An Open Letter to New Moms

As Skeeter’s second birthday quickly approaches, I can’t help but look back at the past two years – at the ups and the downs, the laughter and the tears, and every time I’ve held that sweet baby in my arms.  I am amazed how it seems like yesterday I was holding a three pound baby in the NICU.  The sleepless nights, the constant worry that I’m doing something wrong – all seem like {mostly} a distant memory.  

With that, I want to share an open letter to all the new moms out there.  

Open Letter to New Moms

Dear New Mom,

You’re exhausted.  The baby won’t sleep.  You have spit up in your hair.  You’ve worn those sweatpants three days in a row.  You’re facing, yet again, the decision of whether to take a shower or a nap.  You just spent twenty minutes on the breast pump, only to spill the milk on the kitchen counter.  Speaking of which, what was the best method for raising milk supply again?

You just want to feel rested, feel human again.  Maybe find the energy to blow dry, or even just brush, your hair.  There are dishes to wash, tiny clothes to fold, dinner to cook – and you’re not sure if or when they’ll get done.

You’re also not sure you’re doing this whole parenthood thing right.  You’ve called the pediatrician every day for the past week.  You remember – that time the baby coughed, the time her temperature was right at 99, oh…and the time her poop looked funny.  You are constantly wondering – is she getting enough tummy time?  Is her monitor set perfectly so I can hear her every noise?  Is three months old too early to put her on a preschool wait lists?

We’ve been there too.

Take a deep breath.  Motherhood is not easy, but it is totally worth it.  Take that nap, you can shower later.  Go ahead and shed a few tears over the spilled milk – we totally get it.  Let your husband, your mother, your best friend, whoever – do the dishes and fold the clothes.  Oh, and your pediatrician probably won’t take out a restraining order.  Yet.

We just want you to know that you’re doing a good job.  It won’t always be perfect, but before you know it, you’ll be able to recite Infant Tylenol dosages off the top of your head.  You’ll wake up one morning and realize you slept all night.  And your sweet little baby – the one you rocked to sleep, the one you worried so much about, the one you fell madly in love with at the sound of that first cry – will be growing into an amazing little person right before your eyes.  So cherish every minute.

You’ve got this, momma.

Sending lots of love,

All of Us

An Open Letter to New Moms

Fellow moms, chime in – what advice would you give a new mom?

6 COMMENTS

  1. Anyone that said, “no use crying over spilled milk” clearly never spilled freshly pumped breat milk. I spilled almost a whole bottle while trying to multitask on a road trip. (As a passenger, not driver – I’m not that talented.) I literally sobbed in my hands. We laugh about it now, but at the time, it was the straw that broke the camels back…

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