Being a new mom is never easy, everything is so stressful.
There are so many things that you are learning every single day and when you believe that you have gained some sort of sanity in your life, things change again.
New mom status is very similar to being a military spouse – lots of changes and always readjusting to a new environment. Not only do our environments and travel life as we know it change but our bodies change too.
In some ways, being a military spouse is like always being a new mom, the changes that you have to make and adjust to in your life are extremely similar.
How do us moms survive the situations that we are put in daily?
Moms are incredibly adaptable to their environment, but sometimes we might just need a few bits of advice from other moms to help us create the best life that we can for ourselves and our families.
Here are five tips for new moms from a military spouse.
1. Make Friends
If you are first in your circle of friends to have a baby, sometimes you feel alienated by your other friends because now your lifestyles are completely different.
Making new mom friends is not as hard as it seems. Going to the park, daycare friends, etc. These are great places to meet new mom friends.
2. Join Mom Groups
Many new moms don’t realize there are so many online groups for moms that are there to support other moms.
This is the best place to find answers, seek advice and meet new moms who are in similar situations to you.
There may not be mom groups in the area or new area that you live in, but know for certain there are tons of mom groups on Facebook.
These moms are in the same situation as you are and can understand the stress you are going through.
3. Ask for Help
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
When you are in a new situation in your life like having a child, you may not be able to ask your family for help because they are not living near you.
Or you feel like you shouldn’t ask them or even can’t. Know that it is okay to ask for help and no one is going to look down on you as a new mom.
Many times we feel that it makes us lesser of a mom to ask for help but it is quite the opposite.
Everyone needs help from time to time and instead of overwhelming yourself and then putting your stress onto the rest of your family, work to find the answers from others prior to becoming overwhelmed.
4. Don’t Forget to Exercise
Exercise is something that gets put on the backburner in every parenting situation. The first couple of months of being a new mom are some of the most depressing and saddening moments in our lives.
Many of us are having a hard time breastfeeding, not being able to fit into our old clothing but don’t want to wear maternity clothes anymore, not sure how to handle our new lives, etc.
So many things that weigh on our shoulders amongst the no sleep and learning a new lifestyle.
As soon as you are cleared to begin exercising, it should be something that is added to your daily routine.
It could be something as simple as walking or doing yoga. As new moms, we tend to not leave the house either! Make sure to have some time where you get to exercise and spend some time outdoors! It is crucial for the mind and soul in the first couple of months postpartum.
5. Self-Care is So Important
Along with exercise, self-care gets put on the backburner as well.
We tend to only take care of the new baby and don’t spend any time caring for ourselves. This is a serious problem with new moms and military spouses because we are so busy taking care of everyone else, we get worn down and stressed that we start to begin to not feel like ourselves.
Self-care can be anything from going to get a manicure and pedicure to getting your hair down or getting a glass of wine with friends.
It is important to know that many people who have never had a baby don’t understand the amounts of emotions and feelings you are going through so they don’t ask or might think you are too busy to leave your house.
Make some time to be available to see others outside of your home and without the baby. It is completely okay to do this. Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your family because you are the rock holding everyone together, if you are sick or feeling sad, it makes it difficult on everyone. You are just as important.
Being a mom and a military spouse is extremely stressful as you are always dealing with new situations, but it’s never been more worth it.
Motherhood is not easy, but you will be great, just make sure to take some mom breaks too, it is important for the whole family to have a happy and healthy mama.
Leave a Reply