This photo was taken two days postpartum, now it’s been a week, and let me tell you that first week with 1 child is like an obstacle course with water beneath it, you fall in you just keep swimming, with a second child it’s like an obstacle course with a fire breathing dragon and lava below it. You fall in and you’re dead. Totally kidding, but between the hormones and little bits of sleep it can feel like that way at times.

So I’m writing this in the hopes that it helps some of you first time mama’s or first time second mama’s because after posting the story about the padsicles (find it in my highlights on IG) there was at least 15 of you who reached out saying they wish they would’ve known about this before. Clearly, I don’t have all the answers and some days are better than others but here’s what I do know and what I wish I would’ve known before to help me get from maternity back to hot mama!

I did this whole birthing thing a little different with each child. The first was an attempted at home water birth that turned into a 52 hour labor and natural delivery at the hospital at only 36 weeks. The second birth was a scheduled induction at almost 40 weeks after trying every possible natural thing to get the baby here and no luck until being induced and having only a 10 hour labor from start to finish ending in a vaginal delivery with an unwanted epidural! With that being said I know every pregnancy and birth is different so keep in mind these are 5 RANDOM things that no one told me.

• ORGANIZE OVERHAUL: for most this will kick in during the “nesting” phase. However sometimes that’s almost too late as the “nesting” instinct usually kicks in a few weeks before baby arrives and by then you may be too tired. So gradually over the months leading to delivery get organized. By that I mean more than just the nursery. There’s a myriad of places in your home that you’re going to want easy organized access to after you deliver. One that most people don’t think about is your freezer. If you’re planning on breastfeeding make sure there’s room in your freezer to store those bags or bottles of liquid gold. Another one I tend to forget is my underwear drawer. Make sure this is a drawer or bin you don’t have to bend down to reach. Make sure it’s fully stocked with cute comfy granny panties and soft sports bras because you’re going to want them. I try to find a middle ground of comfort and something that won’t make me feel like I’m still in hospital panties three weeks later, but keep in mind there needs to be enough fabric to hold a pad. Think cute period panties. Next on the list is your linen closet. My linen closet somehow always ends up a mess, I blame it on those fitted sheets that are impossible to fold nicely without using a YouTube video tutorial. However that linen closet is a must to be organized that way if baby has a blow out, or you have a bleed out in that first week you’re prepared with a spare set of sheets for your bed and babies that will help get you both back to sleep in no time. So these are the 3 places that you may have forgotten to organize that will prove to be helpful in that first week and thereafter giving you less stress which will lead you to more beauty sleep ultimately getting you from maternity to hot mama in no time!

• CLOSET CLEANOUT: The first few days, weeks, and even months after having that baby things are tough. Mentally physically and emotionally. And no matter how hard you try to look and feel like your pre baby self you’re going to have that person who asks “Oh when is the baby due?!” or “Isn’t that baby due any day now” When realistically the baby is at home and you’re like 2 weeks postpartum. First off, don’t worry if this happens to you, it’s happened to me more than once, people are idiots. Most of the time it does not mean that you are a giant fat whale it just means that maybe the outfit you’re wearing doesn’t flatter you. And not that you’re really going to care what your neighbor or the checkout lady at the supermarket thinks about you it’s just easier to feel good about yourself when people aren’t calling you pregnant weeks after you’ve had your baby. So with that being said before you have baby make sure you have clothes that will make you feel good after that beach ball is out of your belly. My personal favorite thing to wear post baby are dresses that have empire waists that flow out with a lower neck line. Chances are you’re not going to have the exact same style so just ask yourself if you had a little more to love than what you had pre-baby what would you still feel beautiful and sexy wearing. Also keep in mind if you’re planning on breastfeeding that you’re going to want easy access to the creamery so vnecks or scoop necks are awesome for getting to the goods quickly. Aside from that don’t try to fit into your skinny jeans the week after. I mean if you can, go for it, but chances are you won’t be able to so have your inbetween sizes and be comfortable in your clothes. A few days before I deliver I like to go through and pack away all of my tight maternity meaning those tight stretchy striped dresses and those maternity shirts that are made to show off a pregnant belly and then I grab myself a few new inbetween things to get me from post baby size back to pre baby size. I’ve found that by wearing something comfortable and cute it boosts my mood and makes me a better mom.

• CAREFREE CAR : Usually when you think of prepping for baby it’s all about the nursery but those first few months you’ll spend more time in your car with baby than you may think. Get it ready so you can get in and go anytime completely care free at least until your babe decides otherwise! First get it so fresh and so clean and then make sure it’s packed with diapers for you and baby, wipes, and changes of outfits in case you forget the diaper bag. Then after it’s stocked I’d suggest these little conveniences. First if your car seat doesn’t have the infant neck straps to keep the straps from cutting into their neck you can find them here. Second if you don’t have a back mirror this off brand one is my absolute favorite and in my opinion a total necessity for checking on babe without having to crawl into the back seat. Third is this window shade that is a must in the summer months to keep the sun from interrupting those glorious car naps.

• DONT FORGET DIAPERS: You’re probably thinking DUH! Im not talking about your babies diapers. I’m talking about yours. No one told me how long I’d be bleeding with my first but let’s just say it was like a month long period and I didn’t even rip! If you want the full TMI details on my vaginal stretching process let me know. So aside from having NO stitches I still bled for almost a month meaning I needed heaps of pads varying in size from the hospital adult diapers down to panty liners. So if you really want to prep buy depends, large pads, medium sized pads, and panty liners. Then turn a good potion of your large pads into padsicles for those first few days. Also your period could come back as soon as six weeks so if you’re out of tampons since you haven’t needed them in the past 10 months you may as well buy those while you’re at it. Perennial spray and balm is another one of those unforgotten items that chances are you didn’t get at your baby shower. My favorite kind is here. Do all of this and you’ll thank me later.

• TREAT YO SELF: After reading this you may be feeling a little intimidated but don’t! You will do great! That motherly part inside of you will turn on and you will figure it out. However sometimes feeling exhausted and frustrated at the end of the day is all apart of the game so make sure that you do something nice for yourself every day. Everyone is different so that could mean a meal ordered in so you don’t have to cook, watching netflix, reading a book, a longer than normal bubble bath, your favorite drink, a little online retail therapy, or even calling a house cleaning service. Whatever will make you happy and make your life easier, do that! And whatever you do DO NOT feel guilty about it. Mom guilt is a real thing and it will leave you feeling empty if you let it! So just treat your self and embrace the changes as they come. Also make sure you eat, shower, and brush your teeth every day. I know that sounds ridiculous but I can’t count how many times the day has passed and I realized I changed the baby’s outfit three times and I’m still in my pajamas. Those days are going to happen just don’t let them become the norm and you’ll be from maternity back to your hot mama self in no time. You got this. You were made for this!