What to prepare when becoming a mother for the first time? This is a question that is of great concern to women who are about to become mothers for the first time in their lives. When starting the journey of motherhood, this is also the most difficult time in a woman’s life. So what to prepare, Autoru will help you get the information and knowledge in the journey of becoming a mother.

Emotional changes when becoming a mother

The first change that new mothers feel clearly is the change in emotions in the body. Unusual emotions will come suddenly and sometimes it can be unpleasant or angry emotions. For women who are new to motherhood, these emotions can sometimes become uncontrollable and become unusually angry. Mothers need to learn how to control their emotions to avoid affecting the unborn fetus.

How the body changes when becoming a mother for the first time

The second thing that the mother can feel clearly is the body. During pregnancy, the mother’s body will undergo hormonal changes to support the development of the fetus, leading to changes in appearance such as weight gain, a growing belly and full breasts in preparation for breastfeeding. After giving birth, you will continue to go through the recovery process, including changes in weight, body shape and hormonal adjustment. Problems such as postpartum hair loss, skin changes and fatigue may also appear. Most importantly, take good care of yourself, from nutrition, rest to keeping a comfortable mind, so that your body and mind can quickly adapt.

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Need to prepare mentally and psychologically when becoming a mother

Preparing mentally and psychologically for motherhood is an important step for you to face the changes and challenges in the journey of motherhood calmly and confidently. Being a first-time mother not only requires knowledge and skills to care for your baby, but also requires psychological stability so that you can handle unexpected situations. Do not hesitate to share your feelings and ask for help from relatives when needed. Understanding that motherhood is extremely difficult and not easy, so preparing mentally before becoming a mother is necessary. It is impossible to be perfect if this is your first time being a mother, so mistakes will not be avoided. The most important thing is that you need to listen to those who have gone before and always learn about taking care of your child.

Things to know when becoming a mother

For women who are new to motherhood, it is necessary to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge. Because, throughout the journey of raising and caring for a child is never easy. Always have to learn about how to feed the baby, how to bathe the baby and there are many questions surrounding baby care. Understanding that, the information from Autoru below will help women who are preparing to become mothers have a solid knowledge in caring for their baby.

1. Learn how to take care of your baby

Learning how to take care of your baby is a very important thing that every mother always needs to learn more knowledge. Ensure that your baby develops completely and best from the inside and outside. Taking care of your baby is not just simply feeding and bathing your baby, but also connecting with your baby to help your baby feel the love between mother and child as well as the warmth of the family. Because, according to research, babies who are cared for and receive a lot of love from their family tend to develop better than babies who do not receive much family love.

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2. Learn how to bathe your baby

Bathing your baby is very important because at this age, your baby is often very weak and susceptible to illness. Therefore, bathing your baby also requires important skills that mothers need to master, especially for first-time mothers. Bathing your baby not only helps your baby stay clean but also creates a bond between mother and baby.

• First, mothers need to prepare all necessary products such as a bathtub, towels, soap or shampoo specifically for babies and clean clothes to change after bathing. The baby’s bath water should be carefully checked for temperature, it should be moderately warm, about 37-38 degrees Celsius, to avoid burning or chilling the baby.
• During bath time, always hold your baby with one hand for safety. Start by gently washing your baby’s face first, then wet the rest of the body. Pay special attention to the skin folds of the neck, armpits, groin and elbows, as these are areas where dirt and sweat can easily accumulate. Use soap or shampoo gently, avoiding getting soap in your baby’s eyes.
• After bathing, quickly wrap your baby in a soft towel and dry his body, especially the skin folds. Then apply moisturizer or baby oil if necessary to keep his skin soft.

3. Learn how to feed your baby

Feeding a baby always requires understanding and patience from the mother. Because, this must be done carefully to avoid choking on food, which is dangerous for the baby. When the baby is an infant, breast milk is the main and best source of nutrition for the baby. At this time, the mother needs to learn how to breastfeed to avoid choking on milk.

