I am a mommy to two lovely daughters and I had totally different experiences post their conception and after both my deliveries. After experiencing difficulties during my first time, I was proactive and totally prepared for the second time. Only preparation and past experiences prepare you to face the new challenges head-on.

During my first pregnancy, I was not at all prepared, naive and an anxious mum. My first daughter was born right after 9 months of my marriage. I was overloaded with responsibilities of a fairly new marriage and becoming a new mommy and in a nuclear setup, when you are away from your native place, it becomes all the more difficult to handle the baby alone. But I learned some amazing mom hacks along the way and was super prepared during the second time.

Here I am listing some pointers to help a new and expectant mum to wear the new mommy hat like a pro:

1. Mommies, please don’t forget that if you won’t take care of your well-being then who would?! Take out a few minutes to pamper yourself in whatever way you like.
2. Create your own support system- hire a cook, a good housemaid, be in touch with your mommy friends, invite your mom and MIL to live with you for some days (not to help you with household and baby chores but to make you feel emotionally strong).
3. Ask your husband to join in: From day one, I asked my hubby to help me in diaper changing and some other stuff related to our baby, which he could take on after office.
4. The trick is to go online: if you don’t have someone to help you in shopping your stuff, then order online but don’t do it without comparing the prices on different sites.
5. Read experiential blogs on Momspresso: Motherhood is overwhelming and no matter how strong an immediate support system you create for yourself, there comes a time when you feel stuck and want to cry your lungs out, feeling alone. This is where a big mommy platform like Momspresso comes to your rescue. Read other moms’ real stories and the way you connect with them will make you feel lighter and more confident as a mom.
6. Stock in the baby stuff like diapers, baby wipes, clothes, nappies, baby essentials. My go-to brand is Pigeon because they have an all-inclusive range of mom and baby care range. The ingredients are mild and tender which make it pure as a mother’s love. New mums need to definitely check it out.
7. I chose to stay at home and left my job so I was always there for my girls to breastfeed them. It was a demand and supply kind of system during the first six months. But if you are a new mom and want to join your office back then, I suggest you invest in a good breast pump too. Pigeon has a range of breastfeeding pumps which are easy to use and store breastmilk in.
8. I have seen moms who don’t want to leave working and want to resume work soon. It should be completely your call. It is perfectly okay if you want to balance both fronts. You just need a good and trustworthy support system. Nowadays, daycares are well-equipped even to take good care of babies as young as 5 months.
9. Trust your mom instinct. Never doubt your parenting style. You are doing best for your baby.
10. Love conditionally and enjoy this phase!

Note: I wrote this article here first.