I recently became a mom of two littles when we added our sweet baby girl to our family. Like most moms, with my first baby I literally had ZERO idea what I was doing. It was a wing it and pray as you go situation from the start!

This time around, I have a little more solid ground to stand on and have a better idea of what to expect. I will NEVER claim to be an expert at parenting (who is?!) BUT I am a little more seasoned this time around. I want to share with you the best advice I have to give to new moms after doing the new mom thing twice myself.

DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links. Which means I might be compensated for purchases made from these links at no additional cost to you. I am not responsible for any actions taken from my advice, all ideas and opinions on this post remain my own.

Shower every single day

If you haven’t had your baby yet, you might be thinking no sh*t. Sounds crazy, but in the blur of a day with a newborn you might actually forget to brush your teeth until 5PM (guilty! and I’m a dental hygienist).

But seriously, there is a lot going on in those first weeks. You are learning how to take care of this tiny person you birthed and trying to heal yourself. Hygiene might fall to the back burner.

Take a shower every day, wash away the spit up and dried milk. Feel like a human again. Trust me, it’s good for your mental health!

Take time for yourself

So that leads me into this one- make sure you take care of you. There are TINY things in the day that you can do for yourself to put you in a better mood and reset your day!

If you have ever heard the saying “You can’t pour from an empty cup” that is so so true for me. Doing something every day that is just for me helps me mom better! Here are some examples of little things to sprinkle into your day to fill your cup:

• Read a chapter of a book
• Listen to a podcast
• Take a walk (BY YOURSELF)
• Go for a drive around your neighborhood (again, alone)
• Exercise, meditate, yoga
• Have a cup of coffee in bed, or on the porch
• Sit outside (in silence!)
• Shop online

I know most of these things are what you did everyday before having a baby but things just get harder with a newborn! Do something that makes you happy every day and let your mom, husband or friend take the baby for that short period of time so you can do something for you.

Ask for help

This one is HARD for me. It wasn’t until I had my second baby that I really gave in and let people help me out. I am a do it all myself kind of person and never want to inconvenience anyone. BUT when I found myself at home with a toddler and a newborn that changed my perspective quite a bit!

If you have family or friends offer to help you in some way- LET THEM. People won’t offer to help you unless they actually want you to take them up on it.

If you aren’t comfortable handing someone your new baby (totally understandable) let them do other things to help take all the weight off your shoulders. Some things that don’t involve letting someone babysit your newborn:

• Pick up groceries
• Bring over a homecooked meal
• Come over and play with your older kids
• Run an errand
• Mow the lawn
• Do the dishes
• Fold laundry

Moms have a TON on their plate every day. While you are trying to bond with your new baby and figure out this new life, it’s totally OK to accept some help. Even if that’s just not your personality- let yourself give away some responsibility just for this short period of time!

Leave your house EVERY DAY

I am a homebody, I don’t care what anyone says I would just rather be at home! With that being said- if you are inside your house every single day, the walls will most definitely start to close in on you.

When you are on maternity leave, you aren’t going to the office, you are bonding with your baby and trying to figure out some kind of routine. You can lose track of hours or DAYS. Seriously, it is so easy to do when you’re wrapped up in newborn life!

There is nothing that triggers anxiety for me like being inside for a whole day. Unless I’m sick- I need to get out of the house every day for my mental health.

Do something in the yard, go for a walk, take your older kids to the park, go for a drive. Fresh air is important for everybody (as well as your new baby!)

I am a person who loves sunshine and anything outdoors, so naturally my babies have to be outside too. (They are getting started with loving the outdoors from an early age!) Get yourself something you can sit baby in that keeps them safe and let them enjoy the fresh air too! I love this baby dome – perfect for newborns and portable. You can take it to your backyard, the boat, the park, the beach!

TIP: I linked the one from Amazon above, they tend to have the best price for the baby dome. BUT don’t forget to check out your local resell pages on Facebook and consignment stores! You can usually find great used baby products for amazing prices!

Baby blues are normal

Having the baby blues for about 2 weeks postpartum is NORMAL. After 2 weeks it is NOT.

After you give birth your hormones are wacky and are trying to balance out again after this crazy experience you just went through. You will literally cry for 2 weeks over everything and nothing!

With my first baby I cried in the shower every day and remember thinking “I am so happy, I have nothing to cry about, what is wrong with me?” And with my second baby the only thing I cried about was how big my toddler was now that I have a new baby. Not kidding, I cried about that every day for 2 weeks!

Basically, not feeling like yourself is totally normal after birth. The things you want to watch out for are feelings of depression and/or anxiety that last longer than 2 weeks.

Where to get more info on PPD

This is a great article from the APA– it goes into detail of what PPD is and what you can do about it. Also there are hotlines for moms experiencing depression and they are listed at the bottom of the article.

A lot of moms feel guilty or ashamed for having PPD (which is unfortunately not surprising since mom guilt is SO REAL) but it is super common and due to your hormones. Totally not something you have control over! 1 in 7 women are reported to have PPD. If you or your partner are experiencing it, there is NO shame in seeking help!

Your baby deserves a happy parent and YOU deserve to enjoy your new baby without having to deal with feelings of depression and anxiety!

Do whatever is best for YOU and YOUR baby

While sometimes advice having to do with your newborn is welcome- if sought out, most of the time it is unsolicited and not very helpful.

I’ve been there, I’m sure you have too. When someone asks you how your baby is sleeping at night and you tell them how many times they are waking and you get a whole rant about what you’re doing wrong or what you should try. But you didn’t ask for their advice or opinion……

Yeah, that happens to new moms every day. Weather you ask for it or not, you’re going to get stories of what worked for someone or what you should do in a certain situation with your newborn.

Reality is, this is YOUR baby. Not your friend’s, your cousin’s, your neighbor’s even your mom’s!

The first time I was a mom of a newborn I had no idea what I was doing so I thought some of these women who had multiple kids know what they are talking about I should take their advice. Let me tell you that mostly led to mom guilt and feeling like a failure when their advice about sleeping through the night or when my baby should crawl or walk didn’t work for us.

The second time around I have thrown all that BS out the window. I am following my “mom gut” and doing whatever I want to do. These are MY kids and MY turn to raise them.

Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for your decisions as a parent. Not one person on this earth is perfect. Everyone is just doing their best and that includes YOU! What makes you a better and happier person will make you a better mom- so do what feels right for you and your family!

This too shall pass

This old saying is so fitting for the newborn stage. While happy and sad all at the same time, you have to remember none of this is permanent and soon you will be on to the next chapter.

So, try to remember in the middle of the night when your baby is awake 4-5 times or in the car when they won’t stop screaming- this won’t last forever! And, while some things you won’t miss AT ALL (the diaper blowouts, the constant spit up, the screaming while you’re trying to fix dinner) other things you will realize slipped through your fingers too quickly.

Babies don’t keep. It’s as simple as that! So soak it all in mama- all of it. Take way too many pictures and videos, take extra time smelling your baby’s hair after a bath, snuggling before bed. Because before you know it, it will be gone!

Let me know what the best advice was you got postpartum! Or what advice you have for other new moms, we can and SHOULD support and love on fellow mamas.