Posted by Kristy Kohler
on February 08, 2018
At Oat Mama, it’s been our mission to support other mothers on their nursing journey by way of our handmade lactation bars and teas and over the last two years, we have enjoyed building a supportive community. While helping mothers with their milk supply is our primary focus, we love being able to connect about other experiences, so naturally we are over-the-moon with the response to our New Year New Oat Mama tips. As mothers ourselves, we know the peaks and valleys of motherhood and are happy to have compiled a list of tips that will benefit mamas from all walks. It’s no surprise that relationships and cute baby things are at the top of the list because if there are two things that women can bond over, it’s friendships and clothes. We are so grateful for all of the participation and are happy to bring you, the top ten tips in no particular order.
Here are the top ten New Year, New Oat Mama tips
- Let go of expectations from friends and get ready for many relationships shifts. When you welcome your new baby, some people will show up more than they every have and some of your closest friends might become strangers. We have experienced both sides of this and while it might seem hurtful initially, just know that everyone shows up in your life when they are supposed to. Some relationships were meant for the time before children and some friends are your support before, during and after you give birth. Don't be afraid to lean a little harder on the people who show up for you. Raise your hand if you have had lots of changes in relationships after you had your first child?
- Stock up on versatile basics. If you're getting ready to have your first baby, you're going to be bombarded with loads of baby stuff and people LOVE to purchase teeny baby clothes, much of which will be worn once when that exact occasion arrises. Register for high-quality basics that can be worn for any occasion and will last more than a few washes.
- Make time to shower. We have all been in those glorious first 40 days where we don't know the time of day or the day of the week, but making time for a shower is a great way to rejuvenate. Mama tip: Treat your bath or shower like an appointment and put it in your schedule to make sure it actually happens.
- This is a big one mamas, practice self love daily and start saying nice things about your body. Perhaps one of the strangest adjustments to motherhood is your post-baby body so we want you to try to say empowering words to yourself daily. Here are a few we really love to say: 1. I love my strong body for carrying my baby. 2. I love my breasts for nourishing my baby. 3. I love my strong legs that allow me to carry my baby.
- Count your blessings (and be kind to yourself). Lack of sleep can affect everything, especially your patience and perspective. When we are having one of those days or get into a funk, we take a quick moment to say a couple of things we are grateful for. Suddenly the problem that we are stressing, doesn't seem so bad when we focus on something good. If you can't think of anything specific to be grateful for, you can also just say "I am thankful, I am grateful," to get to a calmer place.
- You’re going to get lots of advice about motherhood, try not to take it personally. Get ready for the flood of unwanted advice because it's coming. Try not to take these comments to heart because we can almost guarantee that someone will say something that might not sit well but we promise, most often people are coming from a good place when they offer their words of wisdom.
- Get yourself a line-up of nursing bras with that satisfy different needs. Every nursing bra is different and we found that having a few good ones for different purposes was a serious time saver when it came to getting ready. Try to get a couple of good everyday bras that are really for comfort. Make sure one of these has thin or cute straps, this will save you in a pinch, we promise. Also, do yourself a favor and shop for a nursing bra that makes you feel sexy. This might not get as much wear as your standard nursing bras, but there will come a time when you'll want to feel sexy and on that day, you're gonna need a cute bra.
- Get yourself some comfy shoes that are easy to take on and off. After you have your baby, you're going to want everything to be comfortable and simple, which means no laces for your shoes. This is a time when your stilettos take a back seat and slip ons rule the world.
- Stock your freezer. When your baby gets ready to make their way Earthside, people are going to ask you what they can do to help, tell them to bring food and stock your freezer. We have talked to some mamas who didn't have to worry about dinner for nearly a month and they all agree that this was a huge burden lifted.
- When you bring your new baby home, be patient with your other children and try to carve out one-on-one time with them. Inevitably your older children are going to have an adjustment period and might feel anxious about splitting their time with mama. To ease this transition, make sure to spend a few minutes a day with each child individually. This will help keep your connection strong and will reassure your availability to them.
Have something to add? Let us know a tip you’d send to a new mama in the comments below.
3 comments
This was such a beautiful article to read as my due date is just 10 days away!! Thank you for helping this first-time mama keep a positive perspective of everything :) Your company ROCKS!!
I absolutely love all of these! I also tried to keep it all in mind while going back to work, it’s a lot more difficult than I had thought but I just keep having to remind myself of everything you mentioned above throughout my day. Thank you!
Thank you for your words. Well said. My favorite was carving out time to shower!