By Kimberley Newing
Hey mama of soon to be 2, 3, 4 or 5 kids…You’re going to freak out at least once before the birth.
You’re going to swing that pendulum far and wide from “I’ve soooo got this, I’ve done it before, I can do it again,” to “Oh shit. What was I thinking adding another baby? I can barely manage now!”
I have three. I GET IT.
You see, with our first child, we don’t know what we don’t know – so that initial year can be totally overwhelming. For some (like it was for me) – identity shattering. But you make it through, enough to catch your breath, fall in love and decide to do it all over again.
When discovering your family unit is about to grow, you might stay in a state of joy a for a while, until the doubts begin to creep in.
“Can I really do this? Have I forgotten how much work a baby is? How will my other child/children cope? We were just getting our lives back – feeling more independent, and now I’m about to lose myself again.”
Take a deep breath mama, these are all normal thoughts.
And you know what?
You can totally do this. How do I know? Because you’ve done it before, and this time round you have prior learnings you can draw personal wisdom from. Don’t waste what you’ve learnt…now is the time to set your sights on a happy and grace-filled 4th trimester.
Before your newest little angel arrives earthside, take stock of the things you know need to be done differently this time. ESPECIALLY in that all important period, the first few months after birth.
Here are my top 3 things to have in place/implement before baby arrives:
1) Know and plan for the specific help you will need ahead of time.
This is to make sure mama gets the rest, care and nurturing SHE needs after baby arrives. Instead of a shower laden with not-so-useful gifts, ask that your sisterhood and family bring a meal for your freezer or chip in for a cleaner the first month. Consider joining a local group of Au Pairs or babysitters who will charge a reasonable rate to pop in for a few hours each week, entertaining your little ones and throwing on a load of laundry.
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