Adjusting to Motherhood: 8 Weeks of Bliss

I admit, before I was pregnant, I wasn't a baby person. I think my Mom was a little worried about how I would be as a mother since I never really got excited around babies. But thankfully when I had Mattimeo that all changed, and I am the happiest I've ever been. I am so glad we decided to have him! While I was pregnant, I picked up this highly recommended book called "Mothering the New Mother" anticipating that I would enjoy being a mother but that it would be difficult and I might struggle a lot at times. To my bewilderment and relief, I haven't been faced with any of the common difficulties that new mothers are often faced with and found I didn't really need this book. However, I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a new mom and is struggling with adjusting to any of the life changes that goes along with motherhood.  I think the main message of this book is that motherhood isn't meant to be a lonely time; we are a social animal and we are not meant to raise our babies by ourselves. It is important to make friends with other mothers, to have a good support system, and to know how to find help if you need it!

I expected to feel tired all the time, perhaps lonely, and a little clueless. However, life has been bliss. Because Mattimeo sleeps next to me, I get lots of sleep, usually at least 10 hours with just two or three meals during that time. I feel well rested during the day. I also love him with all my heart. He makes me so happy that sometimes when he smiles at me I start crying tears of joy and then start laughing at myself for being such a goof which only makes him smile more. I love the time we spend together. At first I was a little nervous about what I would do with him when he wasn't sleeping all the time. But we have gotten into a pretty awesome routine and I treasure the time he is in a happy alert state as well as times he is napping snuggled peacefully against my chest. Our current routine:

• Wake up, feed him and change his diaper. 
• Bring him into the nursery wearing just his diaper and spend 20-40 minutes doing baby yoga. We do some tummy time in the morning too
• Lay down on the floor next to him and read him one or two books
• Get him dressed and lay him in his crib with his mobile on. He loves his mobile and ill smile and talk to it while I take a shower, eat breakfast and clean up around the house for about 40 minutes.
• Nurse him to sleep and read books while he takes his midmorning nap.
• Put him in his sling and make/eat lunch followed by more nursing and napping
• Go for an hour or more long walk (either around the old port, along the beach, or we may drive to someplace else like Gilsland Farm or Macworth Island).
• More nursing, sleeping and reading until Daddy gets home (sometimes I read out loud to him)
• Give him a bath followed by a relaxing massage and put him in his jammies (sometimes Robbie gives him a bath and massage so they have time to hang out while I wash dishes and stuff).
• nurse and hang out with him until we go to bed

Of course, sometimes we have other things to do during the day, but we always stick to the same morning and evening routines. He is a happy and healthy boy, and is rarely fussy. Even when he is fussy, it makes me feel competent as a mother when I am able to easily calm him down. Motherhood is bliss!

For those of you who aren't mothers yet, or who are mothers and are struggling...sometimes motherhood can be more strenusous and difficult than I have made it out to be. I think a lot of people have a more difficult time adjusting to their new life, and I am very fortunate to have taken to it so easily. I know that a lot of pregnant woman anticipate that motherhood is going to be wonderful all the time and are surprised to  find how drastically different their life becomes when their babies are born. I think that a lot of my reading had prepared me for what life would be like. Plus I have had a lot of support from my husband and family, had a wonderful pregnancy and birth experience and in general am a person who doesn't get easily stressed out or overwhelmed, so I have taken to motherhood very well. I just wanted to throw that in there because I don't want people to think that motherhood is a breeze...but if you embrace it and accept that your life will never be the same and just go with the flow...motherhood can be amazing.

As a preview to where I am going with this blog, over the next several weeks I hope to write posts about a variety of specific topics: infant carriers, cloth diapers, co-sleeping, my new class at birth roots, itsy bitsy yoga, and setting time aside for me. So stay tuned if any of these topics interest you and happy autumn!

Smirk

Little lad

My little lad

Hanging out with Daddy

Bouncy chair

Going for an evening stroll

Dressed for autumn

Cool dude

Tummy time concentration face

Falling asleep on Auntie Sam

Trying out his new sling

Going for a walk on a breezy autumn day

Breezy autumn day walk, snug against Mommy