Motherhood Means adapting to New Routines

I’m a “morning person”

I’m a Morning person. The Morning is by far my favorite time of the day for feeling inspired, energized, and getting things done. Motherhood means adapting to new routines. It also means that I have a new “normal.” One of the first requirements of having a baby meant a brand new morning routine. I’m learning that how I start my day affects everything.

Times were different back in my College days. Being a college student meant my job choices were limited to my class schedule. Working as a waitress was my best option. Working around my schedule meant I worked extended shifts, nights and weekends on a regular.

Times have changed and staying up late, really any time past 11:00 P.M is just not good for me. I don’t function well after 9:30-ish at night.

Now, I would much rather wake up early and get the day started, (as opposed to) waking up after 7:30 A.M at the latest.

My brain works better in the morning, and I’m not as grouchy. Even if I don’t get an uninterrupted night of sleep, I still prefer mornings.

Motherhood requires adapting to New Routines

After having my little and waking every two hours to nurse, I realized I could still function somehow. It shocked my Husband and he couldn’t understand how I could do that for months on end. I know God helped me in that time of adjusting.

I had to completely rethink, and revise my morning routine. But, I couldn’t do this until my little finally weaned from nursing and was on a sleep schedule,

I didn’t feel like myself anymore. My mornings were no longer enjoyable, and I felt rushed, out-of-sorts, and on edge immediately upon being woken up.

Allowing my alarm clock to be my crying child was not exactly the best wake up call. I had to employ a new tactic. This is when I began waking before my child. It was super hard to do since my little went through a 5:30 am wake-up phase for months. Waking before 5:30 just didn’t feel do-able. Never-the-less attempting to wake up at 5:00 was my next course of action. Honestly, I couldn’t always do it.

No two days were the same

No two days were the same and some mornings were just waking 15 minutes before my chilld. I had to get over the feeling of wanting to control that part of my day so strictly. Being okay and giving myself grace to just wake even just 10 minutes before my little was my new plan.

Please give yourself grace with what your life looks like now as compared to what you used to.

I know I had to allow detours, accommodations and realism in my morning routine. You may have to do the same even if it’s just for a Season. That is perfectly okay this is not a sprint, it is a journey. Your path and schedule is different from anyone else’s.

Allow adjustments in each season of life for you and for your little.

A New Season

The season that my little woke up at 5:30 is mostly behind us and that has made way for new routines thankfully. When I look back I’m so grateful for the time of stretching that took place in that time.

That time allowed me to learn so much about giving myself grace and leaning on God for refreshment and rest. Feeling out of control of my schedule was difficult for me and I know it is for a lot of Moms out there as well.

one season leads to the next

A season only lasts a certain amount of time. Now our mornings look different. If I wake up at 6:00 am it gives me anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour before my toddler wakes up. In that time I get to read, pray, and just talk to God, and have a much-Needed quiet time for me before the start of the day.

Everyday is not like this though, and I have to roll with some of the punches. Setting my mind and expectations is just as important as setting my alarm.

I heard many people say that my sleep would never be the same again after having a child. However, I don’t recall anyone saying how you would be woken up and how to [actually] go about setting your expectations and keeping them realistic, with a side of grace for yourself.

Some helpful tips

I want to encourage someone out there. I want you to know that it is Okay to allow your “normal” to change into something you hadn’t expected. Motherhood means adapting to new routines and it can be jarring to adjust at first, Here are a few things to keep in mind.

• You don’t have to do everything the way you used to do it to have a “productive” day.
• Give yourself grace by taking it one day at a time 
• No two days are identical and that is okay
• Get creative and use the small pockets of time to your advantage.
• 10 minutes of quiet time before your baby wakes up can do wonders for your mood
• Do what works for you and your family and give yourself time to find that new groove
• If something doesn’t work, try something else don’t beat yourself up about it
• You accomplished something today even if you don’t feel like you did
• Expect interruptions
• Be a student of your child
• Pray for wisdom and guidance daily

This is not an exhaustive list by any means. There is so much more I can say on this topic [in particular], as it was one of the hardest adjustments for me personally. No two motherhood journeys are the same. I think we can all learn something from one another. Even if its some small “hack” or resource it’s great to not feel alone in some of the difficult seasons of motherhood.

I’m still learning so much in this parenting journey. I have found that it’s so awesome to share and to hear of other Mom’s journeys out there as well. It’s a challenging adjustment and I am not an expert. I wrote about the struggle of not putting myself on the back burner (read here), because so many of us Women do that. Whether you are a Mother or Wife it can be a struggle for us to manage it all.

Finally, I wanted to say that I believe your child was uniquely chosen for you, and you were uniquely chosen to be that child’s Mother.

Lean on Christ for what you will need to lead, guide, teach, nurture, protect, encourage, and parent that child.

Want to get to know a bit more about me you can check out my about page here.