Surviving being a young mum
Written by Omjumaa Deng
If you’re a young mom, you shouldn't feel ashamed. There are a lot of other women who are becoming mothers in their twenties, many women find a lot of benefits of starting their family earlier. Such as more flexibility in their careers and more reproductive options. If you are a young mum or considering becoming a young mother, here are some tips for you that I have done on ‘juggling motherhood in my early twenties’.
1) Give Yourself Time to Find Your Passion
If you are worried that having a baby early in life will mean that you will lose sight of your own passions and dreams, think again. Many women who have had babies in their twenties have found that having a child early on in life has actually helped inspire them to find their own passions, whether that be a hobby, pursuing a dream job, going back or finishing school. There's no motivation greater than knowing your little one is watching you reach for the stars. Knowing that you have time to figure out what your dreams are can also bring you comfort, even when you're not completely sure what your passions are just yet.
2) Practice resilience
Having to take on adult roles from a young age isn’t always easy, but resilience is the key to getting through the more challenging times. Build a support network of people that you trust, and ignore the funny looks or occasional rude comments people may throw your way at the station when you’re just trying to get your pram on the train.
3) Trust your judgement
As a teenage parent, you are constantly trying to prove yourself to other people. Working too hard and refusing to accept help in order to prove you’re not the stereotype is not only stressful, but it could even be counterproductive – if someone has decided you’re a stereotype you’re probably not going to change their mind, and you don’t need them in your life anyway. I was lucky in that I didn’t cop a lot of negative feedback in my community, but I know other young mums don’t always have it so easy. Hold your head high, but be kind to yourself too.
4) Socialise
At first, a lot of new moms don't want to go out much because they are happy at home with their babies and there are many visitors coming to see you, and your baby. Unfortunately, the visitors will slowly drop off and you might find yourself isolated and bored. Make an effort to socialise with friends, other new moms and family. Either by going out or inviting people to visit you at home. Isolation can bring on feelings of depression and this will not help you or your baby.
5) Look After Yourself
Look after yourself and make sure you still have fun! It's hard to find time for yourself with a new baby to look after, but try to set aside half an hour to do something you enjoy every day. Remember to treat yourself to new things, as well as look after yourself emotionally - if you're having a bad day talk to someone and have a cry if you need to. If you haven’t been able to get back into your old clothes, buy yourself something new. Look after yourself physically—get as much sleep as you can (ask for help if you need it!), get out for a quick swim or run and keep a healthy diet.
Embrace the Benefits of Young Motherhood!! It’s really beautiful in my opinion!
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Beautifully written 🤩💗