10 Ways to Mentally Prepare for Motherhood

There are tremendous physical demands during pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and breastfeeding. Motherhood is also incredibly mentally and emotionally demanding. You can do so much to prepare for being a parent. You can stock up on supplies for your baby, plan for maternity leave and your return to work, and learn about breastfeeding. These tasks are all necessary, but none will mentally prepare you to be a mother. A significant component of mentally preparing for motherhood is knowing what to expect and setting your expectations. This episode covers ten ways to shift your mindset to mentally prepare for motherhood.   Happy Mother’s Day! Right now, you can get a free copy of the Your Birth Plan book and try Pregnancy Podcast Premium for free for 7 days. Over 200 episodes are exclusively available to Premium members in the Private Podcast Feed. You can listen to all episodes ad-free in your favorite podcast app or on the website. Premium members get instant access to a digital copy of the Your Birth Plan book. This book walks you step-by-step, showing you exactly how to create a birth plan to lay the foundation for the birth experience you want. The book has sample plans for everything from home birth to a planned cesarean. Plus, a master template you can download and customize to fit your preferences.   Thank you to our sponsors   30% off your first Hungryroot delivery and free veggies for life. Pregnancy is the perfect time to clean up your diet. Eating healthy whole foods can take a lot of planning, shopping, and preparation, and Hungryroot makes this so easy. Everything that Hungryroot offers follows a simple standard: it has to taste good, be quick to make, and contain whole, trusted ingredients. Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place.   10% off Epic Will with the code PREGNANCYPODCAST. Epic Will is an inexpensive and easy way to ensure your family is protected. Get the building blocks of an early estate plan, including a last will and testament, healthcare power of attorney, an advance directive, and a financial power of attorney. In as little as five minutes you can have peace of mind that your family's future is safe with legally binding documents built by an attorney.   Did you know that your health insurance will cover the cost of a breast pump? It’s true! In fact, many health insurance plans also cover milk storage bags, breastfeeding prep courses, and more. At Aeroflow Breastpumps, you can shop top-rated breast pumps from brands like Medela, Spectra, and Motif without ever opening your wallet. Fill out their quick and easy insurance eligibility form, and they’ll take care of the rest! It might just be the easiest thing you do this pregnancy.   Read the full article and resources that accompany this episode.   Check out the 40 Weeks podcast to learn how your baby grows each week and what is happening in your body. Plus, get a heads up on what to expect at your prenatal appointments and a tip for dads and partners.   For more evidence-based information, visit the Pregnancy Podcast website.