Uncertainties, worries, and challenges are all part of the roller coaster ride that is new motherhood. But you don’t have to go through it alone. With a trusted village serving as your guidepost and your support system, you can continuously become wiser and more secure in your abilities as a parent.
You don’t have to be perfect or have it all together at all times. Even what you think are mistakes are worth celebrating.
This Mother’s Day, we want to show how much we understand and appreciate all your struggles and sacrifices!
Here are 8 of the most relatable challenges new moms face and why they are nothing to be ashamed about!
1. Getting Your Baby to Go to Sleep
Getting your baby to sleep through the night is truly one of the triumphs of new motherhood. But don’t fret if you can’t get them to sleep for more than four to five hours a stretch. This is usually the norm until they are around three months old .
What matters is that they have a loving mom who is willing to endure innumerable sleepless nights to make sure their babies are safe and secure.
One of the challenges new moms face is getting their baby to sleep through the night and getting enough sleep themselves! | image source: dreamstime
2. Feeling Sleep-Deprived and Exhausted Practically All the Time
You consider it a success to get your baby to sleep and you manage to sneak in some Zs as well. So why are you still so tired? The demands that come with being a new mom can certainly take their toll — even the rare full eight hours of sleep seems not to be enough.
You could have been the most energetic person before you became a mom, but suddenly you feel sluggish and irritable. This is all normal! Try to take time for yourself, too.
3. Struggling To Love Your Body After Giving Birth
You look in the mirror and you don’t like what you see. You’re not alone in this, new mom!
Most moms struggle with poor body image after giving birth. But embrace even the sagging skin and the stretch marks. These are your unique battle scars. Don’t let yourself to be too pressured by what you see online or what others say.
You will recover at your own pace. What matters is that you stay healthy! The best way to care for your little one is by caring for yourself, too.
4. Being Too Hard on Yourself as a Mom
It’s true that being responsible for a human life can be a source of intense pressure, but don’t forget to be kind to yourself. New motherhood is tough enough without you being too critical of everything you do.
Every new mom grapples with some form of self-doubt. Yes, you want the best for your child. But don’t forget that motherhood isn’t all just joyful moments — though there’s a lot of this, too — but it is a time of learning and growth.
One of the challenges new moms face is being overly critical of themselves. But self-care means being kind to yourself! You’re doing your best! | image source: shutterstock
5. Trying Your Best to Make Ends Meet
Let’s get real: raising a child in this day and age costs a lot. So oftentimes, one of the challenges new moms face is helping manage the household budget, or even helping generate income as well.
Not feeling like you have enough, or even living from paycheck to paycheck, doesn’t mean you are failing as a mom — it’s quite the opposite! The fact that you’re striving to provide means that the motivation to give your child the best life is there. That alone is worth celebrating.
6. Finding Breastfeeding Difficult
Even non-breastfeeding moms experience feeding time struggles. It’s just the reality of parenting: Making sure your baby gets the right kind of nutrition can take a lot of effort.
You might encounter latching difficulties, or low milk supply. But know that this is not a reflection of your worth as a mom. Each mom, breastfeeding or not, will struggle with feeding their child at least once.
7. Making Time for Your Hubby Takes Too Much Effort
When you become a new mom, you may struggle to make time to nurture your relationship with your partner. This is perfectly natural. There is a season for being solely focused on being a wife and partner. Just because all of your time and effort is devoted to your newborn and embracing your new role as a mom, this doesn’t make you a bad wife.
Enjoy this phase of marriage, where you and your partner are beginning your parenting journey, without putting too much pressure on constantly spending time with each other. Your time together will come again.
8. Worrying that You’re not Doing Enough to Make Sure Your Baby is Healthy
Even the slightest symptom can cause panic or anxiety in a new mom. Educating yourself and choosing a trusted doctor is the key to overcoming
this anxiety. Your growing baby may experience fever, cough, colds, or even sensitive skin or skin allergies during the first six months of life.
It’s a good thing there are products that support this new mom concern, like the newborn-friendly Baby Dove Sensitive Moisture line.
These are just a few of the many challenges during the first year of motherhood. Though our circumstances differ, the love and devotion of a mom who presses on despite difficulties is universal.
So don’t be too pressured to do everything perfectly, mommies! If you know you’re doing your very best, then that is more than enough.
We hear you, moms, and we appreciate all your daily sacrifices — from the simplest things like staying up to watch over your little one while they’re sick or saving up for their future.
On Baby Dove’s first year, this Mother’s Day — and every day, really — we celebrate you!
Baby Dove lovingly cares for your newborn’s sensitive skin, helping your baby’s skin become healthy and moisturized.
The whole #BabyDovePH line is now available in the Philippines. Learn more about it here.