Being a Single Mother To a Newborn – What to Expect
Being a single mother to a newborn has many obstacles in itself, so why? Some have made a personal choice to raise a child alone. Many may be separated, divorced or are not married to their partner. Some single mothers have become pregnant unintentionally but decide to raise their child alone. Regardless of the circumstance, raising a child by yourself does not need to be a herculean task. With the right resources, you can provide a nurturing and caring environment to help your child flourish.
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Preparing to give birth as a single mother
Giving birth as a single mother has its own unique set of challenges. First and foremost, you still need to have regular OB-GYN examinations during the course of your pregnancy. Because being pregnant is a naturally, physically taxing process, it’s worth asking friends and family to help you go to and from your appointments and examinations. It also doesn’t hurt to have someone else sit in with you as a sounding board when you need to make decisions regarding ultrasounds, amniocentesis and how you wish to deliver your baby.
Beyond the preparations for actually giving birth, you also need to prepare your home for the arrival of your baby. Doing so requires accumulating appropriate clothing and feeding materials depending on whether you choose to nurse, use formula or use a breast pump. Babies also require a crib for when they sleep, and it’s nice to start accumulating child appropriate entertainment, as babies grow quickly and before you know it you’ll have a toddler on your hands!
The most important part of the preparation process is having a safe and effective strategy for when you are going to deliver your baby. You first need to decide whether you wish to deliver with an OB-GYN or a nurse midwife trained in at-home delivery. Nurse midwives allow you to deliver at home provided that your home is capable of accommodating a delivery, which reduces hospital-based expenses and is generally a more comfortable experience. Also, nurse midwives allow for the option of water births which can be a more natural and comfortable experience for the mother. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that giving birth is exhausting, so support after the birth is essential if you choose to do so in your home.
Giving birth as a single mother
While the birth process may seem relatively straightforward, having certain resources at your disposal will help to make the process much smoother. If you choose to deliver in a hospital, make sure that you are familiar and comfortable with the medical team responsible for delivering your baby as well as anyone you ask to help you during the labor process. Because the timing of birth can be at best an estimation, it’s worth being well-connected and ready to act promptly in the event that the labor arrives earlier or later than expected.
Further, as with preparing to give birth, it’s worth having a confidante to help in the preparation process. This way, you can relay any concerns regarding the labor process, such as pain management and medication that you may or may not want involved.
If you don’t have anyone reliable to assist, or even if you do, it might be worth contacting a doula for further support during your delivery. A doula is an intermediary between the mother and the delivery team and will relay any concerns you may have during the birth while also translating any technical terminology that may arise during your care. Most importantly, having a doula present during the birth helps with stress management as well as relaying important information to your support network in the even they are not allowed in the delivery room.
Being a single mother to a newborn
Raising a newborn and toddler solo can be incredibly challenging, but implementing effective techniques can help to minimize stress so that you can enjoy your child’s development. The most important technique that you should use is to stick to a routine. Whether it’s regarding feeding, diaper changing or nap-time, having a routine allows you and your baby to work around each other’s schedules and avoid aggravation.
When you are setting up a routine, it’s worthwhile to be as flexible as possible with work arrangements. If your job has variation in scheduling, choose schedules that allow you to best accommodate your newborn’s feeding and sleeping cycles. If there isn’t as much flexibility in scheduling but you can at least bring your child to work, doing so allows you to provide as much care as possible. This arrangement, of course, should come after you’ve taken a sufficient maternity leave, as the first few months of your child’s life will require the most attention.
Simplify your schedule further by stocking up on supplies for you and your baby. Stocking up on diapers, formula or even onesies (as they can and will get stained) will help to minimize the time and hassle required to shop when you have a newborn. Having supplies for yourself also helps to simplify your life and, if you choose to keep your meals simple and straightforward, allows you maximum time to care for your child.
Also bear in mind that tapping into the support network you developed when you were preparing to give birth will be a great help along the way. Asking friends of family to help with feeding, changing or even to watch your child occasionally while you work or run errands will allow you to be able to accomplish what you need to without being too stressed and will allow you to relax more. There’s nothing worse than being burnt out or sick because of stress, especially when it’s fairly common for women to have post-partum symptoms after birth.
