47: Calm Those New Mom Scaries 🎃

There are a few things you can do to take charge and calm the “new-mom-scaries” this October.

They are as follows: Be prepared. Get confident. And know the red flags. 

The first thing you can do to calm those scaries is to get prepared. How can you get prepared you ask? By taking a birth class that explains all your options and the physiological process of birth

By getting familiar with normal newborn feeding behaviors and development. Maybe this is my course, maybe it’s someone else’s, or a book. The important thing here is to focus on normal infant behavior and not just how to force a clock schedule. Because I want you to build your confidence, not have you staring at a paper schedule unable to be flexible as needed.

Another important step to prepare is to know who you are calling for help before you need it. I know I say this a lot but it’s worth repeating.

Next up, you’ve got to get confident.

Once you’ve brushed up on how you want to give birth and how you plan to feed your baby, it’s time to get confident. This might mean a few deep breaths followed by a simple visualization that creates confidence. Really paint that mental picture of things going well and you feeling confident you’ve chosen the right path for you. Do it in the morning when you wake up or while brushing your teeth, and then again when you lay down to sleep. It doesn’t take long, but the daily repetition is key. (Don’t worry, plans can change- we just don’t want to be fretting when we could be boosting ourselves up instead. And, since you will have already taken the time to get prepared, you can feel extra confident that you will be able to handle any plan deviations that come your way.)

And lastly, step three is know the red flags that something isn’t going right.

Here’s the great part about this last step, if you’ve done the first step and are preparing with quality resources, you will already know the red flags or signs to seek help. Knowing what normal newborn behavior looks like can help you relax when things are going well and identify red flags early when they are not. A thorough resource will also give you some ideas as to what is unexpected when it comes to your baby’s feeding behaviors. I also recommend a resource that is available to refer back to later as needed, because I don’t expect you to have everything memorized. You just want to be familiar, and then know where you are going for a resource if you need it.

If you think you would be interested in checking out a newborn feeding course that will have you well prepared and includes lots of current information for common issues, then I have exciting news. The Newborn Feeding Course that was created in partnership with Baby Boldly is set to launch later this month. Even more exciting, is that the first half is free so you can be sure it’s a good fit for you before purchase. I feel really proud of this course and am excited to share it. I’ll put a link in the show notes for access. (Shoot me an email with your name and email address if you want the first half free: Barbara@feedingbyjanuary.com).

And that’s it for this week! If you have the “new mom scaries” then take my advice: be prepared, get confident, know the red flags, and maybe eat some Candy. Things will feel a lot less scary if you do.