There are a plethora of challenges experienced by new mothers. Some of these challenges are pretty hard to imagine until you give birth to a baby. Here's a roundup of a few common challenges first-time mothers encounter.
5 Challenges You Go Through as a New Mom
Motherhood brings significant life changes. For most women, the thought of becoming a mom for the first time is exhilarating. How difficult would it be to attend to the needs of another human being, specifically the one who's entirely reliant on you?
Life after a newborn too often turns into a certain haze. It takes a 180° turn as you step into the unchartered territory of parenthood. The irregular sleep patterns, persistent crying, and other physical needs of the little one, plus looking after your home, can be quite a lot at times.
Besides, there might be times when you will have to grapple with changing emotions. Everything around you might take a massive toll on your physical and mental well-being as your emotions go haywire. However, this begs the question: how could you survive through this fog?
Although every mom's experience differs from others, here's a roundup of a few common challenges first-time mothers encounter:
Postpartum blues
It's pretty normal to experience baby blues after giving birth to a child. It's a sullenness that exists in tandem with hormone imbalance. And adding this moodiness to sleep deprivation and other irritants associated with childbirth can get quite nerve-wracking. As a result, you might have insomnia, poor appetite, and extreme mood swings.
All the more so, if your baby has fallen victim to a birth injury like cerebral palsy, you might experience a whirlwind of negative emotions. You might grow weary of routine work and suffer from more stress and anxiety apart from postpartum depression.
Nevertheless, don't just sit back and grieve. Instead, learn about different types of cerebral palsy to get an accurate picture of the diagnosis. The more you understand the severity, muscle problems, and location of cerebral palsy, the more you can coordinate and fund care for your child.
Strained relationship with the partner
More often than not, new moms face challenges because of the pressure childbirth and childbearing place on a marital relationship. Acclimatizing to a new role of being a parent can bring an incredible amount of stress, even to the best of relationships.
You might feel your partner doesn't understand your struggles and how challenging it is to tend to the newborn's needs. So, if your relationship currently struggles with the same friction, it's crucial to accept that your relationship might get strained during the first few months after childbirth. Next, have a clear and healthy conversation with your spouse – share your concerns and split the parenting duties.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding enhances maternal love and affection. This intimacy and closeness cause an influx of oxytocin in the mothers' brains, and this rush, in turn, strengthens the emotions of trust and love. Most people believe breastfeeding is like second nature. However, this assertion only holds water for a few moms; it remains invalid for most first-time mothers.
After welcoming a newborn into your life, you might have thought of naturally progressing to the breastfeeding stage, as all mothers generally do. However, when you fail to nurse a baby and things don't turn out as you envisaged, your hormonal world comes crippling down. But before you go through the guilt trip for not being able to perform this responsibility, figure out why you struggle with breastfeeding.
There are several reasons for breastfeeding issues, such as insufficient lactation, too much anxiety, or latching problems. Therefore, rather than feeling stressed, take a deep breath and relax – which is more than half of the battle. Since breastfeeding is a new role for you, it might take weeks of practice and perseverance to get the hang of this responsibility. If breastfeeding isn't possible for any reason don’t worry, you can always use a golden-quality baby formula such as Holle Goat Dutch. Consult your pediatrician before using baby formula.
Career adjustments
It's no secret that once you decide to conceive, this can influence your career. In the beginning, you might suffer from nausea, morning sickness, or other pregnancy signs that might compel you to take a day or a few days off. After the baby's birth, you might probably take maternity leave to take care of your baby.
But as soon as you adjust to the new role of mom, you might struggle to choose between a homemaker or a career-oriented woman. If you choose the former, you might miss your colleagues and workplace. However, if you opt for the latter, you might contend with emotional instability – you might find it hard to leave your child back home and fail to knuckle down to tasks at work.
In such circumstances, consider asking for suggestions from mothers undergoing the same phase. Moreover, take some time to ponder various aspects and then make up your mind.
Lack of sleep
Although some newborns follow a schedule and sleep peacefully at night, not all parents are lucky to have such babies. The peaceful bliss of enjoying a deep slumber for 7-8 hours straight often seems like a dream for first-time mothers.
There might be times when you will have to wake up after every 30-45 minutes to check up on your baby. And when you thought you could let your eyes shut down for some moments and have an undisturbed sleep, the little one might wake you up demanding a feed. If this situation continues for prolonged periods, you might probably suffer from anxiety, frustration, and intense anger.
While sleep deprivation can spell several problems; however, it's imperative to change your perspective. Therefore, seek support from your loved ones and ask if they can babysit your baby while you catch a few snatches of sleep.
Final Words
While babies are a source of happiness and joy; however, it's also true that life after newborns changes drastically. There are a plethora of challenges experienced by new mothers. Some of these challenges are pretty hard to imagine until you give birth to a baby.
Nevertheless, with the addition of the little one in the family, know that you are still you. Therefore, be gentle with yourself by anticipating beforehand that the beginning of parenthood may require some adjustments. While it may seem intimidating at first, becoming a mother is undeniably an inexplicable feeling and an immensely gratifying experience.
For most new moms, motherhood is a unique experience they wouldn't want to miss, despite the days when they feel incredibly overwhelmed. So, accept this phase of life and seek support when necessary. Also, don't let your interests fall by the wayside. Instead, carve out time for the activities you enjoy to alleviate the symptoms of stress and become less alienated as you embark on the motherhood journey.