Raising a toddler alone
Raising a toddler, as you might know, can be quite a handful, but as with raising a newborn, there are various strategies that will help to make your life much easier. As with raising a newborn, having a consistent routine is ideal so that your child can feel comfortable, particularly since raising a child alone can be quite hectic. This may entail ensuring that you have adequate childcare while you work, whether that is at a daycare center or if you hire a nanny or nurse.
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It’s also important not to try to do everything by yourself and try to be two parents at once. Gradually introduce male involvement through male friends and family, whether they assist in child-rearing or just in playing with your child. Having exposure to both genders is important for developmental reasons and will be another stress reducing effort.
Most importantly, you shouldn’t expect to be perfect, compete with other parents or judge yourself too harshly. Staying positive and realistic is critical to staying in a healthy frame of mind, as raising a child is difficult regardless of the circumstances and even more so when done alone. Asking your support network for help, or even just to talk, is a great way to diffuse stress and share responsibility. Equally as effective is spending time with other new mothers, whether single mothers or mothers with partners, as this will help to not only provide an opportunity to share information but will also allow you to share any concerns and worries.
Single parent benefits
There are benefits, both financial and personal, to raising a child alone. Financially, there are a variety of programs to assist in the burden of raising a child alone. TANF, WIC and SNAP are all programs geared to helping to partially or completely subsidize expenses such as food, formula and clothing. Your child may also qualify for free school meals as well as subsidized day care. As a parent, you may also be eligible for reduced or free health coverage, tax credits as well as funding to help pay for college. All of this can be a tremendous help regarding the expenses of single motherhood.
Despite the challenges and common perception, many cite a variety of benefits to being a single mother. For those who end up as single mothers because of divorce or separation, your child does not have to endure arguing and confrontation that can lead to a stressful environment. Raising a child alone also makes decision making much more streamlined and creates the benefit that you can spend as much time with your child as possible.
Raising a child alone creates a means of connecting with other mothers, especially other single mothers, which can create a very strong support network. Single motherhood also exposes your child to financial savvy, in observing your efforts, while also giving your child an appreciation for the efforts and trials endured as single mother. Such exposure can have lasting, long-term benefits to help your child mature, be more empathic and more resilient in their own efforts.
How to be a successful single mother
Being a single mother does not have to be a crippling burden and can actually have many emotional benefits for you and your child; the key is how you manage the challenges. First and foremost, having an effective budget will greatly simplify addressing your personal and child-rearing expenses. While there are various financial programs available, having an effective budget will help you pay bills that may not be covered with any financial support. They can also help you to keep track of any paperwork necessary for applying to these respective programs.
Spending time with your child is one of the most important things you can do to succeed as a single mother. While it’s understandable that you may have to work and may even have to work irregular hours after your maternity leave, spending as much quality time with your child will help in the developmental process. Your child will not be as stressed when you are not there and will feel the rewards of being in a comforting and loving home.
It’s also important to have as much social exposure for your child as possible. Whether it’s spending time with friends or family or even going to a local park or day care to play with other children, having abundant and varied contact will greatly aid in your child’s social development. This is a crucial component to ensuring that your child will succeed in various milestones such as going to school and, eventually, being independent.
Taking care of your health and having electronics-free time together are absolutely necessary to ensuring success as a single mother. Simply put, if you’re sick, you can’t really do your job; in some instances, you might also compromise your child’s developing immune system. That’s why making sure you have a balanced diet, exercise and get enough sleep is critical to ensuring long-term success. Electronics-free time helps to create a minimal stress environment while also fostering the bond between you and your child that a tech-dependent social life can interrupt.
It’s important to have consistent and effective discipline strategies as your child grows while also making sure there are adequate role models around. Demonstrating positive behavior, monitoring your child’s behavior when you are present and having simple and effective consequences when your child misbehaves, such as removing positive privileges, helps your child to develop an understanding and respect for your authority. Having positive role models, ideally of both genders, will tap into the psychological capacity to mimic others behavior and create positive habits.
Not everyone who is a single mother desires to be alone permanently. Eventually, you may decide to start dating, but it’s important to start slowly and do so at the comfort of both you and your child. Likewise, expressing your preferences to any prospective partners will help to create a clear understanding of what your priorities are.
Being the best mother you can be
Being a successful single mother has as much to do with your attitude as your attributes. Cultivating a supportive network, managing your time and resources and taking care of yourself are the foundation of being a successful single mother. With these attributes in check, you can spend as much quality time with your child as possible, from birth and beyond. That way, you’ll always have a child who shares in your love.
