When I was still pregnant, I was so excited and can't wait to finally see my baby. I never missed taking vitamins, never skipped meals and had a perfect attendance to my OB. I had so much fun buying newborn clothes and accessories. I kept telling my family and friends how excited I was.

And as that day came….

“I can’t do this” – The first few words I have told to myself days after giving birth. Sleepless nights coupled with post-partum depression – I felt like giving up. Worst part is? I no longer have a mother to assist and to provide me with useful advises.

“Is this for real?” “Am I really ready to face motherhood?” “Can I actually take care of her?” “Will I even be able to bathe my baby in the first place?” “Will I be a good mother?”

Maybe most of the first time moms had the same feelings and thoughts just as mine during the first few days of their motherhood. It’s truly a brand new chapter for every woman’s life. It is something that requires full attention, proper care and full responsibility. In fact it (motherhood) is an obligation that you have to fulfill.

I admit it was not that easy at first but as time went on that mother instinct naturally came in. I have slowly known what and how to do the right things using the proper ways. I actually made this blog post in the hopes of reaching out to those first time mothers out there who are somehow finding ways on how to take care of a newborn.

First –

Since it is your first time, it’s best to consult other moms about the do’s and don’ts of taking care of a newborn. It’s always helpful to ask your mother (of course, if she’s still with you), your friends and relatives who are already mothers or just happens to have had experiences in taking care of a newborn baby. Take time to jot down all those tips and advises just to make sure you didn’t miss anything.

Second –

Face your fears. Just like me, I was so afraid to even bathe my child as she was so fragile and I was too scared I might slip off, drop her and hurt her. I just can’t do it at that time until a relative of mine, who happens to be a nurse, taught me how to do it. She told me that there’s nothing to fear about as long as I do it with care. She just warned me to avoid water from entering the ears. She also advised me not to panic when my baby cries as it is just normal for a baby to cry especially during bath time (the baby is still adjusting). There’s one thing she said to me that convinced me to overcome my fear: “That’s your daughter, there’s nothing to be scared about”. So if you have the same fear as I had before, ask someone to assist you and help you overcome such fear. As I have said to myself before, “It can’t be like this forever! I am the mother and I have to forget my fears. Other people can’t forever be there to do things for my baby in my behalf”.

Third –

Let your pediatrician help you. Since he is the one who has a lot of knowledge about newborns, don’t ever hesitate to ask as many questions and doubts that you have in mind. Coming from a doctor’s advises, at least you would feel more as is doing things for your newborn.

Fourth –

Say hello to sleepless nights. Don’t expect to still have that luxury of sleeping time as it will already be impossible to happen since you already have a child to take care of. Face it, you have to get up during wee hours to feed your child, change his/her diapers and help him/her get back to sleep. Learn to adjust to your new life.

Fifth –

Try to know your baby and learn what makes her cry. Most newborn babies are crybabies for a lot of reasons. It could be that he/she is hungry, has a wet diaper, sleepy, bored or maybe because he/she is colic. During the first two months of my baby, I was so concerned and worried as to why my baby can’t sleep at night and why she kept crying for no obvious reason. I had to stay up until five in the morning just to carry and cuddle her as she can’t sleep if not hugged. I have experienced sleeping 2-3 hours because my baby kept crying for no reason. The only good thing though was that my husband and father were there to back me up. Finally, I decided to ask some advises (again) from my friends and relatives through Facebook and a relative gave a good advice. She told me that my baby might be colic. Colic, meaning, a baby has too much air in his/her stomach and no matter how many times you try to make her burp and cuddle her, it won’t go that easily. She told me that maybe I have to try using anti-colic bottles such as Dr. Brown’s and Avent. True enough, my baby was colic and just got better as soon as I fed her using anti-colic bottles. It was truly effective. I and my baby started to have a lot of good night sleep from then on.

Sixth –

ENJOY every single time you have with your baby. Your baby will only be a baby once and so enjoy every single moment that you spend with that precious little gem of yours.

Well I guess I’ve said it all. That would be all that I could share and I hope you did find it useful. My baby is now 8 months old and never did I ever regret having her in my life. Her smile simply melts my heart. She’s a charm. I am a proud mother and so should you. =)