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Motherhood 101

An honest look at your first year as a new mom

by: Nancy Ripton

irst of all, welcome to the club. Now, forget everything you’ve ever read, heard or seen when it comes to being the perfect mom and prepare yourself to take it one day at a time instead (making up your own rules as you go along). Here’s how.

Take comfort in knowing the first year is the hardest

“The first year is really brutal in many ways,” says Alyson Schafer, author of The Good Mom Myth. You’ll be sleep deprived, your baby will cry and you’ll quickly learn that parenting is really hard work. It’s also a huge life change. Moving from a professional atmosphere (or just one where your needs come first) to a family one is dramatic. The first step is to realize you can’t manage your family the same way you did your career.

“Women come to me upset and say, ‘Why can I manage a team of employees but I can’t get my six-month-old to sleep,’” says Schafer. Work ethic mentality doesn’t work with small children. “Parenting is about relationships, not spreadsheets,” she says. And relationships take time to build – but don’t worry, you’ll get there. Things will get easier, you’ll build your own routines – and you’ll be rewarded by your budding relationship with your baby.