Transition to Motherhood

Some couples get a puppy before they have their first child so they can get an idea of what it will be like to have someone completely dependent on them and to see how they will manage the demands of parenthood. This is actually a very good idea, although obviously having a puppy isn't exactly the same as having a baby. But it does prepare a couple for dealing with a 3rd "person" in their lives who makes demands on their attention.

When I was pregnant, I thought all there was to preparing for motherhood was reading books on how to get through the pregnancy and then giving birth. It seems pretty funny now that I'm a mom of three and a half year old twins. Because, you see, preparing for motherhood involves much more than just the pregnancy and the birth. It involves preparing for life after the birth--after your baby is home.

There are three important aspects to preparing for life as a new mother: learning about baby care, preparing for changes in your relationship with your partner, and adapting to the changes in your personal life. I will cover each of these aspects over the course of three weeks with one article per week. This week's focus is on Baby Care.

It is not easy being a new mother, but it is also not easy to be a newborn baby. There is much more to learn about newborn babies than is typically discussed in doctors’ offices or hospitals. Even books about newborns often don’t provide enough information about some of the complexities of newborn care, such as colic and acid reflux, even though these are quite common problems.