One of the greatest milestones in a woman's life is becoming a mother. No other event in one's life brings about as many changes and as much responsibility as this one. Having a baby gives one a sense of fulfillment and enormous joy. At the same time study done in Australia on new mothers, has shown that, first-time mothers have been overwhelmed by the changes that take place after the baby is born. Most of them admitted that they were not prepared for their new role as a 'mother', and the extent to which their lives changed with the arrival of the baby. Most of them said that they were exhausted with the amount of work that was involved in taking care of a newborn.
The study also showed that over a period of time as they got used to the baby and formed a routine, they become more confident about their nurturing skills. When they accepted help from family and friends to do various chores they were more comfortable and enjoyed their new status better. The study has stated that three factors helped women adjust to their new role:

* Prior knowledge about motherhood and babies.
* Good support system consisting of family and friends.
* Alert, receptive baby who helped the mother take care of them.

Change is the only constant in life. Each time there is change in your life, you learn, growth and discover things about yourself that you were not aware of. A few tips that new mothers must remember:

* Being a mother is a learnt skill; it isn't something that a woman is born with.
* The first three years of motherhood are the toughest and they will pass by before you know it. So enjoy it.
* Taking care of a child was never meant to be one person's responsibility. So get all support you can and you will enjoy being a mother.

Being a mother is a wonderful gift and feeling, inspite of all the hard work enjoy it while it lasts.