support rediscovering you after becoming a mom. The value of self-care for moms cannot be overstated. As a mom, I’ve never felt more alive and invigorated than when I make time for myself and stick to it. As mothers, we can become depleted and defeated as we go about our daily activities. When things get bad, what do you normally turn to? Retreat and surrender? Little mental wrecks and inability to concentrate? Throwing in the towel and locking ourselves in the bathroom to ugly cry for 5 minutes. Yes, I may be unaware of your difficulties. But I can understand the defeated feeling. But you’re a rational being. You’re courageous and resilient on the battlefield of parenting. You try to push through. You try to survive on little sustenance of motivation and energy. And you show a brave face and smile every single day. However, you do have your breaking point. I don’t want to sound alarming, but it can considerably impact your entire health. A crucial step is to acknowledge that you need to care for yourself. That this pivotal moment is life-changing and rewarding. Self-care saved me. That’s one of the main reasons why I’m passionate about it. When times in my life took a turn, putting myself as a priority changed me. I found the old me through practicing self-care, and I created ways to stay connected with myself. I also discovered new things that are replenishing my soul. So I challenge you to do the same. There’s no harm in trying out something that can improve your status quo. Find those activities that encourage you to practice self-love: read, exercise, go outside, and more. Free Challenge: If you are ready to jumpstart your self-care, but you don’t know where to begin? Download the 7 Days Commitment to Self-Care for Moms. FREE 7 Days Commitment for Self-Care for Moms Fill in the Info below and know that your privacy is important to me. Opt in to receive updates and more! Yes! Send it to me! Loading… GLAD YOU’VE TAKEN THIS STEP! Expect to see the FREE 7 Days Commitment to Self-Care For Moms delivered in your inbox! -The Motherly Heap- You’ll come out a better version of yourself if you’re motivated to do it and persistent in your dedication to self-care. “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” ~ Sean Patrick Flanery 3. Re-establishing connections outside your home. Have you been neglecting to respond to messages or not picking up phone calls lately? When was the last time you spoke with another parent friend? I can understand your point of view. We all have hectic schedules. We all have obligations that keep us in a tunnel vision state. Connecting with other people who understand you helps you remember what’s important outside of parenting. They understand your struggles as a mother and want to know how you’re doing. Talk about yourself and your current interests. Not jumping on talks about your children and home, which don’t have to be the only topic. Find ways to reach out, and don’t isolate yourself. You can share what’s been a struggle for you in your life. You don’t have to be alone in reconnecting with yourself. Set aside time to call them back or even react to their brief check-ins. I completely understand how valuable time is and how important it is to make the most of it. 4. Letting go in motherhood as part of rediscovering yourself Negative emotions are unavoidable in life. They show themselves at your most vulnerable moment. You don’t have to deny their presence. Instead, validate how you feel. Embrace the emotions, but don’t linger too much. Learn to walk away. Learn to put a limit in your mind on what you allow to wallow in. Negative thoughts bring negative vibes to your life. Whether you say you don’t dwell on it for long or you do. It affects your opinion of yourself and your interactions with others. Let go of the mental load that your mind is currently holding. Give yourself some space to clear your thoughts. How can you do that? Start doing mental clarity practice through meditation. You enter a condition of focusing yourself while you meditate. Concentrate your attention on stillness and let go of the stressful stimuli that are dragging you down. Try journaling. Write down how you feel. This humble pen and paper activity can do wonders when your feelings are all jumbled. What are your likes or even dislikes? What gave you joy before you become a mom? List down the activities that spark inspiration and creativity within you. You can definitely start wherever part of your life needs emptying at the moment. It could be your not-so-good feelings. Tap into why you are feeling this way. Dig deep for the reasons and solutions to deal with your feelings. What are your dreams? Where are you heading? The emotions apart from being a mom, write them down. You can also write about gratitude. Listing the people who you are grateful for or the experiences that are giving you joy. There’s no limit to what you can jot down. Being able to be positive and thankful for what matters most. Seek the power of praying. Praying for yourself. This is the time to seek assistance from the Absolute Power. Time to lay down your fears, regrets, and wins. You can bear yourself to God. Give thanks, ask for forgiveness, seek His guidance, acknowledge His ways, and follow His path. Through prayers, you can be enlightened, and it can be the one thing that truly moves