It’s not such a big call to say that having a baby (particularly a first baby) is the BIGGEST change of your life. No matter how much you prepare, you cannot know what your child will be like or how you will be as their mother.
These days, part of preparing for this enormous change is the inevitable pregnancy overwhelm. In the information age, practically everything we need to know (and a bunch of stuff we don’t need!) is at our fingertips, but the onslaught of information isn’t necessarily a good thing.
As soon as you’re pregnant, it begins. (Sometimes even sooner – from when you are trying to conceive!) Somehow, Facebook and Google work it out and your newsfeed is riddled with stories and ads about pregnancy and baby stuff. Sometimes you can’t help but Google every little niggle and ache and you freak yourself out trying to be your own Google doctor. It’s like picking a zit – you know you shouldn’t, but you just can’t help it!
Then suddenly everyone around you is an expert about your body and your baby – from guessing the sex, to telling you how big or small you are, how wonderful or tired you look … the comments go on and on. So many people have ideas about what you should do – where and how you should birth, what you should wear, eat, read … UGH! Sometimes you just want to scream BACK OFF!!!
All you want is the best for your baby to give him or her the best possible start. But all the information is conflicting and totally overwhelming.
Help with pregnancy overwhelm: Where to go, who to ask, where to start?
The answer is simple. Start with yourself and follow your gut.
Something special happens when you’re pregnant. Your intuition takes a megaphone and becomes a whole lot louder. All you need to do is take the time to stop and listen.
Listen to those people in your life who you deeply trust and then give yourself space to work out whether their advice rings true for you. Sometimes those trusted souls are friends who are already mothers, maybe it’s your mother, your GP, your midwife or obstetrician, or an author you resonate with. They may have some gold nuggets of wisdom to offer and that may also come alongside a whole pile of other stuff that simply isn’t for you. Take the gold, leave the rest.
Find ways to feel ok with forging your own path as a mother and even accruing a bit of disappointment or judgement from others. Practice letting that slide over you, because there is plenty more to come throughout your life as a parent!
We wish you the very best in your journey during pregnancy and as a mother. Our hope for you is that you can find information and support to make positive choices that don’t leave you feeling overwhelmed, like a failure or judged.
Mama, you are a walking miracle. We wish you the very best through this most amazing time.