Adjusting to Motherhood: How to Get Used to Life with a Baby

Adjusting to motherhood can be challenging, making many moms feel stuck and miserable. Learn how to get used to life with a baby with these effective tips.

When is this going to get easier? I said to myself at two in the morning holding a crying baby.

The early days of the newborn stage, however challenging, seemed more forgivable. I was fresh into motherhood and understood that babies need us the most during that time.

It’s when the weeks and months go by that seem worse. Where we’ve been through so much and expect some things to feel normal, or at least easier.

I even reminded myself that life with a baby may be the most challenging experience I’ll come across, and that it can take time to get used to.

But logic still didn’t erase that I was finding motherhood difficult. I still resented the lack of freedom to go anywhere, anytime. I felt stuck to endless naps, feedings, and being home early enough for bedtime.

Adjusting to motherhood

After three kids, I’ve learned that adjusting to being a new mom does take time, but that we can also change our mindset and actions to make life easier. Motherhood changes us, but it doesn’t have to be difficult all the time.

In fact, I reclaimed my sanity with these small but impacting changes and reminders. I learned a clearer, more forgiving view of motherhood while also seeking ways to have a more “normal” life.

Here’s how to cope with adjusting to motherhood and life with a baby:

1. Go for small wins

Adjusting to motherhood can be difficult when our pre-kids lives seemed only a few short months ago. We remember the times we were able to stay up late, sleep whenever we wanted, or eat however long it took. Reconciling that life with our new one can seem all but impossible.

Instead, go for the small wins. Find simple but attainable ways to incorporate your interests into your new life with a baby.

Don’t be afraid to take the baby with you to run an errand, no matter how short the time window may be—at least you did it. Pour yourself a cup of tea during the baby’s nap, savoring each sip, even if you know you’ll need to tend to him in a few minutes.

And you’ll notice that these small wins will grow longer or more frequent over time. Short errands will lend themselves to longer outings, and your quick tea time will become an afternoon ritual.

But it has to start with the small wins to remind yourself that your old life doesn’t completely end—it only changes by the season.

Read how to survive the newborn stage.

2. Make exceptions

Frequent feedings and strict bedtime rules can make you feel stifled with new responsibilities.

So, once in a while, make an exception and break from routine. Don’t feel like you’re confined to your routine when in reality, you are just as free to make exceptions to them.

Maybe you want to stay up past the baby’s bedtime for a family party, or you’d rather have someone else feed the baby to give yourself a break. Making exceptions allows you to take a breather and realize that life goes on even when you veer away from routine.

The trick is to remember two things: The first is to follow a routine in your everyday life so that deviating from it becomes easier. Seems ironic, but the more routine you have, the more likely you and your baby can see changes as exciting, rather than anxiety-ridden.

And second, expect that exceptions can be challenging. Know the downsides to deviating from routine, and accept them. Staying up past the baby’s bedtime will give you social support from family, but understand that your baby might be cranky come nighttime.

3. Challenge yourself

How is it that some moms seem to be able to get so much done with the baby all on their own while others don’t? They went out and did it.

You see, we feel competent when we get out of our comfort zones. If taking the baby out seems all but impossible, it’ll continue to feel that way if you never take him out to begin with.

After I had the twins, I felt like we’d never be able to do the fun things we did with our eldest. But one day, we decided to go to the museum, despite the short time frame between the twins’ frequent naps. They cried and fussed, but they were also calm and curious.

More important, I came home feeling proud of ourselves that we did something hard. And it was only through making the commitment to just do it.

The trick is to start small, but start. Challenge yourself one notch above your current comfort zone so that you finish thinking, Wow—that was hard. But I DID it.

That feeling of accomplishment will not only help you feel more confident, but will help you with adjusting to life after having a baby.

4. Accept, don’t resist, the season you’re in

It seemed like I was trying to rush every minute of life with a baby. I had been finding motherhood difficult, and figured that the best way out of this struggle was to speed things up as much as I could.

I kept looking forward, wishing that the baby would sleep through the night already, or telling myself it’d get easier once he reached a certain milestone. But with each milestone met, I was still stuck wishing for the next best thing, thinking that would be my ticket out of my difficulty.

A few years later, I had twins, and I realized two things: First, that they would be my last kids, and second, that the madness of the newborn stage actually does end.

Those two factors allowed me to accept the season I was in. I didn’t resist or wish it away. I accepted and—once in a while—even cherished the madness I was in.

And that simple change in mindset was all I needed to relax. I knew life does go back to normal after having gone through it once before, and I cherished the moments because they would be my last.

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5. You’re in the 24th mile

Adjusting to parenthood is like running a marathon. You spend months preparing for the event. The initial race has you pumped and challenges you beyond the familiar. And you’re hanging on, despite how much you want it to end.

All is fine until you hit the last few miles, and this is when you begin to feel discouraged. You’ve already gone through so many miles, and while you know the end is near, it’s so hard to imagine ever crossing the finish line with how tired you are.

This is why I feel like we almost collapse not near the beginning of the newborn stage, but towards the end. Around the three- to four-month mark, we’ve gone through months of sleep deprivation.

It’s hard to stay positive when we feel broken, even if we’re so close to reaching new milestones that can make life easier.

Hang in there, mama. That 24th mile is hard. Your patience is waning, and nothing seems to improve. But it will, even if you don’t see it right now.

Read 6 reasons motherhood is hard.

Conclusion

There’s no other change like having a baby, don’t you think? You see parents with older kids and wonder if they ever had it hard too. When did they stop feeling stifled, and start feeling like life was normal again?

It’s often a matter of time, but logic can be hard to imagine when you’re in the thick of the madness.

Instead, shift your mindset and go for the small wins that provided small glimpses of normalcy. Challenge yourself a notch above your comfort zone, and make exceptions so you don’t feel beholden to routine.

Accepting the season you’re in, rather than resisting it, allows you to relax and actually enjoy parenthood. And remind yourself that the last leg of the race is often the most difficult—but to persevere nonetheless.

Rest assured, you will adjust to motherhood and life with a baby. No, it won’t be exactly like how it was in your pre-kids life. Even now, I still wake up at 5:30 in the morning even without an alarm clock.

But life feels normal again—a new kind of normal—and one I wouldn’t trade anything for.

Get more tips:

• 6 Reasons Motherhood Is Hard
• Top 7 Tips to Keep Your Sanity as a Mom
• What I Wish People Told Me About Being a New Mom
• How to Be a Happy Mom
• Practical Advice for First Time Moms

Tell me in the comments: What is your biggest struggle with adjusting to motherhood?