I met Nikki almost a year ago now when I was launching a team of mompreneurs, and we instantly connected. What can I say, we care about children and their moms!
She is a lovely lady who decided to become a coach after going through post natal depression with the only intention to help other moms like her. She is very invested in her business and she has been super kind to share with me (and you!!) a lot of valuable info.
Let's speak about a few things that can help us moms step into parenthood with a little more confidence.
Thanks Nikki!
"We are having a baby!!"
One of the most beautiful, emotional, life changing sentences you will ever speak.
You are lucky to be living in a time where you have access to resources, support, information,
help, accessories, gadgets and oh so many cute things on the market to make the transition into becoming a parent much easier!
Right??
Or ............
Does that bring overwhelm, confusion, comparison and fear as to how to “do it right?’
Do you feel that everyone is trying to sell you something?
Does everyone seem to have conflicting recommendations and advice?
Allow me to share with you the one thing that I wish I knew back when my son was born in 2017 as I believe this would have had a massive impact on the Post Natal Depression that plagued me for the first 18 months of my son’s life.
Raise awareness of your OWN human needs and how you can meet them whilst parenting.
We each have six human needs:
CERTAINTY can be met by creating healthy routines for you and your baby.
VARIETY can be met by trying new foods, new places and meeting new people, try some of the social groups in your area.
SIGNIFICANCE can be met by achieving goals you set out for yourself, learning a new skill or perhaps volunteering for something.
CONNECTION AND LOVE can be met by ensuring the relationships that you have are healthy and meaningful, prayer and meditation are other ways to meet this human need.
GROWTH can be met by doing some personal development work, learning something new or mastering a skill. Listening to podcasts are a great way to keep your mind engaged as you go about your day with your little one.
CONTRIBUTION can be met by giving back, perhaps starting a group to assist in something
that is important to you.
Your personal DRIVING need varies from person to person.
For example, someone who is very routine orientated, systematic and organised, would find that their driving human need is Certainty.
Raising awareness and understanding this can help to ensure you are looking after yourself on
a daily basis which in turn will help you make the decisions that are best for you and your family.
Every family has their own formula (pardon the pun!)
Some have a strong desire to have a natural birth.
Some are looking for whoever administers the drugs on arrival to the hospital.
Some breastfeed their baby.
Some have the bottles in the steriliser ready to go.
Some cosleep.
Some do not.
Some use disposable nappies.
Some use cloth ones.
Some use a dummy(pacifier).
Some don’t.
The thing is....there are no rights or wrongs, only what feels best for you and your family.
When you have done a little preparation by understanding yourselves and your values, beliefs
and expectations, you will then make the decisions that are best suited to you.
Identifying your own Love Language is a fun tool that can help you as a couple as you navigate this new chapter of your life.
There are Five Love Languages:
WORDS OF AFFIRMATION is the use of words, spoken or notes and texts to express affection, appreciation or compliments.
QUALITY TIME is not necessarily about length of time spent together but is about feeling heard, so no phones or tv, make eye contact and really listen to your partner.
GIFTS does not mean large or expensive, thoughtful small gifts are important to someone who
has this as their primary love language.
ACTS OF SERVICE is when you do something nice for them like making dinner, cleaning the
house, putting the little one to bed, running you a bath,anything that shows appreciation.
PHYSICAL TOUCH can be holding hands, cuddling or massage to help a person with this
primary love language feel loved.
Check out you and your partner’s love language by taking this quiz
Taking the time to understand yourself and each other a little better through personal development will contribute to you laying the foundations of what will be your family life,
supporting and creating healthy boundaries, expectations and best practices unique to you and your very own little gang!
The online program Stepping Into Parenthood was created for this very purpose. A 10 step
guide for the whole family to create your own visual aid. It contains quizzes, worksheets, tips
and tools....even a playlist to accompany you on your new chapter.
You can access the program here!
It is my passion to provide affordable, accessible and authentic support to families, offering a
safe space to talk online, so grab a coffee and get comfortable.
You can find me at:
Nikki x