When a woman is actively trying to get pregnant, the day of that positive pregnancy test is a moment of total bliss. Pending their journey on how they got to that moment, that bliss may also be sprinkled with some fear, self-doubt, anxiety, nervousness, and so much more, but usually total bliss is highest on the feeling-list. Usually, these moms instantly start thinking about what is next and how they can best prepare baby for the day he/she comes into the world. Baby registries are researched, sleep training books are read, nursery themes are picked out, cute Instagram announcements are conjured up, blankets are monogramed, and baby baby baby baby baby. Unfortunately, way too more often than not, the one person overlooked in all this preparation is usually mom-to-be. It is great that baby is being so well prepared for, but I wish it was more of a societal push for mommy to be prepared as well. I am talking physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared!
Physically prepared may include things such as:
- Organizing physical space in the house to make room for another human
- Figuring out how and what to do with the dozens of garbage bags of hand-me-down clothes every friend, cousin, and co-worker decided to drop off to you
- Setting up rooms in the house to best serve new mom-to-be, taking into consideration if there will be c-section recovery or breast feeding obstacles or the like
- Carefully weighing the pros vs. cons for birthing doulas, midwives, postpartum doulas, night nurses, and the many other resources out there that may or may not be in one’s birthing plan
- Getting your physical body as ready as possible to soon support 20+ more lbs, blood, fluid, etc.
- Figuring out if anything can be organized/pre-planned the weeks leading up to due date including but not limited to ready-to-go meals in the freezer, childcare plans in place for older siblings, hospital items bought and packed, etc.
Mentally prepared may include things such as:
- Have you pictured what life will be like with a new baby, not just in week one and two but in months and years later?
- Are your self-care routines in check now and strong enough to sustain the changes about to unfold?
- If in a relationship or marriage, is the foundation there as sturdy as it can be for what’s about to come and if not, let’s get it there!
- Have you carefully thought about your values, aligned them with your possible partner, and prepared ways to live them out each day with these upcoming changes on their way?
- Have you thought about how you will still make time for yourself?
- Have your passions changed as you begin to embrace this new role of mom?
Emotionally prepared may include things such as:
- Knowing that a roller coaster of emotions is on way and it’s okay to feel all the feels
- Recognizing that it is possible (and allowed) to feel the happiest you have ever felt while also feeling sad at the same time
- You will encounter obstacles that will challenge your self-worth, confidence, pride, and so much more but being prepared for such obstacles will be what you need to tackle them
I wish society’s checklist for post-positive pregnancy test would include ‘research, interview, and hire a new mom coach’ because I think it is just as important as deciding between Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea Gray or Balboa Mist for the nursery’s wall color! Feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared is huge for so many reasons – mental sanity, confidence, readiness for new role as mama, and so much more. Something I, personally, find extremely important so like to highlight when reaching out to new clients is the overall feeling you will get on this coaching journey that makes you appreciate every single moment of not only your pregnancies, but of your baby’s early childhood years (and on)! Life is too short to miss any of these moments so being in the right mindset before one of the biggest changes of life comes your way is crucial.
Pregnancy is such an absolute miracle if you really think about what the female body is able to do. There are going to be extremely hard times over the course of the expected next 40 weeks. Even if you have a very easy pregnancy, there are still a lot of things that aren’t all rainbows and unicorns. Somehow, some way, as hard as it was sometimes, I can still sit back and say how absolutely wonderful my both pregnancies were and the only thing that truly sticks out in my mind with them is joy. It is my goal to have my pregnant moms-to-be experience that joy as well. Together, we will work on getting in the appropriate mentality to be able to appreciate the rollercoaster ride of pregnancy and beyond.
