Cara Dumaplin speaks directly to new mothers in their first month postpartum, acknowledging the doubt and overwhelm they feel. She offers reassurance about the challenges ahead and practical advice for self-care while adjusting to life with a newborn.
New Mama, I'm talking to you today. If you've had a baby in the last four weeks or so, this message is for you. I want you to know you're doing it right. Why do I tell you this? I checked in on a friend of mine who had a baby not too long ago. At that time, the baby was 12 days old. And she said to me, kara, I just hope I'm not messing her up. Mama, is that you? Are you questioning every decision? Are you wondering if you're doing it right? I just want to remind you you're doing it right. You can't fail at this. You're giving it your all. No one, truly no one could do it better than you. Can I let you in on a little secret. That baby doesn't know what he or she is doing either. You're figuring it out together. You're supposed to. It's a journey that you're on together. And so I just want you to quiet the noise and trust that still small voice inside, ok? It won't lead you wrong. All you have to do is take the next step, the step right in front of you.
Okay?
Can we talk a little bit about your to do list? Overachiever. Mama, I want to talk to you for a minute. Let's talk about your to do list. Number one, take care of the baby. Number two, take care of you. And number three, brush your teeth. If you have a dog, get somebody to feed it. But other than that, few things. Take care of the baby, take care of you, and brush your teeth. And if you miss the teeth brushing something, it's probably fine, okay? This first month is all about you adjusting to life with a new baby. Mama, I just want you to know that now is not the time to see how productive you can be, okay? It's the time to adjust. I want you to know I do have a newborn class for you. And it'll help you learn to calm a fussy baby and read your baby's cues and help you feel more confident. But this first month is all just practice. I just want you to watch it and practice. Practice tip one, See how it goes tomorrow. Practice tip three, see how it goes.
Okay?
It's not the time to see if you can be the most productive person on the planet right now. It's normal. And I want to tell you this. If you're not a crier and you find yourself crying a lot lately, it's normal, okay? It takes 40 weeks for those hormones to climb up to here and then they come crashing down in about six to eight weeks. So what you're feeling is normal.
Okay?
Be gentle with yourself. And to the mama who recently adopted or used a surrogate, I just want you to know you're doing amazing. I can imagine that maybe you're feeling like maybe it would be different if this baby grew inside you. And I just want you here that you're not behind. You're not lacking anything. Every new mama is still is dealing with these questions and these feelings. Okay? So no matter how your baby was brought to you, new mama, I need to remind you there is no better mama on the planet for that baby than you. No one could do it better. No one. You got this. I hope you enjoyed that little update on Megan and Evie. Mama, what I want you to see is that Megan is a nurse. She was a NICU nurse. She worked in a pediatric office for many years. Like, she. This is her third baby. She is an expert on the Taking Care of babies team. And she had moments where it was hard, and she questioned herself and she wondered, am I doing it right? And so I just. I share all that with you so that you see all, feel this, and you're doing it right.
Okay?
It's not that. If you just had more knowledge or if you were just a little smarter or had more experience, you'd do better. We all feel this, okay? You got this.
