I was one day late and was already feeling bloated. I knew in my heart I was pregnant again, but I was still in denial. So I ran to the bathroom to take the spare at-home pregnancy test I had of course from last year. I turned on the warm shower water while I waited for the results. The shower vapors quickly fogged the mirror. Finally, the results were in! For a second, I thought I would only see 1 line, but to my surprise, a second bright pink line appeared! And what did I do? I started laughing by myself while looking at the mirror and thinking, “God, You are so funny!” The words from a Pastor that preached at a church conference in January started replaying in my mind: “God will surprise you this year and make you laugh like Sarah!” I hopped in the shower and began to thank God for blessing me with a 3rd baby in a time span of under 3 years!!! I know this thought would make any mama lose it and be stressed or overwhelmed. But frankly, from the bottom of my heart, I felt joy and peace. At the moment I didn’t understand why God chose to bless us with another bundle of joy, but I had total assurance that if God decided to bless us, it’s ONLY because He know’s we will be perfect for this HUGE task. I know several mamas that are in similar situations and are exhausted! Here are 5 ways that will surely help you look at the bigger and brighter picture and feel less overwhelmed:
1. Be Grateful. Don’t complain! Being a mom is such a gift! Thousands of women go through such hardship just to get pregnant. If you are pregnant, be grateful. It truly is a miracle. If you don’t believe me, Google it. The act of conceiving is not an easy one, so why not be grateful? (Side note: I’m grateful for my Black Floral Print Cold Shoulder Blouse by PinkBlush! They offer the most stylish maternity clothes and maternity dresses)
2. Lean on God. Find strength in God. Let go of worry and fear of the future and concentrate in your today. Many times, we create scenarios in our head that are never going to happen. He will strengthen you and help you! (Isaiah 41.10). That does not mean you won’t feel tired or overwhelmed at times, but when you do, remember that you have someone to lean on.
3. Seek Wisdom. As mothers, we ought to seek wisdom daily to guide and raise our children, especially in a world like ours. I always pray for wisdom so that I can teach them the right things and speak to them correctly without hurting them. There may not be a perfect mom in the world, but I strive to be the best I can be for them. There are also self-help books that are great for disciplining and understanding children of all ages. Although there isn’t a perfect parenting manual out there, there are wonderful resources you can use, for example, I read a book that helped me with sleep training my babies and it worked like a charm!
4. Never Declare Negative Words. Many pregnant women and moms do not realize the power that their words have. It’s so common to speak negatively toward pregnancy and motherhood. Think about it for a moment: Most likely, everything you’ve ever heard about it, scares you. Here’s a few common mentalities and sayings I’ve heard “them” say:
- You will be throwing up a lot! I threw up twice the 1st time around and zero times the 2nd and 3rd time around.
- You won’t be able to sleep in your last trimester. I slept like a baby all the way until my water broke in the middle of the night without me even noticing to the point that I kept sleeping! LOL
- Once the baby is born, say goodbye to a goodnight’s sleep for a year! Haha! Not I! We slept-trained both babies. When they were 5 weeks, they slept 5 hours straight without waking up to feed; at 8 weeks = 8 hours; and at 12 weeks = 12 hours!
- Breastfeeding hurts badly and it’s so hard. I understand breastfeeding is not the easiest, especially for many women, however it was and continues to be one of my favorite parts of motherhood!
- Wait until he starts walking, then he’ll be out of your control. He walked and life was the same as when he didn’t walk. I still don’t understand why they say this.
- When he turns 2, get ready for the TERRIBLE TWOS! Seriously? Well, he’s 2 and it keeps getting better and better.
Don’t allow what society says to be a part of your mentality because this will eventually become part of your vocabulary.
I was determined to never speak any of these negative things. On the contrary, when I heard them, I would immediately declare the opposite toward my pregnancy and motherhood. And what do you know, everything has turned out according to what I’ve declared.
5. You are Chosen for it because You CAN DO IT! God doesn’t make mistakes. He knows what we are able to bear. Yes, it may not be easy, but it is doable. You will be able to manage it. Motherhood is a learning process. You learn as you go! Embrace it and know that you are doing an amazing job, even if no one tells you! Tell yourself daily how incredible you are. Whether you have one child, or are preparing to become a mother of 2 or 3+, you can do it and you will do it well!
Disclosure: I have been gifted clothes by PinkBlush as part of being a brand ambassador. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.
\
