Insta bubs not real life

Mothers urged to focus on babies,

IDYLLIC images of new motherhood have never been more in our faces with the power of the internet and social media making us believe women bounce out of bed looking angelic and instantly in love with their newborn bundle of joy.

We need look no further than Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who only hours after giving birth, stepped into the spotlight looking relaxed and smiling with her gorgeous third child Prince Louis.

Or there are countless Instagram posts of famous mums who seemingly bounce back to their pre-baby bodies with their designer-clad kids smiling sweetly or serenely sleeping.

But expectation and the reality of motherhood can be very different.

Associate Professor Julie Green, executive director of raisingchildren.net.au, a leading parent information service with access to more than 200 experts across Australia, said it was common for new mums to need time to adjust to the dramatic changes in their lives.

“Don’t expect life with a newborn is going to be like glamorous Instagram feeds full of perfectly styled babies and mothers,” she said.

“We often only see curated ‘best’ lives on social media and none of the less photogenic realities.

“Tiredness, a constantly crying baby, daily duties, increased responsibility and anxiety about the unknown can make new parents feel overwhelmed.

“Bringing a baby home is a huge adjustment; financially, emotionally and physically.

“Give yourself time to adapt and to learn and don’t compare your experience with edited lives shown on social media.

“There isn’t one right way to parent and, especially with a newborn, it is about learning on the job and adapting to the needs of the individual child.”

Celebrity mums are not immune to the exhaustion and challenges of new motherhood, as The Footy Show host Rebecca Maddern and Geelong Cats forward Tom Hawkins’ wife Emma shared when asked for their tips on new motherhood for this Mother’s Day weekend.