Comments on: Guest post: motherhood is a double life

By: From the Internets: Advice for New Moms | The Family Good

From the Internets: Advice for New Moms | The Family Good — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:06:37 +0000

[...] Lisa Catherine Harper on Rookie Moms: Guest post: motherhood is a double life [...]

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 03:47:18 +0000

Adjusting to life with a newborn is tough, and no one really prepares you for how isolating it can be. Agreed with everyone that meeting other new parents–anywhere you can–is essential. Something else that helped me: Letting myself off the hook about taking care of absolutely everything at home. (Forget organizing photo albums or starting my taxes–some days even making the bed was a stretch.) Setting a goal of one small task per day really helped. That way if I manage to write a thank you note, for example, and actually mail it, I felt great.

By: lisa catherine harper

lisa catherine harper — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:25:52 +0000

Mommy Therapy: your post speaks deeply to how I felt about those dramatic transformations. I went through exactly that story, and I think a lot of women do, even if we don’t always talk about it bluntly. Ruth, you are braver than I was! (am?!)–but you’re right. It’s sort of like entering a new work force w/all new colleagues, only your office keeps changing…

By: Ruth

Ruth — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:23:50 +0000

I wish I knew an easy way to find other moms, but so far Facebook has been the best way! As a stay at home mom, I don’t have “work friends” or “commuting friends”, I only have my girl friends or family. I find it’s also good to just put yourself out there; when you run across another mom at the grocery store or bank, introduce yourself and start a conversation. I’m a little shy, so it will take some practice. But when you live in the country, you have got to be creative!

By: The Mommy Therapy

The Mommy Therapy — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:18:01 +0000

Oh boy. The transition from non-Mom to Mom is one that I still makes my head spin….three kids and 5 years later. It is overwhelming (to say the least) and can feel like your own sense of self left your body when the baby did. I was scared and hated things for a while.

But things got better. So much better. It’s not all happy, cheery but any means, but I’ve rediscovered me and learned all about Mom me, and she’s not so bad.

This list is great. Make connections with other Moms, get out of the house and yes, sleep is so very vital to your ability to function as a person. I met my now best friend by the way by basically stalking her at the dog park when I saw she was also pushing baby and looked “normal.” So glad I was sleep deprived enough to think that stalking her was perfectly acceptable.

By: Deanna

Deanna — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:20:24 +0000

It’s even harder to be a rural mom in the middle of a winter that won’t end.

By: lisa catherine harper

lisa catherine harper — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:12:28 +0000

Absolutely, Ruth! Do you have tips about how to connect with other new moms when you live in less populated areas that don’t have easy access to groups/public spaces for moms w/new babies? Keeping in touch with others–as Rookie Moms notes in so many places–was so important to me.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:38:53 +0000

For those of us that live in the country with no beaches, sidewalks, museums, or coffee shops; we have to be a little more creative. Go walking around the track at the middle school, take your little one out to see the cows and farm animals, do yoga through netflix in your living room, and go through family pics and show your baby his extended family. As much as I would LOVE to follow these tips, remember, not all of us live in town!!

By: Christi

Christi — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:21:45 +0000

boy, did I need this today. looking forward to mommy & baby yoga on Saturday … we’ve had a 2-week hiatus due to spring break!