5 Gentle Reminders for Surviving the First Year

The first year of motherhood is unlike anything else.

It’s tender and overwhelming. Sacred and exhausting. Full of love — and moments that stretch you to your edges. You are becoming someone new, while learning how to care for someone entirely dependent on you. And that kind of transformation takes time.

If you’re in your first year — whether pregnant, newly postpartum, or deep in the early months — this is your reminder that survival is success. You don’t need to thrive every day. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need support, compassion, and permission to care for yourself too.

Here are five gentle ways to support yourself through this season.

1. Practice mindfulness — even in tiny moments

Mindfulness doesn’t have to look like long meditations or perfect stillness.

Sometimes it’s a single deep breath while your baby sleeps on your chest.

Sometimes it’s placing one hand on your heart and reminding yourself, I’m doing the best I can.

Practices like meditation, deep breathing, or gentle yoga can help calm the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and bring you back into the present moment — especially when your mind feels busy or overwhelmed. Even a few minutes can make a difference.

Think of mindfulness as a soft anchor you return to, again and again.

2. Move your body gently and intentionally

Movement in this season isn’t about “bouncing back” or pushing your limits.

It’s about supporting your body as it heals and adapts.

Gentle exercise — like walking, swimming, or prenatal/postnatal yoga — can boost mood, increase energy, and help you feel more connected to your body again. Working with a pelvic floor specialist or women’s health physiotherapist can also be incredibly supportive, offering tailored guidance that honours where your body is at.

Move in ways that feel kind, not demanding.

 

3. Stay connected — you were never meant to do this alone

Motherhood can feel isolating, even when you’re surrounded by people.

Connection matters. Deeply.

Building a support network — whether that’s friends, family, other mums, or online communities — allows you to share experiences, speak honestly, and feel less alone in what you’re navigating. Sometimes just hearing “me too” can be incredibly healing.

You don’t need to carry everything quietly. Let yourself be supported.

4. Protect your sleep where you can

Sleep is foundational to emotional and mental wellbeing — and in the first year, it can feel elusive.

While uninterrupted sleep isn’t always possible, protecting the quality of rest you do get matters. Creating a calming bedtime routine, minimising blue light exposure (especially during night wakings), and resting whenever opportunities arise can help support your nervous system.

Let go of rigid expectations. Rest looks different in this season — and that’s okay.

 

5. Seek professional support if you need it

If feelings of anxiety, sadness, overwhelm, or emotional heaviness persist, please know this: seeking help is not a failure — it’s a form of self-respect.

Speaking with a therapist or counsellor who specialises in perinatal mental health can provide reassurance, validation, and practical tools to support you through this transition. You deserve care just as much as your baby does.

You don’t have to wait until things feel unbearable to reach out.

A Little reminder

The first year of motherhood isn’t about perfection — it’s about presence, compassion, and learning as you go.

By weaving in small, supportive practices and allowing yourself to ask for help, you’re not just surviving — you’re laying the foundation for a healthier, more supported version of motherhood.

This is a season of becoming.

And you’re allowed to move through it slowly.