New mum checklist

Becoming a new mum can be a little overwhelming to say the least. Suddenly you’re catapulted into a brand new world of all things baby and have to hit the ground running, learning on the job how to care for a tiny, helpless human 24/7. 

Without any sleep. Or idea what the hell you’re doing. 

Feeling a little clueless/helpless/exhausted? You’re not alone. Take a read of our one-stop guide below to find all the answers to your never-ending ponderings about managing motherhood,  along with handy tips on smashing new mum life every single day. 

Step 1 | Mental attributes needed to qualify as a new mum

• Frazzled brain -- ‘What day is it?’ ‘Where are my keys?’ ‘What is my baby’s name?’ ‘Who am I?’
• Exhausted body -- ‘Did I just nod off for a millisecond in the supermarket?’ ‘Why can I not remember what it feels like to be rested?’ ‘Who knew sleep deprivation could physically hurt… and feel like a hangover… and also like the flu?’ ‘If I could just get even 3 hours of solid sleep I would feel reborn.’ ‘Hang on. When did 3 hours of sleep become a good night??’

• Memory loss -- ‘I walked upstairs to get… What did I need to get? It was in my head 4 seconds ago. SOMEBODY HELP ME!’ ‘I’ve started to answer a simple question asked of me and I have completely lost the ability to finish the sentence. Perhaps I should use the time to sleep instead of trying and failing to engage in conversation?

Step 2 | Physical attributes needed to qualify as a new mum

• Clothes and pj’s stained with milk along with a few smears of baby poo (if you’re truly doing it right).

• Under-eye bags, the deeper and purpler the better.

• A changing bag packed with what feels like a week’s worth of paraphernalia. How can something so tiny need so much stuff even for just a short trip out?

• Mismatched items of clothing, from odd socks to odd shoes. Hey, it’s the latest in ‘tired mama bear don’t care chic’ don’t you know?

Step 3 | Essential coping strategies to smash life as a new mum

• Tea. And biscuits. And then some more tea, ideally with a doughnut.
• Letting friends help, from dropping food over to taking your adorable sleep-stealer for a walk.  
• NOT being afraid to nod off mid-sentence. You’ve gotta take that rest where you can.
• Crying when you need to. We all need a weep sometimes, it doesn’t matter if it’s triggered by sleep deprivation or running out of chocolate. Or both.
• Embracing the new style you find yourself adorned in, starring you as a stained, mis-matched messy mother. You could live in leggings forever and you’d still completely rock. Look what you’ve made!
• Remember that looking after your baby is enough. Have a cuddle, put on the telly and forget those wildly crazy notions of doing it all. What you’re doing is enough.

As a new mum, you’ll have moments where you feel like you’re struggling to cope and others where you’re riding high on the wave of joy your baby brings. There’ll also be a thousand different feelings in between these emotions. 

Just make sure you’re kind to this new you, poo-smeared clothing and all, because she’s pretty wonderful and is doing amazing things.

New mum checklist accomplished? Go you. Now pop the kettle on and put those tired feet up whenever you can.

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