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Maternity Leave

If you’re anything like me, you may have no idea what to expect during your maternity leave. Will you stay at home and watch movies, go out daily for coffee dates with other mom friends, get out daily for walks to get rid of those baby pounds? You may get a mixture of all those things, but depending on your delivery and your baby you may barely get through a movie or you may skip straight to those coffee dates. No matter how your leave goes, there’s a few things I’ve learned that I think anyone could benefit from…

1. Remember maternity leave is time to bond with your baby. If you get nothing else done except spending time with your new little sunshine then you have already had a successful maternity leave.
2. It’s okay to wear sweats or pajamas the first few weeks (or longer), even when you have visitors. Wear what YOU are most comfortable in- you will feel more relaxed and visitors will be more likely to stay just the right amount of time as they’ll be reminded by your attire that new moms need their rest. Someone told me this advice and it stuck in my mind and on some of those first sleepless nights when company was lined up to meet our new little one, this advice sure helped me keep my sanity.
3. Welcome visitors and accept help (just be sure they’re healthy & have clean hands). Especially if you are a single parent or your partner is working, visitors can be the difference between happy day and mommy meltdown! Having just an hour or two of adult interaction and another loving person who wants to snuggle your baby can allow you to get refreshed and give some normalcy to your day. Visitors coming to bring meals, and gifting us with their time was so HUGE for our first few months. I loved the company and definitely appreciated good meals that I didn’t have to prepare when I just wanted to be snuggling my girl. Be sure to return the favor when your friends have kids (or if they are in need in some other way…). It TAKES a VILLAGE!
4. Don’t be afraid to do chores (or allow your visitor to help if they offer) while you have visitors. Chances are you want to chit-chat with your guest, but if you’re anything like me, you probably have a laundry list of housework that you’ve stared at for hours. If only there was a way to feed, cuddle and change your baby while also getting the laundry, dishes and vacuuming done… The answer… Visitors! While they get their snuggle time with your new little bundle of joy, grab the basket of laundry that’s been sitting or quickly dust the living room while you chat.
5. Don’t fret about housework! This seems contradictory to #4, however people do not expect your house to be perfect when you have a newborn. So many experienced moms told me this and I thought “yeah right..” but then I realized, it’s true. Remember WHY you are cleaning and get the stuff that matters done when you can. Deep down cleanliness is important for your baby’s and your family’s health, things like vacuuming (especially if you have furry pets), laundering clothes and bedding that are in contact with baby, keeping bottles, pumping accessories etc sterilized, etc. Those things must get done, however washing windows, decluttering, wiping down baseboards, can sure wait for another day.
6. Take pictures. Enjoy and document every minute with your new sweet pea, after all when will you ever have time set aside to just get to know your child again? Just don’t let an obsession to get the cutest photo take over your bonding time – too many photos or pressure to get that perfect Pinterest shot can take away from priceless bonding time. My advice… Have your phone near you some of the time and grab it to snap those in the moment treasures and also give your partner license to snap photos. You’ll be amazed at the shots you’ll get and the meaning behind them. You’ll also appreciate the times the phone is not there, so you can just enjoy the moment.
7. Sleep. They (whoever ‘they’ are) are serious when they say “when the baby sleeps, you sleep”… Well for the most part that is. Newborns sleep most of the day. You will most likely need to catch up on sleep in the beginning, but as you get in the swing of things it can be extremely rewarding to do little things for yourself or family during some of those afternoon nap times. The first time I was able to clean the house while my baby napped felt amazing. I got to move a little and I always feel better when things are clean. On sunny days getting out for a walk while she naps is also super fulfilling. For awhile my little one loved napping in her carrier while we walked. We both got sun and fresh air and I got some exercise.
8. Eat. It’s amazing how easy it is to forget to eat when you’re taking care of a newborn. There have been days I woke up starving, but the feed, change, rock cycle started and by the time I knew it, it was dinner time. I quickly learned to keep high protein snacks like granola bars (good ones, not the sugary ones) and nuts as well as small oranges, bananas, apples and WATER near at all times. That way when you are sitting through a feeding or finally get your little sweetie lulled to sleep you can nourish yourself without having to disturb your baby. Even if you’re not a snacker, keeping water nearby is a great idea for everyone, especially if you are breast feeding.
9. Get outside. Everyday, even if it’s just to check the mail or let the dog out. You’ll feel oodles better if you just experience a bit of daylight.
10. Get Netflix (or another tv app) and Amazon Prime. Apps like Netflix allow you to watch whatever you want when it’s convenient and start and stop them anytime. At 2am when there is nothing but infomercials on cable, it’s sure a nice treat to put on your favorite show or take-in a movie. You can almost look forward to otherwise daunting nighttime feedings/ pumping sessions if you have a great show or book.
Amazon Prime is another savior. When you sign up for the $79 annual membership you get free 2 day shipping on all Prime Eligible products (which includes a tun of things). This is AMAZING for the many random things you want/ need but can’t seem to make it out the door to go get. It especially came in handy for things like pumping supplies, supplements to help with lactation (fenugreek and mother’s milk tea) and other household items we ran out of and didn’t want to make a special trip for. Amazon Prime also lets you watch thousands of movies and tv shows for no additional cost with your membership. I still like having another app like Netflix because I like the variety as each program has different options available, but if I had to choose just Netflix or Amazon Prime, I’d probably choose Prime only because of the added perk of free 2 day shipping. If you never shop online, then I’d probably go with Netflix because they seem to offer a wider selection of TV and movies that match my taste. I’d advise looking through the available content of the different apps out there if you’ll just be choosing one – it’s worth it to get what you want.
11. Enjoy this time. If you do nothing else, enjoy this special time with your baby. Take time to really relish in the snuggles, coos and joyful feeling of your new creation. During the long nights, seemingly never-ending cries and diaper blow-outs think about the sweet stuff and remember you wanted this baby, despite the way TV and people can make it seem like we must be somehow burdened by every cry and dirty diaper… This is all part of the experience. Just keep reminding yourself, you did it, your baby is finally here. Take joy in all the moments, before you know it they’ll be memories – you might as well make them good ones.