If you’re someone who doesn’t want to get suckered into buying all the baby things and is already a bit skeptical about the magical sleepy-time powers of this swing or that bassinet, stay tuned because I’m going to let you in on the only three places you really need to prepare to put your baby.

It’s totally okay to feel disappointed that things didn’t go your way during your pregnancy, birth, or the earliest few days or weeks together. Here’s how to work through that disappointment and find some peace.

Instead, in sharing our stories, we can start to see and appreciate that these difficulties trip all kinds of moms up, whether you’re a new mom or experienced mom, whether you have plenty of help or are kind of on your own. Stories can help us cope with the stress and manage our expectations, and in sharing mine, I hope you won’t feel so alone in your experience.

What I’m after is self-care that lasts. I need something to calm my frazzled nerves, refresh my weary spirit, and heal my achy body (at least for a little while!) As a new mom, I want time spent on me to be transformative and make a lasting difference in my experience of motherhood.

Just because breastfeeding is supposed to be natural or instinctual does not mean it is easy or pain-free, but it can be! And you can learn the useful techniques that will get you to pain-free, worry-free, EASY breastfeeding! The important question is not, “will I figure this out?” but instead, “who should I talk to for help?”

Most babies seem to latch on to the breast instinctively, but not always correctly! A proper latch is often a learned skill! It’s really important to get help in the first few days to learn what a good latch should look like and feel like.

Your hormones are entirely responsible for milk production in the beginning, but after the first week, milk supply is entirely a matter of supply and demand.

I knew I needed to take care of myself but my go-to self-care treats did not give me as much pay off as being able to maintain a few small daily habits.