Anxious First Time Mother

[Ftm2015]

My lo is nearly 2 weeks old. I am ebf which I am finding tough due to cluster feeding and broken sleep (obviously)!

I suffer in general from anxiety and am finding myself very anxious about looking after a newborn. My partner sleeps in the other room while I cosleep and generally during the night he settles ok. I am just generally so anxious about being a mum. My stomach is in knots worrying about him and when he cries it worries me that he is ok. I am also anxious about taking him out and generally looking after a little human. Please tell me this is natural? As he gets older I am also anxious about what I actually do with him? Should I be out and about? I will go to baby groups etc but feel it's a bit early. I just want to stop feeling so anxious all the time

I'm a ftm too and I'm only 21 so when LO was born I felt completely out of my depth. I pretty much felt like every time she cried was just proving I was a terrible mother. She's 14 weeks now and I feel so much more confident, just spend all the time you can holding him and loving him and you'll get to know what he wants pretty soon. Also, whilst I don't suggest doing everything by the clock, keeping an eye on the time can give you a rough idea of what he needs too, especially if you're switching to formula (I did that too around the same time). You sound like a great mum, just take the time to breathe and make sure you cuddle and watch him when he sleeps because it'll make the screaming so much easier to deal with when you know the nice cute quiet time is just around the corner! xx

Thanks again for the encouraging messages! I still can't shake the anxiety and I guess the lack of sleep won't be helping. I can't help but feel that I am over obsessing about everything. I still have this awful knot in my stomach most days and I only hope this will go away with time. I am trying to look at it like a new job. I don't know everything to start with and will gradually learn on the job as they say. I just know that because I am an anxious person in general that it is part of my nature and I have to manage it somehow. I know it sounds stupid but I am so tempted to go to the docs and see if they can help? I don't think I am depressed but I feel so on edge about everything....

Absolutely worth going to the doctor, yes. They may even just give you extra support or something. Plus, it's an hour out of the house..!

Honestly, the knot in your stomach will loosen in time. You will settle into it, quicker than you think.