“A Year of Coloring Affirmations for New Mothers” includes 52 pages of positive affirmations to give new mothers the encouragement, confidence, inner strength and coping abilities they need to get through the unexpected ups and downs of the early years of motherhood.
I have created the pages of this book during my own challenging days in my first year as a new mother.
I had a long and traumatic labor that resulted in our little boy being in the special care nursery for a few days after the birth. I struggled with anxiety and post-traumatic stress for about 24 hours after the delivery, when I kept reliving the delivery and thinking I was still in labor. I didn’t have my little baby in my arms to remind me that it was over, and we went home without him, which was one of the hardest things that I never expected we would have to do. After a few days, we were able to finally take him home and begin our journey into the new world of parenthood.
Our new little family
Motherhood is something that nobody can really prepare for. You can read every book, follow every routine, do everything right, have the “perfect” baby, and still not cope. Sometimes it’s hormones, sometimes it’s post natal depression, and sometimes it’s just a bad day.
It took me a few months to realize that I wasn’t coping like I should. Our little baby was doing so well – other than some reflux issues, he was a very healthy little boy, he slept really well, and he got into a great routine. But there were days that I just wanted to collapse in a corner and cry. I felt guilty that I wasn’t able to cope, since he was such a “good baby”. I had a very supportive network of family and friends, but family weren’t close enough to stop by regularly and I didn’t want to ask the same friends for help again and again.
A Year of Coloring Affirmations for New Mothers. Colored by Emma Turnbull
In those moments, it’s hard to ask for help, but sometimes all it takes is an encouraging word or a boost of confidence to get through. One positive thought can change your entire day.
The word “affirmation” comes from the Latin ‘affirmare’, originally meaning “to make steady, strengthen.” When we affirm or meditate on positive thoughts, we empower ourselves to get through and actually see a change in our thinking, feelings, emotions and mental health.
Affirmations can sometimes feel forced and it can be hard to embrace them. We are encouraged by experts to repeat our affirmations out loud, multiple times a day. Coloring affirmations combine the therapeutic art of coloring with the power of positive thinking and visualization. Through the meditation and mindful focus of coloring, you are absorbing the positive message on each page without having to force yourself to repeat it. You are expanding the concept of positive affirmations to appeal to more of your senses – rather than just speaking and hearing, you can now touch and visualize as well. By working on the same page for a number of days, you are establishing positive thoughts in your long term memory and changing your entire way of thinking.
Designing these pages has been therapeutic to me through my hard days as a new mother, and I hope that coloring them will help you too.
A Year of Coloring Affirmations for New Mothers. Colored by Debra Shephard
• When your baby is crying because they don’t want to have a nap today…. Color “My baby loves me”
• When you’re feeling like a bad mother for using the TV so you can take a break… Color “I am proud of the Mother I am”
• When you’ve called your friend for the fifth time this week to settle your baby… Color “It’s ok to ask for help”
• When you feel like you haven’t slept all year… Color “I am full of energy”
• When your baby is teething in the middle of a growth spurt and won’t eat or sleep… Color “I have been through hard days before and I will get through today”
Page in progress by Michelle Rood Huntley-Herrema
• When you accidentally cut your child’s fingers instead of cutting their nails… color “I’m a good mother”
• When you’re eating breakfast while your husband is preparing lunch… Color “If I’m out of my pajamas by noon, it’s a great day”
• When that nappy just wasn’t big enough… Color “This too shall pass”
• When your baby finally falls asleep in your arms instead of their cot… Color “I will enjoy every cuddle”
• When you are second guessing your decisions and feeling like a failure… Color “I am strong enough to fight my insecurities”
A Year of Coloring Affirmations for New Mothers. Colored by Amber Brooks
A Year of Coloring Affirmations for New Mothers – New Adult Coloring Book by Sarah Renae Clark
Hi,
In the Mother book is Mum spelt both ways or just the American MOM?
The spelling inside this books is always “Mother” – I’ve avoided MOM or MUM so that it appeals to everyone. The only USA specific spelling is the word “coloring” on the cover. Hope that answers your question!