Rank’s Ramblings – Reflections and Tips from a First Time Mama

by Melissa Rank on June 20, 2023

  1.  Trust your instincts. I know, I know. You are pregnant now and wondering wherethese instincts are going to magically appear from. Don’t fret. Once that’s babyis in your arms you are going to have a mama bear sixth sense like you’ve neverimagined. Do not let any expert convince you they know your baby better thanyou. I don’t care if they’ve written fifteen books! You are the mama, follow your heart.
  2. Don’t feel guilty. If you need to nap with your baby, then do it. You won’t havethat luxury as often when you have more kiddos, and really, what more important thing do you have to than taking care of you and your kid? And, you will do much better at taking care of the little sweetie if you are well rested. The housework can wait. You have the rest of your life to spring clean.
  3. In the early days you may wonder what you got yourself into and why you ever thought this whole baby thing was a good idea. Don’t worry. It will pass, I still believe you love him/her. Also, don’t mitigate the impact those hormones can have on your psyche! Crying happens, don’t worry about it.
  4. The sun will shine again. Around 6 weeks I saw it peeking through the clouds. At 3 months it was beaming down at me as my smiley and giggly baby was beaming up at me. Although the baby will continue to change and throw you for a loop at time, by this point you might get the feeling that you know your baby pretty well and find that they are somewhat predictable.
  5. Wear your maternity pants for a few months and don’t feel bad about it. I don’t know why I tortured myself trying to fit into pre-pregnancy pants so soon. Or, why oh why did I try on a bathing suit 7 weeks post-partum? Someone please slap me. You’ll feel better and prettier if you wear maternity pants with cute shirts.
  6. Enjoy your baby. Honestly, it’s so hard when you are exhausted. But, after three months I looked at my daughter and could not believe I no longer had my tiny baby. Now she is four and a half months and I love our middle of the night feedings. Sometimes I stay awake cuddling and staring at my sweet sleeping baby. It’s a season that won’t last long, so cherish it.

Remember the great work of being a mother. You are investing in the development of
a human! A dear friend of mine shared and encouraging quote with me that I’ll now
share with you. “Two men were struggling through a medieval town, each carrying
a large and heavy stone down the muddy, mucky main street. One was cursing
and the other singing. Someone asked the first one “Why are you cursing?” and he
answered, “Because I have to carry this damn stone through the mud.” The second
was asked, “Why are you singing?” to which he responded happily “I get to help
build a Cathedral.” Daunting as the days may be, we, ladies, are building beautiful
cathedrals!

************************************************************************

My name is Melissa and I came to lovely Budapest with my husband, Scott, who is pursuing a PHD at Central European University. Since our arrival in summer 2010 I have kept busy teaching English to business professionals, finding beautiful running and hiking trails and exploring coffee shops all over the city. Most recently I became a mother to a darling little girl, so I’m scrambling to figure out how to handle this new job that did not come with a manual! Read more about Melissa and her ramblings on her very own blog.

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post:

COPY AND PASTE your Google Analytics Code Here (about 8 lines of code)