Discoveries As A New Mama
As new parents, we discovered new things as we adapted to the new dynamics and adjusted to our new (additional) role. The discovery and learning process continues as our child grows up and develops.
When Olivia was 3 months old, I wrote some notes to record my thoughts about being a new mama. I've read it numerous times since then, and decided to publish this today. One significant and obvious change is #18! 🥴 Happy reading and please tell me what you think by leaving a comment here!
I've been a mama to my baby girl Olivia for over 3 months now. During this time, Olivia is not the only one who's been learning and discovering new things/skills everyday. It feels good to know that we grow together as a family. Being a new parent has been a challenging yet rewarding journey. Our baby has helped me stretched my comfort zone, look at the world from a new perspective, and pieced myself together.
Here are some of the things (in mama language it means a few dozen 😂) that I've noticed thus far...I'm sure I could go on and on, but that's it for now lol
#1 - Day 4 when we went home from the hospital. Wearing the only set of newborn clothes that I bought for her. Totally a wrong choice - the pants doesn't have any buttons so it's a struggle to take off and put on for every diaper change, which was 2-3 hours interval. The white long sleeve top was also a nightmare...Took ages to pass through the head and have those 2 tiny arms passed through the sleeves...
Cute and adorable clothes may not be the best choice for newborn. Usually they're quite difficult to put on and it's inconvenient for diaper change. As a new parent, practicality comes first...Romper that doesn't require passing through the head is the best.
I could look at the baby whole day and all day. She looks different all the time! She has so many different facial expressions (even when she's sleeping!). Also likes to move her hands around and forms different poses near her head. So cute!
There's milk coming out from my nipples and I could feed my baby!! It's one of the most amazing things I've experienced in my life! The body does wonders!
Taking photos of the baby is part of my daily life now. In fact, taking photos can't capture all she is (like...you can't imagine how loud she is when she cries just by looking at some pictures). So I take lots of videos too! I must have taken over 6,000 photos and videos in the past 3 months.
Anyone bringing up baby-related topics would be like turning on the water tap (more like breaking a water pipe or a dam lol)...Words and emotions flooding out uncontrollably...
When I think of what to eat, I would consider whether something is healthy for the baby, good for milk production, and if it could be eaten with one hand - more often than not, the baby also wants to eat when I eat...it's only fair, right?
Sometimes finding the right moment to go to toilet proves to be a challenge when you look after the baby alone
I feel close to other new moms or expecting moms. While I usually feel highly uncomfortable with talking to strangers, it's like running into long-lost friends when I meet other moms who have babies/toddlers or are pregnant.
Being a new mama means needing products that I didn't use or didnt even know existed before...Like sterilizer, bottle warmer, swaddles, breastmilk storage bags, nursing pads, pacifier chain, nursing bras, baby car seat, nursing pillow, nails trimmer, the little pump for congested nose...
Shopping at stores that sell nursing & baby products is like going to supermarket now
It's best to get used to sleeping with a bra on sooner than later...It's wireless, but still...
Surprisingly, a lot of chores can be done under dim light or no light situation
Whispering and moving around in the apartment quietly when the baby is sleeping is a new norm
If the baby is in deep sleep, or decides that she wants to sleep, the noise you make can't actually wake her up. She didn't wake up when we passed by a construction site where piling was going on...
Feeding is the best and perhaps the ultimate solution! It seems to be able to give the baby so much comfort.
It's not even odd that my husband and I are texting each other when we're in different rooms
It's odd that nowadays when my husband talks (at home) it doesnt necessarily mean he's talking to me - in fact, most of the time he is not
I didn't feel that the baby's poo was disgusting even when I changed her diaper for the first time. I practically smell and look at it in detail to make sure it's ok. I can't tell how much she has eaten so the "output" is the only clue I have. I also took several pictures of her diaper when my husband thought she had diarrhea.
My fear of saliva magically doesn't apply to my baby! (Yes, it applies to my husband, and yes, I know I am weird.)
Baby and the breastpump can make my nipples become so "long" after feeding/pumping! They're so elastic! If I'd seen how they would become immediately after the feeding/pumping before I had a baby, I would have thought it's very scary and painful.
All I want to do is to spend time with my baby and my husband...But the reality is that I spend more time looking at the monitor than being with them during weekdays.
I knew about pregnancy brain and I definitely had that problem...What I didn't know is that a mama's brain is even worse than that! I've become so, so forgetful...Not sure if it's because of the lack of sleep, juggling between work and family, the epidural during emergency cesarean section, or just because there are a lot of things going on in my mind at the same time...
Communication with my husband has become more straightforward because we don't have time to waste
My husband and I are always talking about our baby girl.
I didn't know I'm capable of loving someone without any reservations. No doubt. No need to second guess. No need to think/overthink.
I thought my husband was the only missing piece of the puzzle. I didn't know there's another missing piece. This puzzle - my heart and my life - is now complete.
When my baby girl smiles at me, it cures everything. Everything.
I didn't know burping, farting and pooping could be so entertaining
Having to send her to infant care while I go to work cuts right through my heart...and that stabbing pain makes me wonder what my values and priorities are...
Breastfeeding (latch on) is much much better than expressing milk...The latter can at times be quite depressing and involves much more work and time.
Support from the husband can make a huge difference
Never underestimate the power of being a new mom. It makes you reevaluate yourself - in a good way. For things that you didn't think you would be able to do, you can suddenly do it calmly and naturally like you've done it thousands times before.
Newborn babies don't need much. Only need milk, clean diapers, loving parents and somewhere flat to sleep. Everything else is not so important and can wait.
Surely and expectedly, baby changes the parents' lives. Apart from our lives, Olivia also changes the grandparents'. With the promotion from parents to grandparents, they are no longer the same. Different standards. Different attitudes. Different ways of showing love & care.
#2
#2
#4 lol
When she was 8 weeks old. So cute, right? :)
2 months old in Koh Samui. Trying to figure out what’s happening
Unlimited supply of saliva
Both were very satisfied after the feeding
one of our Sunday strolls at East Coast Park in Singapore
When she’s 3 months old finally she enjoyed being in the bouncer
Smiling and making faces are part of her life
Certainly our discovery will go on as Olivia turns from a toddler to a young child, from a school aged child to a teenager…I believe it will get more and more challenging. These days I’ve been trying to define my role, and I will share in another post. In the meantime, please let me know what you think about this article!
