I was basically clueless when she came out - heck I was even scared to bathe her, but now things have changed and everything just feels normal (except trying to decipher what her every cry means). Here are a few things that are worth sharing from a 3-month old mommy.
1. Life with a newborn is far from perfect.
It sure isn't perfect at all and is riddled with spit-ups and sleepless nights as well as poop blow-ups. You will catch your self second guessing yourself sometimes or even crying for feeling like a total failure. You would panic every time your baby's breathing sounds different or when her temperature is higher than normal. I am just so glad that I have a very supportive family and friends that are ever willing to help me make life with Summer close to being perfect. Life may not be perfect but it sure is full of memories that money could not buy.
2. Twenty four hours in a day is never enough.
Every one I talked to before I gave birth has told me that time management is key when caring for a newborn and I chalked it all up and claimed that I would ace managing my time but boy I was wrong. I can't seem to fit all the things that I need to do in 24 hours. It just feels shorter now and that leads to me skipping some daily rituals that I used to do, or sometimes even missing shower or sleep. They say I should sleep when baby is asleep but I use her nap time to wash her bottles, hand wash her clothes, iron and/or fold freshly laundered clothes, tidy her crib, clean the house, prepare food among other things. My husband and I have slowly adjusted to having Summer in our lives though and the situation has forced us to strive to be more efficient to make every thing we needed to do fit in our short 24 hours. So far our daily routine, although far from being 100% efficient, is working wonderfully for us. An extra hour wouldn't hurt though.
3. It takes a village to raise a child.
And that is not a joke nor an old wive's tale - it really does take a village to raise a child. Every time I get an offer for a friend to babysit Summer, I gratefully say yes. I always accept the offer graciously and never will I ever decline such gesture (if only so I could stay in the shower longer to give my hair a proper lather). I also allowed myself to accept advices (even the unsolicited ones) and then decide which advices to follow eventually.
4. You will feel several aches and pains - I kid you not!
I had water retention after I gave birth and it was not pretty. Good thing, one of my mommy friends shared with me that the best way to cure the bloat is to submerge my feet in icy cold water. I was hesitant to try it at first for fear of hypothermia but I eventually gave in after more than a week of enduring the sight of my bloated feet and when I followed it - it worked like magic! I delivered my baby via C-section so I also had to endure the pains of the incision until it healed. If I sit for a long time, I also feel pain in my midsection when I get up and a couple of weeks ago my right arm felt like I broke it. I had a hard time writing and lifting things and there was also a time when it felt like I've lost all feeling in my right hand. It felt like something I have never felt before. It was scary but it eventually disappeared without me taking any medication.
5. I need self-control.
I sometimes feel like I am over sharing on social media. There's always a new picture everyday on Facebook or Instagram. I don't know how to curtail this because really I don't see anything wrong as long as I exercise discretion in choosing what I share to family and friends and to you my blog readers. I guess I am the kind of mom who loves to document my child's milestones and I won't ever apologise for that. What's your take on this? I may reconsider and reevaluate my social media activity altogether.
So yes, I am a three-month old mommy and although challenged at times, I welcome everything that motherhood will throw my way. Let me know what is the best and worst part of your motherhood - I would love to know.
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