Like a lot of women, I spent my pregnancy getting ready to be a mom. I read lots of books, talked to lots of other mothers, and bought all the things I was told would make life easy once my son, Preston was born. A year and a half later, I can tell you that in spite of all that work, nothing really prepared me for being a mom. Here are just a few of the things I wish I had known then.

1. Breastfeeding can suppress hormones. This is difficult to navigate when you are experiencing so many things for the first time and your emotions can be all over the place. First, it helps to remember that’s it your hormones and you’re not losing your mind. And then, think about what you’re eating. Diet plays an important role in regulating hormones. Continue to take prenatal vitamins and make sure you eat lots of fiber-rich fresh fruits and vegetables. These help balance blood sugar levels, which can affect your mood, and feed healthy gut bacteria where a lot of mood hormones like serotonin are made or regulated.
   
2. Everyone has an opinion. You want to be part of a community but you soon realize that every mother is sensitive and everyone has an opinion on what you should and should not be doing. The trick is to sort through the advice, take what works for you and forget the rest. Trust your instincts on what works for you and what doesn’t.
   
3. How physically and emotionally demanding feeding is. No matter how you feed your baby, it’s all-consuming, and your whole day revolves around it. This can be physically and mentally draining because it ends up being all you think about. This is why prioritizing your own needs is so important. Steal whatever moments you can to care for yourself, and make sure you’re eating right, too.
   
4. . You can’t anticipate how things will go postpartum. You can plan and prepare all you want for life after delivery, but you need to understand that things won't go as planned. Now, more than ever,  you must learn to go with the flow. Be prepared to pivot because things are not going to go the way you think they will. That’s the one thing about life postpartum that you can absolutely count on.