As a mother of two (sweet) little girls, I’ve learned a lot over the past few years about the process of becoming a mother. Motherhood is a wonderful, life-changing experience, but like everything big in life it can present it’s own set of challenges. So, I want to share five lesser-known tips you may not have heard about to prepare for motherhood during pregnancy. I wish I had considered these tips while I was pregnant with my first, so I implemented many of them in my second pregnancy. Let’s dive in!

Tip Number 1: Don’t just focus on the external environment, focus on your internal environment too.

In this modern age of motherhood, there is such an emphasis on the external when it comes to preparing for your baby. We’re all focused on the best wallpaper, the perfect nursery, the most aesthetically pleasing baby products. While all these things are important, and they were certainly important to me, what’s more valuable is organizing and healing your inner environment. So, take this time while you’re pregnant to focus on that inner environment. The most important thing you can give your baby is not something tangible – it’s a present, joyful, and healed mother. So while you’re perfecting that baby registry and picking out wallpaper and paint colors, make sure you’re checking in on yourself too throughout pregnancy.

Tip Number 2: Prepare for the 4th trimester during pregnancy. 

There’s a lot of emphasis on preparing for the actual birth experience and not as much about preparing for the postpartum phase- or the 4th trimester. With my first baby, I focused so much on the actual birth experience: packing the hospital bag, picking out baby’s first outfit, etc. The moment I walked in the door with my new baby I realized wow, I’m on my own now! I had not prepared as much as I thought I had when it came to understanding how best to take care of both my baby and myself while healing from birth.

I encourage you to give some thought to the fourth trimester. Talk to friends you’ve already had babies to learn what supported them the most during that time. It might look like asking a friend to set up a meal train for you, hiring a postpartum doula, or asking friends and family to coordinate times they can visit in those first few weeks to help you with groceries or housework. I also recommend adding funds to your registry to help you secure a cleaning service, so you don’t have to deep clean your home while you’re tired and still recovering. Think about the ways that you can be supported during that time, so that you can do what you need to do- which is rest, recover and hold that sweet baby in your arms. 

Tip Number 3: Talk to your partner about your shared values around raising a baby.

Tip number three is for those of you who are raising your baby with a partner. Get on the same page about your values. Talk in advance of your baby arriving about what sort of parenting style you think is going to be best for you both. There is so much information out there about parenting styles that it can be overwhelming, and you may not know right away because of course your baby isn’t here yet! But you’ll probably have an idea just from observing others or maybe how you were raised yourself.

How do you want to raise this child together? Is there going to be gentle parenting? Is there going to be sleep training involved? Are you planning to breastfeed or bottle feed? Or a combination of both? How can your partner support you in that? Talk to your partner about how you want to see these first few months and even years of your baby’s life go. And consider what roles you each will play. For example, a breastfeeding mom could benefit from having a partner who changes all the baby’s diapers during that breastfeeding phase. We all have experiences from our own childhood – some of which we might want to bring into our parenting or some of which we may want to keep out of our parenting. So get on the same page and start that discussion during pregnancy!

Tip Number 4: Protect your energy with a “Bubble of Peace.”

People love to offer advice don’t they? And I don’t think I’ve ever received more “advice” than when I became pregnant with my first. Sometimes it’s very welcome and other times the advice may not be beneficial to you. 

When you encounter negative talk around pregnancy, birth, recovery, or child raising – specifically while pregnant – don’t be afraid to politely shut it down. It’s so important to be surrounded by positive energy and thoughts while pregnant. Your thoughts and emotions affect both you and your baby while in the womb. If you are unable to shut down negativity around you, I encourage you to practice surrounding yourself in a “bubble of peace.”

I learned this tip while taking a hypno-birthing class. You can also use it when in a doctor’s office, at a hospital – really anytime you feel anxious or uncomfortable during your pregnancy. Visualize yourself surrounded by a beautiful, translucent, rainbow filled, bubble surrounding your aura. You can make this bubble as big or as small as you want. It will protect you energetically.

Tip Number 5: Schedule intentional “me-time.” 

“Me-time” Is going to look and feel a lot different after becoming a mother. It definitely did for me, and it was a big adjustment as someone who was very deep into the wellness practices of caring for myself through daily, meditation, yoga, journaling, and holding moon circles each month. What often happens after baby comes is that people will offer to watch your baby so you can go to the grocery store, take a nap, take a shower, or clean the house. And all of a sudden, that becomes your precious me-time because you’re not with your baby and that seems like a “break.” But that’s not right.

There needs to be separate, intentional me time for moms (and dads!) outside of the normal things that every person has to do. Basic life tasks shouldn’t be considered a break for moms, so as a mom preparing to enter motherhood, make a plan for yourself to start scheduling intentional time to rest. Taking an intentional break could look:

• Booking a regular mani/pedi
• Scheduling a monthly massage
• Asking a partner or family member to watch your baby so you can savor a cup of coffee or get ready slowly one morning a week

It’s best to consider this before your baby arrives during pregnancy. After the baby arrives it’s going to be so easy to push that self care way (way, way, way) down. I’ve been there – and still struggle with this scheduling in that intentional time to relax and find that little piece of “you” will make you a better and happier person overall to the benefit of YOU, your partner, your baby, and everyone around you.  This is really important for maternal health and wellness, so be sure to consider what you’ll need post-baby.

Additional Resources for Pregnancy

Check out my post on tips for pregnancy by trimester!

Download my free 15 minute course on how to create a peaceful, birthing environment anywhere. In this mini-course, I cover what you can control to make any setting (including a hospital birth and c-section room) more peaceful for both you AND baby.

Sign up here!

That wraps up my five lesser-known tips to prepare for motherhood while pregnant. I want to hear from you – did you find these helpful? What else do you think would be beneficial for expecting moms to hear before baby arrives?

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