3 Things No One Told You New Mothers Need to Prepare

If you’re reading this, it means you’re probably expecting your first bundle of joy! You’ve probably researched every aspect of motherhood and bought every baby gizmo on the market – so you’re ready, right? Maybe not.

In reality, there are still some essential areas you have to prepare for that most other guides and websites often neglect to mention. But worry not, because here are the 3 things every new mummy (like you!) needs to prepare for their new baby.

1) Get Travel Equipment

Many websites recommend getting a Travel System. This is essentially a car seat-stroller transformer that can pop in and out of each form for easy transportation from a car ride to a walk outdoors. While these are great for convenience, they also tend to be heavy and rather bulky.

This Travel System might work if you plan to only use the car when transporting your new baby, but if you don’t have a car or live in a transport hub, the likelihood is that you’ll probably be bringing your stroller onto buses and trains for quite a bit.

The solution?

Lightweight strollers that fold easily into a manageable size. While open strollers are now allowed onto buses and have been since early 2017, trains and buses can get cramped very quickly during peak hours and travelling on weekends can be tough without a foldable stroller.

More importantly, with Singapore’s scorching weather, the best way to protect your baby might not be a fully shaded black stroller as it could absorb heat like a sponge. Instead, use perforated sun shields that allow for constant airflow and make sure to keep a warm blanket in hand for when you enter air-conditioned malls.

2) Find Some Entertainment

Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that motherhood can be an absolute joy. It’s definitely rewarding to see your own child grow and become their own person – but what they often neglect to tell you is that you’ll be spending a lot of time just waiting.

Whether it’s waiting for your kid to finish nursing during lunch time, or even trying to put your baby back to sleep at 4 am, there will be a lot of waiting until your kid is much, much older. It’s inevitable, and it may start to get on your nerves.

The best way to combat the boredom is hands-free entertainment. Things like hard copy books or browsing through social media is out of the question, because caring for a kid is often a two-handed operation. Instead, entertainment like Netflix or audiobooks are much better substitutes. If you’re keen to try, meditation videos or audio guides may also help to make things much more manageable.

You could also get Bluetooth headphones, just to make the experience a lot more seamless - when your bundle of joy is making a fuss early in the morning, just pop your earbuds in and listen to your favorite tunes before attending to your kid.

3) Map out a Healthcare Plan

A solid healthcare plan can literally be a life-saver. This constitutes anything from paying attention to vaccination schedules or even putting aside some money during the course of the pregnancy. In Singapore, this has become a little bit more affordable with free vaccinations and new MediSave Grants for Newborn babies.

However, a good healthcare plan doesn’t just involve the health and well-being of your child – it applies to you, the mother, too! For some, this includes confinement practices, or a diet plan.

However, taking care of your body is only one aspect of healthcare – your mental well-being matters just as much. Giving birth is tough and the pressure every new mother face is immense, so it’s no surprise that your mood and mental wellness may be unstable post-birth.

The best thing you can do is to practice self-care. Take care of your basic needs - even taking a simple haircut or painting your nails while your child is sleeping can do wonders, especially when coupled with a solid support system that make you feel comfortable asking for help.

Finding a support group of new mothers, and even trusted nannies may help develop this support system. It may even benefit you to go to therapy or classes to help get acclimated with pre-and post-birth life, even if they require you to plan your expenses in advance.

Regardless, the biggest thing you need to take note of when preparing for a newborn is that you, as a new mother, can’t take care of your child if you aren’t feeling yourself, if you aren’t healthy physically and mentally. You matter just as much as your child so it’s always important to know that you should rely on others when you need to.

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