Three Mom Lessons I’ve Learned In Three Months

Mom Truth Moment.

Pregnancy was hard for me. It tested my limits – physically, emotionally, and mentally. More than anything else had ever tested me before. For months I spent most of my nights hugging the toilet, wondering if the sickness would ever go away. I would cry out of frustration & then feel guilty for crying. Lord did my husband have patience for me during this time…

Today is the three month mark of Chase & I becoming parents. Three months of holding the titles “Mom & Dad.” Three months of hourly diaper changes, spit up rags, snuggles, feedings, and smiles. Oh the smiles! Jackson, you were a thousand times worth the nine months of pain for a lifetime of being your mom. In three months, I have learned a LOT about myself as a mom, a woman, a wife, a friend, and so much more. But for the sake of time…here are my top three lessons.

Mom Guilt Is Real — My first experience with mom guilt was when I went back to work at 8 weeks postpartum. I was going from spending all day every day with Jackson, to leaving him Monday – Friday, 8am-5pm. Was I doing the right thing? Was he going to feel abandoned? Was he going to remember me? It sounds absurd, but these thoughts are real & I’d imagine I am not alone in experiencing this. Other experiences of mom guilt — taking an hour to myself to get my nails done, putting him down 30 minutes earlier so I can go to sleep too, rinsing the pacifier off after the dog chewed it when it probably should have been cleaned better…mom guilt. All the time. Which leads me to my second lesson…
It’s Okay To Ask For Help — As much as I like to believe I have 10 arms and can do a million things at one, I cant. I have two arms & more work than I can handle most days. It has taken me a long time to accept this (the stubbornness in me wants to do it all) but when family or friends offer, just say yes! In the long run, it will pay off!
Every Mother Is Different — I could write a novel on things not to say to a pregnant woman, followed by a sequel of things not to say to a new mother. Your child is your child. Cuddle, feed, sleep train, don’t sleep train, dress or don’t dress your child – YOU DO YOU. And don’t let other opinions bother you. A happy mother is a better mother in my opinion. So if you have found a balance that works, great! Stick to it!

Happy three months Jackson, we love you!