"Dear New Mommy,
Congratulations on your beautiful bundle of wrinkled skin and ear-piercing cries! Don't worry, Mama. All too soon that wrinkled skin will smooth out, and those cries will turn into sweet coos and giggles. Savor the feel of those tiny fingers as they wrap around your one. Cherish the feel of your baby's skin against your own. Whether or not you breast-feed or choose to use formula, those moments where you cuddle with your baby while they suckle will disappear all to quickly. Don't worry about the chores that don't get done. Don't worry about the friends whose calls go unanswered. It is okay to let the world vanish as you spend your first weeks and months getting to know your baby.
As you work your way into the world and introduce your baby to your friends, your family, the errands that consumed your life before, take it slow. Speak to your baby. Sing to your baby. Read to your baby. But when you need a few minutes to yourself, do not be afraid to leave your baby safely in their crib, even if they are wailing the blues. Take the time to shave your legs. Make the time to fix your hair. Those twenty minutes of time to yourself will help you feel better about your new body, even as you work to shape it back to what it once was.
Take every offer of advice, including that in this letter, with a grain of salt. Do your own research. Try your own methods. Some of the advice given will work like a charm. Some of it can be dismissed out of hand, because no one knows the dynamic between you and your baby like you do. Follow your instincts where your baby is concerned, and pay no mind to those other Mommies who think their way is the only way.
Remember that now that you are a Mommy, some friends will disappear. That is okay. New friends will come along, not to take those old friend's places, but to fill in the needs you have now. Remember that your priorities are likely to change, and that is okay as well. There is no rule book to follow. You choose.
Don't be afraid of being imperfect. Your mom was not perfect. Her mom was not perfect. No mom in the history of mankind was perfect. Do not hold yourself to expectations that will ultimately frustrate you and cause you to focus on that more than on the care and upbringing of your baby.
Finally, dear Mommy, if you are a woman of Faith, make every moment a reflection of your faith in God. Let your baby feel your love, compassion, faith, hope, trust, and respect for a being outside yourself. Let them see you pray. Let them hear you praise. Let them see you reading the Bible. Let them sit on your lap in church. Let them know without a doubt that our Lord is real and with us in every moment.
Congratulations again, dear Mommy! God bless you and your newest, tangible blessing!"
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