‘If I could go back, I would never put you down. I’d enjoy the cuddles, even at 3 a.m. I’d study your little fingers and toes, and soak it all in.’: Mom urges ‘cherish every moment’ with your newborns, ‘You will never get the chance again’

“If I could go back in time…

It feels like yesterday you entered the world, but now, it’s a distant memory.

It’s a weird feeling, isn’t it?

Everyone said to me when I was pregnant, ‘Enjoy every moment. It goes by so fast.’ Well, they certainly weren’t wrong.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I wish I could go back and re-do the first few weeks with my firstborn. I would cherish every moment even more.

Looking back now, I felt anxious, emotional, and scared in the first few weeks. I know this is normal for a first-time mom, but I wish I could change certain parts of it.

Everyone says you will get time again when you have another baby, but I won’t. I will have my daughter to look after as well, and it just won’t be the same.

Here are some things I would do if I could go back in time:

If I could go back, I would never put you down.

I would smell you all the time.

I would trust my own instincts.

I would be selfish when it comes to situations like visitors.

I would take even more videos and photos of you.

I would do what I felt was right.

I would take in every emotion.

I would study your little fingers and toes.

I would stroke your beautiful fresh, soft skin.

I would stare into your big blue eyes.

I would do more skin to skin.

I would take more breastfeeding photos as it will come to an end one day.

I would document every little thing.

I would enjoy the cuddles, even at 3 a.m.

But most importantly, I would believe in myself as a new mother.

This is something I think we all find hard as a new parent. We receive advice from everyone when we are pregnant, even if we didn’t ask, and sometimes what we want to do contradicts what others have told us.

There is nothing stronger than a mother’s instinct, so believe in yourself. We got this!

If you are pregnant or have a newborn and you cannot control your emotions, it’s natural to feel anxious over certain situations. And it’s normal to have the baby blues.

I wish I had this little list when my Mya was a newborn so I could have read and taken in as much as I could and put it to practice.

It’s not for everyone, but these are the things I would change.”

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Ella. You can follow her journey on Instagram. Submit your own story here and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.

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