A New Mum Survival Kit

(This post was improved and updated on 16.03.2025)

This is not your typical new mum survival kit; let me clarify! I’m not sharing ‘must have bubble baths’ or anything like that.

Instead, I’ll share real-life advice on how to help your mind and body in the early days, weeks, and months as a new mom.

After all, moms haven’t changed since the first humans walked the earth (from a biological sense). We all think we’re doing things wrong or failing daily. It comes with the territory of being a parent.

We doubt ourselves and think we’re the worst person if we shout or scream, tripping up over that loose piece of Lego that cuts deep into your heel.

Or simply when it all gets too much. Added to the mix are the pressures of motherhood clashing with women’s emotional needs.

This can trigger mental health issues and mood disorders, which add to the stress that a new mother is facing.

And now for the good news.

The important thing to realize is that *most* of how you feel is learned behavior based on untrue stories you’re telling yourself or experiences from the past that get dragged into the present.

How you feel comes through repeating daily thought habits.

You’re probably thinking, “No shit Sherlock” but really think about it. Negative thinking is a habit. Overthinking is a habit. Procrastinating is a habit.

Anxiety is a… you guessed it. It becomes a habit. Whatever you practice grows stronger, which is why habits are hard to break. They take a long time to form and an even longer to get rid of!

New Mum Survival Kit

So where’s the New Mum Survival Kit, you ask? Just to say, I have a whole library of information on Encouragement For Moms if you’re interested in diving in deeper.

I want to share, too, that as new moms, we’re vulnerable to low self-esteem because of the so-called ‘expert opinions’ of others and the influence of friends and family. 

It’s why we compare ourselves and think we’re always doing things wrong.

New Parent Care Package

The problem isn’t us though.

It’s the constant stream of conflicting advice from Google, Facebook, IG, our parents, friends, etc. So naturally, we question ourselves and don’t know what to do or think.

I hear so often from mums how they’re lost, confused, unsure, worried, anxious, and stressed out. You name it, moms are feeling it.

And these feelings of low mood and burnout become our day-to-day life.

Why does this happen? Why can’t we change what’s not working for us? Why do we battle on and go into survival mode?

Trust Yourself

The answer is, you can change it. Here’s how:

First off, open your new mum survival kit bag and dig deep to find trust for yourself. Work on trusting yourself daily. By this, I mean doing the things needed to build up trust for yourself. 

Building trust happens gradually. It takes time. Yet you can learn it.

Nor is there a right or wrong way to build trust for yourself, but a good way to start is to take responsibility for your actions.

Start creating some new behaviours to challenge your old way of being.

Set up long-term visions for yourself, even if that is, “I want to make more decisions” or “I want to do things my way more often.”

New healthy habits

Utilize the power of new behaviors to create a healthier habit for yourself.

Perhaps that new habit could be drinking more water in the mornings or breaking an old habit such as biting your nails.

Build up trust in yourself by doing your own research around something you’re struggling with, for example, baby sleep troubles or weaning advice.

Ask advice from others for sure, but choose your own answer at the end of it. 

Choosing is the tricky bit, but once you do it once or twice, you’ll feel amazing. Liberated! It opens up a world of potential for you.

(The irony is we’re all winging it as much as you are)

What’s certain is your baby only knows you. She loves you so much, more than you can imagine.

You are her world. She trusts you, believes in you, and just wants to be close to you. All.The.Time.

Self Compassion

Next in the new mum survival kit is giving yourself HUGE credit. Mothering hasn’t changed since the dawn of the first human.

What’s changing constantly is society. 

And currently, we’re mothering in a shit storm of comparison, distraction, busyness and overwhelm, not to mention WAY too high expectations of what a mother *should* be (which is everything according to the eyes outside our walls). 

But I don’t buy into that.

Let’s also be brave and realize that if we continue to contribute to this (by numbing ourselves, scrolling, feeling lost, avoiding responsibility, getting overwhelmed, doubting ourselves, and questioning our self-worth, then we’re as bad as the feelings we’re trying to change. 

Learn to switch off the noise and tune into you!

(And reduce your screen time while you’re at it; it’s really not healthy.)

Believe in Yourself

Yes, you can learn to believe that you’ve got this. You know what you’re doing. Your baby loves you more than anything. And you deserve to be happy as a mother.

Not constantly flagging, downtrodden and beaten by a fake world of comparison, judgement and criticism. 

You’re a walking miracle mama, so bask in your beauty and enjoy your gorgeous baby.

Now grab a morning coffee, sit down, and give her and YOU a big hug and kiss. You both deserve it. 

And when you get a quiet moment later on, once she’s tucked up in bed, grab a pad of paper and a pen and try some journaling to help relieve the excess burden off your mind. This