How to Prepare Emotionally for Motherhood


Being a mother is one of the most joyous things in the world and can be both challenging and rewarding on many levels all at the same time. Being a mother is easy, but being a good mother is hard. Giving birth to a baby does not automatically mean you’re a mother; it takes more than giving birth to be called a good mother. For first time mothers-to-be the pressure can be extreme. Between the hormones of pregnancy and the physical and emotional turmoil of labor and delivery, the stress factor of having a baby is monumental.

  • Define your motherhood values. Most women won’t have a problem being mothers. Women are in general wired to be nurturing and compassionate, traits present in virtually every mother. Because of this most women don’t find it hard to adjust from being a childless woman to being a mother since they have practiced that kind of attitude since early on in life.

  • Assess your partner. Having to go through pregnancy and the woes of being a mother can be very draining, which is why it’s important you have a firm support system. Your partner must be able to provide you with support and encouragement to help you through this stage. This will also help him develop his fatherhood skills. Assurance from a partner that you don’t have to go through this alone enables pregnant women to feel secure and stable.
  • Expect mood swings. Pregnant women are emotional due to hormonal changes in their bodies. Accept that you will feel depressed, angry or sad sometimes. You might also feel bad about your appearance since pregnancy will cause you to gain some weight as well as experience other physical changes. You might feel unattractive sometimes, but don’t let this feeling wear you out.
  • Maintain a healthy emotional state. Remember that this is just a phase—a wonderful phase through which only women are capable of going. The feeling of unattractiveness will soon fade. Reassure yourself that you are beautiful. Keep yourself in high spirits. Happy pregnant women are most likely to develop healthy babies.
  • Eat right. Maintain a healthy habit of eating and drinking only what is right for you. The baby inside you consumes everything you do, so be attentive to your diet.
  • Adjust your life style. You might have been a social butterfly before, but now that you are expecting a baby your priorities will change. You are liable not only for yourself but for another human being as well.

Filed Under: Family & Relationships

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About the Author: Roberta Southworth is a psychiatrist by profession. She likes to help out people by writing informative tips on how people can to solve their family and relationship issues. She is currently staying in Ireland. She has 5 years of couple counseling experience.

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