Being a first-time mom can be overwhelming! You have so much to learn that you may not see things you could do differently until you reflect or get pregnant with a second. With my first child, I learned so much in that first year that when I got pregnant with my second I vowed to do some things the same and do others differently than I did the first time around.
I didn’t sign up for any free baby items and I only had one baby registry
To start off with, whether you are a first, second, or even third-time parent, make a registry and sign up for those freebies! No matter what you are bound to be ordering things for your baby off of amazon, target or buy buy baby so you might as well make a registry to get those completion discounts and free baby baskets.
As a first-time mom, I only made an amazon registry just to make it easier since we are a military family and were living overseas at the time. But had I known that Target offered a free basket and discounts I would have for sure signed up for a registry through them as well because inevitably we did order some things for the baby there and that would have been a great perk.
So even if this isn’t your first baby sign up and make a registry just for yourself to get some free items and discounts because baby items are expensive and every little bit helps!
I spent so much time worrying about the little things
Yes, the cutesy pacifiers and pacifier clips are adorable but babies don’t need a ton of things like that! I spent a ton of time finding the cutest little bandana bibs, pacifiers, pacifier clips, teethers, and all the little things that are nice to have but really aren’t at all necessary. Having one or two is fine but more than that they will just be taking up space.
What I learned, is don’t focus on the little things because they are cute and all but don’t make an overall difference in your or your baby’s life. If you are a first-time mom get some cute things for your baby but don’t spend so much time worrying about those things because they won’t matter once your sweet baby is here. Also function over aesthetics always!
I bought elaborate newborn clothes and pajamas with buttons
This may seem like a silly regret but trust me on this you want all newborn outfits to be pj’s and to have zippers. No one wants to fumble around and button their baby back up at all hours of the night when you inevitably have to change their diaper. Zippers will make your life so much easier. When it comes to newborn outfits stick to pajamas!
With my first child, I bought all these cute newborn and 0-3 month clothes for when we left the house, how silly I was thinking we would be going all over the place with a newborn! We went nowhere and the baby wore pajamas all the time. With my second child, I learned my lesson that even if we were leaving the house in that first month or so no one cares if your newborn is in pajamas or dressed to the nines. Your baby will be more comfortable in pj’s and to be completely honest trying to dress a tiny baby in some elaborate outfit takes more energy than it is worth!
I only bought a few extra postpartum items of my own
When it comes to postpartum, every mom’s experience is different. With my first, I was very nervous about postpartum because I had no experience with it, and other moms I knew either had a hard time or it was a breeze. It was tough that’s for sure but the rough part is very short and it does get better and the second time was much easier!
When it comes to postpartum supplies your hospital with provide you with a lot but it is always better to have more. Hear me out, having adult diapers readily available after having a baby is a game changer! As a first-time mom for the first day or so I used what the hospital gave me even though I had some depends in my hospital bag. By the second day I switched to my depends and to say it made a world of a difference is an understatement. It was much more comfortable for me to move around and sit. So if you are pregnant get yourself some adult diapers to add to your postpartum basket and hospital bag, you won’t regret it!
Another postpartum item that I purchased the second time around but not the first was this mom Frida peri bottle. This peri bottle is much easier to use than the one that they give you in the hospital! For all those soon-to-be moms out there take all the items they give you in the hospital because you may or may not need them but make sure to purchase some other things to make the postpartum time more comfortable for you!
I put so much unnecessary pressure on myself/ had the worst mom guilt about every little thing
With your first baby, you can put some much pressure on yourself to be able to do everything and to do it perfectly. Friends, motherhood is not perfect, and stop putting so much pressure on yourself!
When I had my first baby I put so much pressure on myself to be able to not only be a mom but to do all the things I did before having a baby all on my own ( once my husband went back to work) along with breastfeeding and setting these stupidly high expectations for what each day needed to look like. It was not only completely unnecessary but nothing got accomplished except for the feeling of failure and the worst mom guilt that I was not a picture-perfect mom. As soon as I realized that I needed to relax and stop adding all this silly unnecessary pressure on myself the sooner things in motherhood got easier.
Let’s be real mom guilt is a real pain in the butt! Don’t get me wrong I still have some mom guilt after having two kids but I have learned that it’s normal! I’ve also learned that taking time for myself is necessary for me to be the best mom to my children and they enjoy their one on one time with their dad and grandparents!
If you are a first-time mom my best piece of advice after having two kids is to not sweat the small stuff, take some time for yourself and to make sure you have everything that your baby needs Don’t forget to enjoy the sweet moments with your kids they, are only little for a short time!