• First, the mother needs to hold the baby properly, facing the breast so that the baby’s nose is facing the nipple, and the mother should support the baby’s buttocks and talk to the baby.
• Lift the breast when breastfeeding: The mother needs to place her thumb on the breast and the remaining fingers below the breast, using her index finger to lift the breast for the baby to breastfeed.
• To latch your baby correctly: Gently place your breast on your baby’s upper lip and wait until your baby’s mouth opens wide, then place your baby’s mouth on your breast so that his lower lip is below the nipple.
• Advice for mothers: Always keep a happy and comfortable mood, always be calm and patient when breastfeeding, mothers need to rest and eat well to have good quality milk for their babies. Do not use tobacco, alcohol and coffee, limit eating foods with a lot of spices such as onions, garlic, chili, …

When your baby is about 6 months old, you can start introducing foods of medium hardness into your baby’s diet. When feeding your baby foods of medium hardness, you should feed them slowly and carefully so that your baby can get used to them and digest them well.

• Start with soft, easy-to-digest foods such as cereal, mashed vegetables, or pureed fruit. Introduce each new food one at a time for a few days to see if your baby has an allergic reaction.
• When feeding your baby, sit him in a comfortable position and keep him upright to reduce the risk of choking. Use a small, soft spoon to feed him and be patient, do not force him to eat if he refuses. You can also try different types of food to get your baby used to different tastes and textures.
• Encourage your baby to feed themselves once they can grasp food and always express praise when they try new foods. This not only helps develop eating skills but also establishes healthy eating habits early.

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4. Learn how to put your baby to sleep

Putting babies to sleep is always a difficult problem for first-time mothers. Not only for first-time mothers, but also for experienced mothers, putting babies to sleep is very difficult. There are many factors that affect the baby’s difficulty sleeping such as uncomfortable sleeping place, hunger or thirst, excessive playfulness, etc. Therefore, mothers always equip themselves with the necessary knowledge to help their babies develop well.

• First of all, mothers should create a comfortable sleeping environment for their children, a safe sleeping space, adequate blankets and pillows, and a moderate temperature suitable for the child, not too cold or too hot, making the child uncomfortable or sometimes the child may get sick.
• Mothers need to have a suitable and fixed sleep schedule for their babies to help them have stable sleeping habits to avoid insomnia or being startled while sleeping due to sleep disorders.
• Your baby’s sleeping space and environment must be kept clean, because at this age, your baby’s skin is often prone to allergies or sensitivities. Sometimes, a dusty sleeping space can also lead to some lung diseases in your baby.
• Mothers can do relaxing activities for their babies such as massaging, bathing them in warm water, reading stories and singing lullabies to help them fall asleep easily. 
• Make sure your baby is fed and breastfed before going to bed to avoid waking up due to hunger or thirst and help your baby sleep more deeply.
• Limit your child’s use of electronic devices before bedtime or let them play too much, which can overstimulate their nerves and make it difficult for them to fall asleep.

5. Learn how to care for your baby’s skin 

Baby’s skin is often very sensitive and vulnerable, so this is something mothers should pay close attention to. For baby’s skin, mothers should use shampoos or shower gels specifically for babies because baby’s skin is very sensitive.

• Mothers should choose products of natural origin to avoid causing allergies to their baby’s skin.
• Always keep your baby’s skin clean and dry: Bathe your baby daily with warm water and dry gently. Avoid leaving your baby’s skin wet for too long, which can lead to dermatitis, especially in the folds of your baby’s body such as the neck, armpits and groin.
• Moisturize regularly: Use moisturizer after bathing to keep your baby’s skin soft. Especially on dry days, moisturizing your baby is essential.
• When taking your baby outside, you need to use clothes, hats and sunscreen specifically for babies to avoid exposing them directly or for too long to the sun. When entering the cold season, your baby’s skin is very susceptible to dryness and cracking, so you need to keep your baby warm or warm.
• But you cannot be subjective, mothers must always monitor and pay attention to their baby’s skin. If there are unusual signs such as redness, itching or rash, they need to take the baby to the doctor for timely treatment.

