first-time mom Archives | Sleeping Should Be Easy

What Maternity Leave REALLY Looks Like

Mar 31, 2021

Maternity leave is often a challenging stage in parenthood. Here's an honest view of what maternity leave looks like during that time. I was more than ready to leave work that Friday afternoon. Pregnancy had taken its toll, and I was looking forward to staying home for a three-month stretch. I understood the demands of a newborn baby, but I figured I'd have time to tackle a few tasks and hobbies. To a first-time mom like I had been, maternity leave looked enticing. I wasn't alone, either. Many people—from first-time moms to childless kids—assume maternity leave is a vacation. A … [Read more...]

Surviving the First Trimester when You Have No Idea Where to Start

Pregnancy

Feb 25, 2021

Need help surviving the first trimester? Learn how to cope with difficult morning sickness and fatigue early in your pregnancy. For both my pregnancies, the first trimester felt miserable. I couldn't eat many of the foods I loved, including breakfast staples like oatmeal and yogurt. Feeling tired all the time was the norm, as if I had been exercising all day. I barely gained enough weight to meet first trimester goals. Getting through a workday was a struggle, and while I didn't throw up, I felt like I always had to. With the fear and anxiety of things going wrong and the newness … [Read more...]

Everything I Wish Someone Had Told Me when I Was Pregnant

Pregnancy

Feb 21, 2021

New moms: here's the ultimate mom to be guide — everything I wish someone told me when I was pregnant, from pregnancy secrets to welcoming your baby home. By: Queenie Best Many women enter pregnancy having no idea what to expect. Their only experience with labor are the comical or scary portrayals they might see in the movies. Some might feel overwhelmed, leery, or worried they might miss something. Others might dread delivery day so much, afraid of the pain and how to cope with caring for a newborn. We end up learning along the way, with little guidance to help us make … [Read more...]

How to Be Out with Twins Alone (And Actually Survive!)

Twins

Feb 07, 2021

Going out with twins alone feels scary for many moms and dads. Discover simple hacks and ways to be out and about and still survive. I wish I could take them to the beach, I thought. My twins were five-months-old, and when their older brother was that age, I could easily tuck him into a baby wrap and carry a blanket and diaper bag. But with twins, this felt all but impossible. I considered using a wagon before realizing they'd be too small to sit up on their own. There was no way I could push their double stroller through the sand, and I definitely couldn't carry both of them in my … [Read more...]

14 Funny Things People without Kids Say

Parenthood

Jan 27, 2021

If you don't have kids or are expecting your first, you may have said these comments. Check out these 14 funny things people without kids say! I was that person who never understood life with kids. Not that I never wanted them—I've always been open to having a family myself. But when I look back on how I viewed children before becoming a mother, I realized how clueless I was about so many things. For one thing, I figured babies could sleep all day long. After all, most of the times I've seen babies, they were asleep in someone's arms. And not until did I become a mom did I truly … [Read more...]

How to Avoid Baby Clutter

Family Life

Jan 16, 2021

Whether you're expecting your first baby or not, your home doesn't have to be a mess. Learn practical ways to avoid baby clutter! My husband and I lived in a one-bedroom apartment when we were expecting our first child. We couldn't afford to let the baby items clutter our tiny space. Even now, three kids later, I learned that our home—and our lives—would never be the same. It's not unusual to see a toy banana, wooden trains, a Lego digger, a monster truck, dominoes, papers with drawings, and a ball—and that's just on the coffee table. And a baby seems to need so many items, and … [Read more...]

What I Wish People Told Me About Being a New Mom

Motherhood

Jan 07, 2021

Newborn moms can feel alone or wonder if they're the only ones going through this. Here's what I wish people told me about being a new mom. I thought I was prepared. Realistic, even. I read every baby book I could get my hands on, but overnight, new parenthood hit me hard. I must be the only one, I thought. My family and extended relatives with kids all seemed so... normal. I couldn't imagine how they could lead regular lives when mine felt turned upside down. "How did you get through it?!" I asked them during a family gathering. I wanted to gauge how difficult they must've had it … [Read more...]

How to Respond when People Criticize Your Parenting

Parenthood

Dec 29, 2020

Frustrated with the criticisms of the way you raise your kids? Here's how to respond when someone criticizes your parenting methods. One glaring fact had set me apart from my extended family: I didn't let my little toddler eat sweets. He had no first-year birthday smash cakes or Christmas cookies, and it was years before he had his first taste of candy. I became more lenient with the twins, but compared to most parents, still not too much. Coming from a family where dinner can include five desserts, this was sacrilege. And sometimes, I felt it. "Don't you feel bad for him, though?" … [Read more...]

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