AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON: 50 THINGS TO DO IN BABY’S FIRST YEAR
Baby’s first year is probably one of the most exciting, challenging, anxiety-riddled, wonderful years of a parent’s life. Every day is fresh and new, and each moment is an opportunity to teach and make memories with your new human.
I truly believe that there is no greater gift or joy in life than parenthood.
But, facts: as a mom, baby’s first year is as overwhelmingly positive as it is emotionally, physically, and mentally draining. Your baby’s smiling face can crack your heart in two just as easily as her bucking out of a diaper change can make you wonder if faking your own death is even possible with today’s mobile technology.
Because there’s just so, SO much! A new body to learn and appreciate, new hormones to adapt to, new relationships to navigate, new roles and responsibilities to assume, and that’s just in the first few weeks.
And, try though you might, there is truly no preparing for this experience. There are no books to read, no classes to take, no baby whisperers to consult that will really prepare you to tackle all of the things that will be thrown at you during baby’s first year. Whether you’re a young mom living that unplanned first-time mom life, or someone who has worked and paid and fought to bring your new little bundle into the world, new mom life is the great equalizer. Because we all will have to face these moments of uncertainty and heartache that cause us to question everything about who we are as people, along with several questions about why mom life is the way that it is.
But, believe me when I say YOU’VE GOT THIS!
Yes, there will be moments of severe anxiety, times when you feel like you can’t do another thing because everything you do is entirely wrong. You will feel like a failure, you will want to give up, you will spend more time than any of us are truly willing to admit like this…
And yet, you’ll still be winning. Because that’s just what parenting is.
It’s about the ups and the downs and the wins and the not-quite-wins-but-As-for-effort. It’s about doing your best every day even when your best is all day on the couch in a breastmilk-stained holey sweatshirt you’ve been rocking for three days and knots the size of Texas in your hair. Because your baby isn’t going to care about any of that. Your baby cares about cuddles and milk and mom and love and milk and short naps and clean diapers and milk and love and more milk. He doesn’t need fancy onesies or adorable moccasins. He doesn’t need you to look like you just came out of a drybar and a makeup lab. He doesn’t need an expertly packed diaper bag and a posh stroller or perfectly Instagrammed shots.
He needs you.
Healthy. Happy. In love. YOU.
About 50 Things to Do in Baby’s First Year
I wrote 50 Things to Do in Baby’s First Year: The First-Time Mom’s Guide for Your Baby, Yourself, and Your Sanity because I wanted to let moms know new mom life is not just about what baby needs. New mom life is also about giving you what you need: confidence, support, and grace to help you be the mom you want to be for your baby and yourself.
It’s basically your free pass to lower your expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about being your best self, but your best self may not be the perfectly filtered and put together version of the moms you’re following on Instagram. It may be the you who is balancing a taco on your baby’s forehead so you can multitask feeding baby while also feeding yourself. It may be the you who is laying on the floor of your baby’s nursery trying to slither slide out of the room so your kid doesn’t wake up and see you and spend the next hour scream crying in your face while you scream cry back at him because you’re both too tired to do anything else. It may be the you that seriously needs to put on real pants and get your hair done so you can go to brunch with your girl bae’s and talk about anything but your baby over a pitcher of mimosas.
50 Things to Do In Baby’s First Year is meant to help first time moms experience motherhood completely and guilt free. It’s not just about baby, its not just about your new body, it’s not just about your emotional health and well-being. It’s about all of those things and learning to navigate them together, while also maintaining friendships, keeping your job, loving your partner, and being a good employee/sister/daughter/auntie/and whatever else you’ve got going on in your life. Becoming a mom doesn’t need to mean annihilating all of the other relationships you have and roles you play in your life. You may need to reimagine them, make a few tweaks and adjustments, and this book is here to help you do all of that and more when the overwhelm of new humanhood is overtaking your brain.
Why this book is different
It’s more than just a baby care book, it’s a mom care book too.
There are many books about what to expect when you become a parent or how to take care of a baby. This book is different as it also contains ideas for the parents well-being. Some of the ideas include getting a chiropractor adjustment or going on a date with your spouse. It may be difficult to leave your baby at first but it also important to stay connected to your spouse and get away alone once in a while.
This book is a quick and easy read and would make a great gift for new parents. -Nancy, Amazon Reviewer
There are tips from all kinds of experts.
If you’re a new mom or know any new moms this book is a must have! What I love about this parenting book that is different from others, is that along with tips on caring for your baby from experienced professionals, there are tips for caring for yourself too. Self-care is such an important thing to remember, so often overlooked during baby’s first year, and so hard to balance. This baby book is honest, easy to follow, and funny! -Vanessa, Amazon Reviewer
It’s like talking to a girlfriend.
Amanda Rodriguez pulls from her experience as a mom of three to give you tips – as if she were talking to her closest girlfriends. She will guide you through not only caring for your baby, but reacquainting yourself with your post-pregnancy body and taking time for your mental health. 50 Things to do in Baby’s First Year is organized by the months of your baby’s life. It makes the book a fast and easy read – specifically for that busy, over-tired first time mama. -Danielle, Happiness in Progress
It’s so easy to read.
If you’re trying to figure out what to get for a first time mom or you’re one yourself, this book is it. I like the fact that the tips are categorized into age groups (0-3 months, 6-9 months) etc. This makes it easy to read and get right to what you need. You can read the book in spurts or in one easy seating during naptime. Great gift for a new mom who already has everything. -Lisa, Amazon Reviewer
It shares advice you’ve probably not heard a hundred times already.
This book is the perfect gift for a new mom. It’s not a long or hard read. Who needs that when you have a newborn? It covers the most important topics and provides solid, practical advice for all the basics of life with a newborn. And I really appreciate that the book is balanced in its advice. It does not push one philosopher over another. It simply gives an anxious mom (or parent) permission to do what is best for the baby, themselves, and their family with gentle reminders to mom to look after herself and enjoy the good moments (which sometimes we forget to do in the chaos of baby care). My favorite pieces of advice (or “things to do” as this is the theme of the book) were to reconnect with your partner and consider getting an adjustment from a chiropractor. Too many times I would see couple relationships become strained with the introduction of a baby. Our culture does not remind parents to do things for themselves as individuals and couples. More often than not we get pressure to give into parenthood so fully that our relationships become less than healthy. And as for the suggestion to consider an adjustment. I really wish this was something that gets a mention in all books and is talked about at regular doc appointments. The baby weight dropped off quickly for me so I thought I was in great shape but over time my hips did not “pop” back into place and I slowly began to suffer discomfort and tiredness that I attributed to taking care of a child. I saw a doctor to inquire and she suggested an adjustment by chiropractor. Was instant relief. Several weeks later I was feeling like myself again. -Kelli, Amazon Reviewer
You can snag your copy here today: 50 Things to Do in Baby’s First Year