Becoming a mother is one of the greatest experiences. However, with it comes a flood of emotions, including mommy guilt. Moms just want what’s best for their babies, which means they can feel guilty when they worry they aren’t doing that. This can be caused by concerns over what baby is eating or how well a mom is caring for baby.
Regardless of why you’re feeling mommy guilt, you can easily deal with it by following a few easy steps.
Evaluate Your Feelings
Take a moment and think through your feelings. Are they rational? If you aren’t a good judge of that right now, ask your spouse, a family member or friend. If your feelings are justified, you can take action to make a life change so that you can shake the guilt and enjoy time with your little one.
Your emotions can be effected by changing hormones during the postpartum time. It took nine months and hormone alterations to grow your baby, so give your body time to readjust to not being pregnant anymore. Hormones can take their toll on your emotions though from making you weepier to making you more irritable.
The cause of your mommy guilt could be fleeting during this time of changing emotions. Give it time and you might feel better.
Another reason for mommy guilt can be sleep deprivation. We don’t think logically when we’re low on sleep and that makes us overanalyze things, leading to guilt. It’s okay to not have an answer for everything.
Make A Change
One of the main causes of mommy guilt is comparison. Don’t compare how you’re raising your child to the way others are raising their children. Just because your baby rolled over a few weeks or even a month after your friend’s baby doesn’t make you a bad mom. Babies grow and develop at their own rate.
Spending too much time comparing your baby to other babies could mean you need to take a step back. Maybe spending time each day in mom groups isn’t right for you. Or perhaps you should stop obsessively reading newsletters and blogs about your baby’s development. Choose one or two trusted sources to read and leave it at that.
The change you make in your life to shake mommy guilt is dependent on your personal situation. Just know that you don’t have to live with mommy guilt. If you’re worried about the food you provide your baby, you can switch to an organic formula to provide yourself peace of mind. Tastyganics offers organic baby formula that you can be proud to offer your little one.
Give It Time
Learning how to be a mom is hard and it takes time. If you feel like you aren’t doing a perfect job of being a mom, just give it time. Your interactions with your little one will improve. They won’t always be so needy and dependent on you and the older your baby gets, the less they’ll cry.
With every passing day, you become a more experienced mom. Give yourself some credit for the amazing work you do each day and try not to worry as much. It’s definitely easier said than done, but you can shake off the mommy guilt and enjoy this time with your baby. Know that you’re doing a good job and your baby won’t notice the little things you spend your days worrying about.
If your mommy guilt isn’t passing no matter what you try, it’s time to seek help. You could be struggling with postpartum depression or anxiety. The American Pregnancy Association provides insights into knowing if you have postpartum depression. However, try not to self-diagnose as depression can present itself in many different ways. It’s best to see your medical professional.
And don't forget, you did an amazing job. Even if it doesn't feel that way right now, it's true!
So make yourself a hot cup of tea... or hot cocoa with JUMBO marshmallows, you know, what ever floats your boat and take some "me" time. Completely relax and take care of you for those few minutes with your hot cup of goodness.
