I reached out on Instagram recently, asking ladies to share with me what they would like to see more of here on the blog. The following is a response I received from a sweet gal. I’m so glad she mentioned this blog post idea, because I think all of us will benefit from the wisdom and insight shared by the wonderful ladies we have a chance to hear from today:
“I would love an article on taking care of ourselves physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally so that we can take care of our families. I think it would be awesome to do an interview with several moms of all ages looking back on their FIRST year as a mom vs. where they are now and the advice they can give to moms in their first year or two of kids! I’m in my first year and would love something like that.”
So, without further ado, here is what I heard from several mamas I reached out to:
“I will always say, rest mama! Just rest! Everything will be ok & it all works out.” ~Angela Parsley
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“I would say be present. You are creating a lifelong bond and it takes time and intention so snuggle, play and love on your child as much as possible. It’s not as easy to do this when you have more kids.
Also, don’t listen to the advice of everyone else in your life. If you can wade through it and find what works for you, take that and run. I listened to well-meaning friends and family and ended up putting my baby down when I should have snuggled her (“Don’t hold the baby too much!”), started her on formula and rice cereal (because she wasn’t “getting enough to eat”) didn’t soothe and bring her into my bed at night (“You will spoil her and she won’t sleep.). While all this advice is helpful, it creates a nervous nelly momma, that is left to her own devices. Following her heart and asking God to lead should be the best advice.” ~Julie Loos
“It’s never too early to begin training a child (Proverbs 22:6). A child is ripe for being teachable for the things of God at an early age. Taking the time to instill the concept of spending time with God daily will yield the fruit of “this is normal” as a child grows. An added blessing to teaching a child to seek God early is that it helps mama to build the consistent habit herself. Later in life, your child will value your early example and spiritual guidance. Never fear that you aren’t equipped to do so. God comes alongside and provides wisdom if you only ask.” ~Kelly Baker
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“Be gentle with yourself! Even if you and your baby are doing well physically, adding a new person to your family is a big change. It’s perfectly normal to take a while to adjust.” ~Laura Adams
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“The best advice I was given – from a mom of 6 when my oldest was born was:
‘Your time with God will never be more important and never be harder to be consistent in. Print a few verses – in very large print – and hang on the wall where you will rock baby, change baby, in the bathroom, over the kitchen sink. Don’t be hard on yourself for missing days in a row in the Word. Instead, take advantage of those moments you can look up at the verses. Read them, pray them out loud over yourself and baby, meditate on them as you rock.’
This one practice dramatically changed my quiet times. I didn’t get so exhausted because God was filling me up over and over – and I memorized those few verses and change them out now as my kids are older. And as baby #2 came with a full year of colic – this kept me sane on days I just wanted to sit and cry with her.” ~Tiffany Montgomery
“The advice I would give a first-time mom (and am going to remind myself of this, this time around): Don’t compare yourself to other moms. YOU will do what works for YOU and YOUR family. Just because Jane was back in church and her regular activities the day after she had her baby doesn’t mean you need to do that. Give yourself time to heal and adjust!
Don’t let the mom-guilt or mom comparisons get to you either. Every family is different and if another mom has that much of a problem with what you feed your child, gladly invite her to pre-make all of your and your child’s meals. I bet she’ll care less then 
. Seriously though, as long as you are teaching your child to love the Lord and are keeping them alive, that is enough.
And a last tiny one, if you need your eyeliner each morning to feel human, don’t be ashamed. I seriously still feel bad for being that mom who needs some tinted moisturizer and eyeliner to feel human. But the truth is, I’m a better mom if I feel a little put-together.” ~Elizabeth Steingass
“I’m only going on my 3rd year so probably can’t speak to this, but I can speak from what I saw of my mom raising six kids. She has told me, as a homeschool mom looking back, if she had it over she would have had a significant hobby or small part time job during that season. Something to give her personal purpose outside of motherhood. At the time, the homeschool world was very unfriendly to moms working at ALL. She’s currently working part time and homeschooling my youngest two siblings and I have never seen her so happy. I think she would have been a better mom to me had she been released from guilt and allowed herself to pursue her passions without sacrificing family (which she never would have done). There is no shame in that. There is no shame in using your God given gifts for something other than your children. That has been a huge part of my motherhood experience, and why I think I have not been “bored” one day of it so far – even as someone who didn’t super enjoy kids prior to having my own! I love being a mom, and I bring my best to it because it’s not my identity… something I know my mom wishes she learned earlier.” ~Phylicia Masonheimer
“I would really tell them it’s NOT AS BAD AS THE MEDIA TELLS YOU. For reference, this comes from someone who has become a “new mom” 9 times, with kids in casts to newborns that caused pretty severe PPD to a 17 year old who thought Easter was the day they burned Jesus on the stake.
We (not us necessarily but the world) love to make motherhood seem like it’s this nightmare. No sleep, no sex, little food, no showers, misery. We relish in the fact that other mothers are as miserable as we are and we don’t encourage help or leaning into a village-we wave it off as how motherhood is. And I HATE that.
It’s going to be hard, but I promise-you are allowed to find comfort in Christ, fulfillment in who YOU are outside mom life, joy in parenting , romance in your marriage, and a village to support you each step of the way. If you can figure out how to get and keep those five things…it will all come together so much easier. You don’t have to just “survive” through that first year.” ~Lauren Jane Bellows
“Find a mom group! I joined MOPS when my second was a few months old and I wish I had joined sooner! Getting a chance to connect with other moms in person in the same stage of life was incredibly helpful and such a nice break because childcare was included. I’ve made the group a priority because I need that connection and it helps me learn and grow as a mom, wife, friend, and sister in Christ.” ~Katie McGowen
“A mom in my church just put together a “mom panel” for moms of littles so we could hear from moms in the church who have grown children. I just shared about it last week! Not growing up in a Christian home I hunger for moms who are seasons ahead of me to pour into me, and I loved the words shared at this panel. Here is where you can watch the video.”
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Sweet mama, whether you are currently expecting your first baby, have just given birth, are approaching your little one’s first birthday, or are even a bit further down the motherhood path, I hope that what you read today has been an encouragement. I know it has been to me! It’s a blessing to be able to hear from other mamas about what they have learned in their mothering journeys thus far. To be reminded of the importance of rest and self-care, of meditating on the Word and enjoying our babies, and of cultivating community and believing in the opportunity we have to truly thrive in motherhood, is a gift. So, thank you to each of the sweet mamas who shared today! If you have been encouraged by their words, be sure to check out their blogs for more encouragement.
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If you could use more encouragement for your journey of motherhood, I invite you to join me for my free 7 Day email course, Mothering by the Book: God’s Design for Motherhood. Sign up here and also receive a discount on my book, Lies Moms Believe (And How the Gospel Refutes Them!) as a little gift of congratulations for completing the course!
Thanks for the link! I really enjoyed these tips from these wise ladies as I am soon to start all over again with a newborn!
Absolutely! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! <3
Aww, so exciting! 😀
Lots of wisdom here!