Consciously Preparing for Parenthood
Consciously Preparing for Parenthood
Preparing for the transition to parenthood, role changes and taking steps to manage such changes.
In this newsletter, we provide you with notes on Consciously Preparing for Parenthood with Guest Dr. Maryhan, an episode of The birth-ed podcast.
Hosted by Megan Rossiter (Cert HE Midwifery, KGHDip Hypnobirthing), The birth-ed podcast opens conversations about all aspects of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood with the UK's leading women's health experts. In today’s episode, she is joined by Dr. Maryhan Baker, an experienced psychologist, and parenting expert, to discuss what consciously preparing for parenthood might look like.
Read our notes on navigating pregnancy, birth, and parenthood.
Topics Covered in this Summary
Becoming a Parent
Preparing for Parenthood
Setting the Foundation
Takeaway
Becoming a Parent
Becoming a parent brings a series of changes in the life of a person. Preparing for the transition to parenthood includes changing roles and taking steps to manage such changes.
There are so many things to think about and take care of. You want to make sure you’re making the right decisions for your family, finances, and home.
As parents expecting their first child, you might begin to consider what to expect from parenthood, what your values are, and what things you want to instill in your child.
Preparing for Parenthood
Giving birth requires making tons of decisions, and it's easy to lose sight of yourself and your relationship with your partner after having a child. Day-to-day responsibilities can be overwhelming, and parents often prioritize short-term goals over long-term ones.
The birth of your first child will cause major changes in your life. You can prepare for changes in several ways, such as:
Thinking about the way you were parented and your expectations of yourself as a parent. In both ways, we pick up the positives that we want to continue with and things we do not.
Laying the foundations and thinking long-term is a meaningful conversation you can have with your partner. In the early days, daily check-in with your partner is essential because the needs and behavior of the baby are going to change, and it changes so rapidly.
Practicing self-care. Going for a walk, meeting a friend for a coffee, or whatever it is that makes you feel good after having a baby will be beneficial for you and your child.
Setting the Foundation
As parents, we can quickly get stuck in the daily minutiae of child-rearing and forget to look ahead. A few things you can do to help set the foundation for your parenting journey:
Keep the long-term goal in mind. Choosing the right goals is important because short-term objectives can only improve long-term parenting goals if they align.
Prioritize core values. Think of what character traits will serve your child when they grow up. For example, integrity, humility, or compassion. Focus on ways to teach those values every year.
Visualize your kids as adults. Whether we are raising toddlers or teenagers, we should aim for adulthood and slowly begin strengthening our children today to become adults who are capable and confident.
Promote social-emotional development in your child. When your child is born, they develop a sense of self and the world around them. They need care that promotes positive emotional health, well-being, and overall mental health.
Takeaway
Self care is childcare. When we take care of ourselves, check in with where we're at, and get into the habit of understanding that it's an important component, it's a gift that we give our child.
Trust your instinct. Give yourself that moment and ask yourself questions like ‘’Does this feel right?’’ then do it. If it doesn't feel right, do something else.
There's no such thing as perfect parents, and there's no perfect way to do parenting.
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Listen to the original episode