you to rediscover yourself. Present everything with no reservations and discover who you are through His words. A humbling, transformational experience in rediscovering yourself when the heaps of motherhood can get really overwhelming, and you find yourself lost in the midst of it. Recommended read: Prayer will Change your Motherhood by Janet Quinlan 5. Welcome Help Firstly, take in what you can and delegate what you can’t. Subsequently, speak with your spouse. If there’s an imbalance at home and the load falls primarily on you, ask for help. Then, verbalize your needs to him. Sometimes, we assume our spouses see us struggling within. However, if we’re outstanding at hiding how we feel, they may not know that we are drowning. Basically, connect and have a heart-to-heart talk. You can only make it better when all cards are on the table. Spend some quality time together to reconnect deeply. Find answers and make changes together to help you create time for yourself. To discover ways to be able to cope with whatever you’re struggling with. Also, don’t forget about the people who are close to you. The people who know you and will gladly lend a hand to help you lighten the load. Reach out and be open if you must. If you feel you need professional guidance, seek help. It’s critical to contact your healthcare provider and start from there. This can be a form of finding coping strategies and creating a plan of action. 6. Be prepared. To accept what you find and trust in the process. Be willing to encourage yourself to keep going. No matter what has been in the past, be kind to yourself and step forward. Therefore, acknowledging your lapses and failures will help you accept what is to come. The one you’ve been seeking for or have lost track of. This is the time to take a step closer to determine who you want to be and where you want to be. As a result, learn to look forward to improving yourself and broadening your horizons. Finding yourself while mothering can be liberating and fulfilling. I never imagined that struggling to find myself was another turning point in my life. Part of the lessons I learned is that being a mom doesn’t limit my identity as to who I am. This time, together with navigating motherhood, I also enjoy experiences that align with myself wholly. I rediscovered myself, and so can you. Rediscovering and reclaiming yourself is going to be...

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Intentional Motherhood: Mothering with Purpose

Jordan N. — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 15:12:36 +0000

Spread the Love91 91Shares Intentional Motherhood is something to focus on nowadays to keep yourself in line with your personal and family values. It is being prepared, pausing to think before responding, and prioritizing what matters. This parenting way falls under the lines of Intentional Parenting. As I sat quietly typing about this particular post, I couldn’t help but think about where I was in my mothering. I’m still in the depths of learning through parenting, truth be told. But, my motherhood walk is what it is for my kids and myself. The values that I hold myself accountable for act as guards to my mothering heart and definitely keeping me on my toes. You asked yourself, do this situation you’re in, and your reaction, really matter? Had you responded differently last time, would it do any good? Are you distracted that you miss some opportunities to connect with your kids? What does it take to parent with intention? What are your expectations in the way you parent? Is there a particular type of parenting you are most leaning into? These questions are what helps you sort out your reasons for the way you parent your kids. So, when you take time to identify the core values; you want your children to learn and practice, you willfully model them every day. But, mainly, being focused on your parenting mission can assist you in how to become intentional in your mothering. You carve your own path by centering yourself with purpose, genuinely connecting yourself with your kids, and most especially relying on yourself to parent your kids the way you intend to. You are not getting influenced by outside your circle or comparing yourself to other moms. Instead, practice what’s right for you and your kids – what intentional motherhood is all about. You parent your kids to create a meaningful impact on their lives and yourself as well. As you go about your day, the long list of to-dos is infinite. In completing your daily list, find the approach that works on achieving them. So your time and energy are used efficiently. You also become intentional with spending time with your kids, and you find ways to complete those tasks at hand. Doing what’s needed at home at the same time being attentive to kids. For me, it helps me create purposeful daily routines by scribbling them down and checking them off. Although, it doesn’t automatically mean I have crossed everything off the list, or at least I try to at the end of the day. How to Become Intentional in Motherhood? 