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6. Learn to cook for your baby

When your baby starts to learn to eat, you need to cook delicious and nutritious food for him. But first, you need to choose fresh ingredients and use very little seasoning so that your baby does not come into contact with harmful substances.

• Choose fresh and safe ingredients: Mothers should choose fresh vegetables, meat, fish, and grains that do not contain preservatives and prioritize organic foods for their babies.
• Ensure balanced nutrition: Each meal must have all the nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. A diverse combination of foods will ensure that your baby receives all the nutrients needed for development.
• Proper preparation: Steam, boil or prepare simply without too much oil, avoid using too many spices, especially salt, MSG and sugar.
• Change the menu regularly: Mothers should change many dishes on the menu so that the baby does not get bored and the baby gets used to many types of food that can help the baby eat more deliciously. 
• Mothers should also pay attention to their baby’s preferences, tastes and allergies: Monitor your baby’s reactions to each type of food to detect early whether your baby is allergic or not.
• Mothers should introduce their babies to new foods slowly: When starting to feed their babies solid foods, mothers should introduce them to each new food slowly so that they can get used to it and easily recognize when they are allergic.

7. Learn how to organize work and take care of your baby

For first-time mothers, it can be difficult to juggle childcare with personal work. During this time, mothers are easily stressed because of the amount of work and they can easily feel irritable and frustrated. To balance this, mothers need to come up with a time management plan so that work can be completed easily.

• First, you need to prepare a notebook or you can use time management apps on your phone such as: Evernote, Trello, Todoist,…
• Next, you need to list the tasks that you will do during the day, then you need to arrange your work reasonably, arrange the fixed tasks to be done at fixed times to be done. After you have arranged the necessary tasks to be done every day, now you need to arrange the remaining tasks in order of importance from high to low.
• Once everything is in order, the last thing left is to follow your plan. And an important part of your management plan is to spend some time playing with your child to create a bond between you and your child.

Planning your time like this will help you handle all the household chores and even your personal work. At the same time, it will help your baby have time to eat, sleep and play at a reasonable time.

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8. Learn from the experiences of those who have gone before you.

There is no experience more valuable than that of those who have gone before, especially from your own parents. Learning from those who have gone before is an effective way to avoid mistakes in taking care of your baby. Those who have gone before, whether they are family, friends, or colleagues, are also valuable experiences in taking care of your child. At the same time, you should also consider whether applying them is appropriate to your circumstances and life.

9. Learn to listen to your baby

The last thing that first-time mothers need to do is learn to listen and understand their babies. Children often express their thoughts and feelings through words, actions and gestures. To be able to listen and understand their babies, mothers need to spend time bonding with their babies and always ask open-ended questions to encourage them to talk more and especially mothers should not impose their thoughts on their babies because this will lead to them sharing their feelings less.

Share your difficulties with your loved ones

For first-time mothers, sometimes taking care of a child along with household chores can put a lot of pressure on the mother and sometimes make her feel lonely. Taking care of a baby can bring many difficulties such as lack of sleep, psychological pressure and worries about the child’s development.

During this time, mothers need to share and sympathize to be able to release their emotions. If mothers do not share their difficulties or keep them to themselves, this will cause them to experience more and more pressure. Therefore, when mothers encounter difficulties, they should share with those around them to be able to release the pressure and reduce the difficulty in caring for the baby.

Through the above information, Autoru hopes that first-time mothers can gain some knowledge to take care of their children smoothly and also have happy moments with their children and see their children grow up every day with full development, any mother must be very happy. To be able to help mothers gently in taking care of their children, Autoru products can do that. Let’s take a look at Autoru products below!