Have you ever wondered what life is when you’re a new mom? 

Well, let’s put it this way. Being a new mom is a whole adventure in itself. There are plenty of amazing moments. At the same time, there are also many challenges, both personally and career-wise. At times, it can be overwhelming. But ultimately, it is something very rewarding.

Too vague for you? Well, don’t worry. Keep on reading as we take a closer look at what life as a new mom is really like.

The journey starts with an important choice – and plenty of sacrifices.

The journey to being a new mom starts with the basic desire to take care of a life, at trying to conceive a baby. And that choice already means that you will have to stop doing some things that you used to do before in order to have that baby of your dreams. Do you smoke, for example? You can’t do that anymore. 

And even before the baby pops out of you, you’ll have already made that child pretty much the center of your life. All that money you used to spend on yourself or your partner, or all that you used to save up for your vacations? That money will most likely now go to doctor appointments, baby clothes, doulas, and so on.

In short, on the day you decide you want a baby, you have already decided that you want to be responsible for another life. And because you know that will ultimately give you joy, you will willingly give up a lot of your old life just to make sure you will have a healthy and whole baby.

The day you give birth is just a small part of the journey.

You are now a new mom. A baby is now in your arms cooing. And if you thought that undergoing labor and giving birth was hard, you’re now facing an even harder part: raising a baby.

Think about it: you now have a human being that is full reliant on you to live. Any decisions you will have to make will have to be for your baby’s good. Your needs will have to come second. Plus, you will always be thinking if your baby has everything that it needs. Do you have enough diapers? Where will the baby sleep? Are you producing enough milk, or will you need to buy baby formula?

At times, you might feel that it’s better to just go back to work than having to take care of your baby. After all, you know what’s expected from you over at the office. With a baby? You’re not quite sure what it will need from time to time. You will have to get used to its habits and idiosyncrasies. And while you’re happy to have the baby in your arms, you’ll also have to accept that being a new mom is not going to be simple.

You will feel like a zombie.

Remember when we said above that you will be making plenty of sacrifices? It’s not only before you give birth – it will be pretty much your whole life. One thing you will sacrifice (at least for a time) is sleep. During the first few weeks of your baby’s life, it will be going from asleep to hungry at least every two hours. That means you will have to be on alert pretty much all the time, especially when you’re breastfeeding. 

And that also means your sleep schedule will be whack. And with little sleep means you’re going to experience headaches, depressions, irritability, and memory problems. You can slightly solve this by sleeping whenever you can, but of course, sleeping uninterrupted is still so much better.

You’ll also be feeling plenty of pain. There will be swelling in your body, as well as hemorrhoids. You might even need stitches. You will definitely not feel like you’re back to normal. But hey, you did just give birth to a human being, so don’t be surprised. Use ice packs and witch hazel pads to help you out. 

In short, you’ll have to function like a zombie, not feeling anything, all because you have to take care of your baby.

You’ll have to learn to be patient.

Sometimes, you’ll be cradling your baby wondering why you wanted one in the first place. It does nothing but cry, eat, poop, and repeats the cycle. It’s not even all that cute as you envisioned it to be! It’s very far from the image that a lot of TV shows and novels make motherhood out to be.

And like we mentioned above, all the things that you want to do, you can’t do! You can’t even pamper yourself, put on makeup, or dress well, because that might interfere with taking care of your baby. You can’t even stop to organize the house because the baby needs attention roun the clock. It’s a very frustrating situation.

Moms, if you do feel this, don’t feel guilty. It’s a normal reaction, and a combination of your tiredness, sleep deprivation, pain, and hormones. You’re feeling it now, but you don’t really mean it. You love your baby.

Remind yourself that what you’re going through right now is just a phase. Eventually, you will have established a routine for you and your baby, when you’ll both sleep and when you’ll wake up. Soon enough, you will have time and the energy to organize the mess around the house. And you’ll soon be able to understand and predict your baby’s cues for eating, pooping, and so on.

And you’d be surprised that time will fly so fast. Pretty soon, your baby is a few months old, looking cuter than when they were newborns, and being able to do so much more. And when you see them smiling at you, and just wanting to be with you all the time, we’ll tell you right now, your heart will melt. 

Motherhood is something that is ultimately worth it.

Life as a new mom can be so fulfilling. It will probably be one of the best journeys you will ever take. In the future, when you see your child laughing and playing and just being happy, you will just smile. Everything you went through in the past was invaluable.

 At the same time, while it’s still new to you, and especially if you’re a first-time mom, it can be very tough. But you’re not expected to do it alone. You can get support from your partner, your parents, and your friends.

But if you feel like you need professional help, get in touch with us at Doulas of the Valley. Not only will we take care of you, but we will also take care of your baby. You will never feel alone and unattended with one of our doulas.

We have been providing skilled and loving care to families in Maricopa County for nearly 20 years, and we’d be glad to do the same for you.

Let us join you in your adventure as a new mom, supporting you every step of the way. We look forward to hearing from you.