1. Your connection with your kids. Ask yourself if something is lacking. How can you fill the gap in creating a powerful connection? When you mother purposely, you strengthen the bond. Additionally, your kids’ need for love and belongingness is met as they grow and develop. Taking the time to listen to what your kids have to say about their day or activity. Get down on their level to share each moment, and they’ll see that you are invested in them wholeheartedly. Initiate time to celebrate any positive behavior around your home. Verbally acknowledge your kids’ actions or words that promote core family values. When my kids are sharing and helping out each other, we point out those moments and celebrate them. These simple acknowledgments will encourage more like behaviors shown by your kids. 2. Putting yourself ahead. Yes, you read it right. As you establish a priority on caring for yourself, you’ll be able to care for others. The daily strains in your mom life won’t rattle your drive to nurture. Moreover, doing planned self-care can help you reach your own mothering goals. Intend to create time for yourself. Find some realistic self-care tips to integrate into your busy life. One or two flexible enough to squeeze in without feeling guilty for taking a mommy time out. Consciously caring for yourself emotionally can prevent you from getting resentful of the people or things around you. So first, I put a time block for the times when mothering moments can get demanding. Then I reset myself as the situation began to calm down. More reading on self-care: Self-Care Tips for Working Moms 3. Believe that you can. Seeds of doubt that settle deep can hugely affect the way you parent your kids. You may be in a situation where you parent in fear, shame, or worse, guilt. Don’t let these shadows stop you. Self-condemnation is the culprit of negative parenting. Open your mind to the great possibility of parenting with a positive purpose. Commit to intentionally get there every day, even if some days aren’t just going your way. Believe that you’re chosen to mother these kids and that you’re someone who can mold them into better individuals and as members of society. Instilling good personal values in them and centering themselves with love and kindness. 4. Keep your life simple through intentional motherhood. Don’t overbook yourself. Don’t drown in chaos. Streamline what you need to keep your daily living simplified. You consciously carve out more precious time for you and your kids to spend. Your responsibilities and duties at home, at work, and all other branches in your life can get prioritized within the topmost MUST-DO that day. You DO NOT have to do it all, no matter how you think you’re failing. Take a step back and slow down. Eliminate distractions that can hinder fulfilling your mothering intentions. When we don’t intentionally pause, it’s effortless to get side swept by bits and pieces that can compromise connections with our family. 5. As mothers, we all have our village. Your spouse is your immediate lifeline in the primary circle. All others being dependent on who you let in the boundaries of your perimeter. Some days it can get exhausting. But, having someone acknowledging and validating your feelings without judgment is more than enough. Sometimes, you don’t need advice. But, mostly, all you need is someone to listen. Communication is vital when you are drowning in all that you’re supposed to rejoice in motherhood. So express what you need at the moment. Don’t expect your village to read your mind. Instead, make your intentions known when asking for advice or help. To adopt intentional motherhood is to accept it’s a journey. All in all, mothering isn’t a race to who ends up perfect at the finish line. Mothering with intentions does not have to be complicated. But let’s be honest, nobody has a perfect score. We can all learn from each other. You are perfectly validated when you don’t love mothering every second. Additionally, mothers don’t only have positive feelings towards being a mom. But also, the vulnerability of having negative emotions is lurking closer than you thought. Positive, intentional motherhood takes you to a different kind of mothering journey. This process involves setting purposeful goals and strengthening your connection with your kids. In addition, embracing yourself with care, simplifying your life, and reaching out to your circle. When I switched gears, it’s making a profound impression on my mothering these days. Yet, I don’t expect everyone to fall right into place in mothering with intentions. It takes willingness, patience, and humility to do so, and to which I could use some more in my motherhood lessons every day. This method of mothering with purpose is another route for any mother to walk on. I hope that every mom who’s willing to be intentional in their mothering will flourish. Therefore, find more meaning and purpose in their journey. Once you decide to parent with intention, I challenge you to discover ways that work for you. Search within you – what you truly desire and what outcome you want to achieve. Then, look to these steps for guidance when you’re unsure where to begin in mothering with purpose. In the end, you’re a mother who wants what’s best for her kids and wants to build a solid relationship with them. Let me know in the comments what goals you’ve set for yourself to mother intentionally. What are the steps you are embracing to reach these mothering goals? Thanks for being here. Share this post with your mom group or Pin on Pinterest. Spread the Love91 91Shares

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