“Embrace Muddling Through The Early Days” with Dr. Nicole Gale, GP, Lactation Consultant MBBS (HONS), FRACGP, IBCLC, and Mother.

It’s no secret that I am a big believer in Motherhood as a learned skill. It takes time, making a lot of mistakes, and patience (with lots of flexibility) to build your motherhood intuition.

Dr. Nicole shares some amazing advice about what it might feel like over the first few months with your new baby.

The early days after having a baby always feel like a muddle. This is normal. It represents flexible responsiveness to your baby and you’re not doing it wrong to take it minute by minute, hour by hour or day by day. 

Whilst you love your baby when they arrive, you may not feel like you know them straight away. Like any relationship, it takes time and experience to develop a deep bond and this applies with your new baby also. Being flexible allows your baby to learn that you keep them safe and they are secure. It allows you the freedom to try different things and see what works and to be kind to yourself because you know parenting requires flexibility.

There’s no manual for a new baby because there’s no “right” way. Everyone experiments. Everyone muddles through. There is no one approach to feeding or sleep or your day to day. Your baby is human and all humans are constantly in flux. Know that also babies are resilient. Learn together with your baby. Listen to what they’re telling you and follow them and experiment. You’re doing a great job.

Dr. Nicole Gale is the founder of soon-to-be-launched Juno | Maternal, Infant and Womens Specialists. Dr. Nicole manages complex breastfeeding issues, infant and maternal concerns pre and post-birth including gynaecological issues, neonatal concerns including unsettled babies, mental health, and provides evidence-based care around infant sleep and settling.