Mum-of-6 offers the best advice for first-time moms that she wishes someone had told her

`You would never know what something feels like unless you have experienced it firsthand. This profound reality is universal and applies to all first-time moms, too! Now, remember, raising a kid is never going to be easy, but with some great parenting advice, this journey can become a little less overwhelming and a lot more rewarding. On a related note, Sharon, a mother of six who goes by @sharon.a.life on TikTok, shared some brilliant postpartum advice that every new mom could use. 

Sharon began by advising all new moms who plan to breastfeed their babies​ to keep a formula handy at all times. "There is nothing worse than it being 3 AM, you're crying, your baby is crying, your husband is crying, and then he is driving around for three hours trying to find a place that's open and has formula," she said. Moving on, Sharon asked all mothers to use everything made of paper, possibly to save them from the tedious process of cleaning utensils every time. "Lower your expectations," she further said, explaining how keeping low expectations from everyone around can help you reduce emotional letdowns, especially when things don't go as planned. "You are focused on survival right now; everything else can wait," Sharon added. She also recommends keeping your expectations low for yourself, your baby and your partner, as being a new parent is hard enough as it is. 

Most women experience postpartum depression when their body prepares to return to the pre-pregnancy stage, and they go through several physical and psychological changes that take a toll on their health. To handle the postpartum phase well, Sharon asked mothers to note down all symptoms, distribute them to family members and friends, and ask them if they feel it's a problem. "You are going to make and keep a list of all of the names and numbers of people who can help you immediately when you need it," she added. Last but not least, Sharon said that it's okay to skip bathing every single day, and it's completely fine to use dry shampoo to clean themselves. 

When Sharon shared the video, the response, particularly from the mothers who had gone through a similar postpartum journey, was just wholesome. Several women went out of their way to praise Sharon for sharing such useful parenting tips. For instance, echoing the sentiments, @angiabernathie commented, "I wish this advice had been around when I was having kids. Back then, no one noticed, or if they did, they said, 'you just had the baby blues.' Everyone in my life let me down, and I ended up having a breakdown." Another user, @ondrea, said, "Best advice I ever got! When the baby cries in the night, the dad gets up and 'preps' the baby for nursing (changes diaper, makes sure onesie is clean, re-swaddles, etc.) so Mama can use the restroom!"

Similarly, someone else who goes by @shelley on TikTok wrote, "I wish I had made the list of the postpartum depression symptoms. It would have helped a lot." On the other hand, @bigmak_pattywak shared, "I wish I had this advice when I first had my son! Thank you for making this video and bringing awareness to any first-time parents!" @ocean_guidance_tarot revealed, "I’m suffering with pregnancy depression, so I’m terrified about postpartum depression, and the people who love me just keep telling me to be positive and basically just treat me like a burden. I wish I had someone who cared about mental health who would actually do the list thing and care enough."

You can follow Sharon. a. life (@sharon.a.life) for more parenting guidance.