Kristen was nervous about moving with her husband and one-month old to New York City, but she found ways to make their studio apartment and subway adventures a little more family friendly.
Kristen's Story
"I thought raising a baby in a new city would get lonely."
We moved into a studio apartment in New York City when our baby was a month old. I had heard so many stories about new moms getting depressed in the beginning, and I think it's partly because they are alone a lot. You bring home this baby. It's just you and your husband, and maybe your husband's working.
"Having our in-laws stay with us, even in that small apartment, made all the difference for me."
It was just great that I could share the excitement of my first baby with my mother-in-law right there beside me, my mom an hour away and my sister close by. I was ready to be a mom, but my mother-in-law made the transition even easier. When my son would wake up at night, I'd feed him and hand him to my mother-in-law, and he'd sleep with her. It was wonderful.
I was very, very sad, of course. But I walked away from that experience knowing more than ever that we have to be proactive in our own lives, use sunscreen, take advantage of what is available to us, and take advantage of the physicians who can treat these cancers if they catch them early enough.
"Getting around with my baby was easier than I thought."
My mother-in-law’s a shopper, and while she was still here, we went shopping a lot. It was great practice for getting out on my own with him. After she left, I would take him shopping in the city, laying him on a blanket in the dressing rooms as I tried on clothes, and then I would go eat lunch by myself with him.
"Since we're in a studio, he's always right next to me."
In this small space, I haven't had to do the same kind of baby-proofing that I'd have to do in a house. I put protectors for the plugs and latches and locks for the cabinets because he's getting to where he likes to get into everything. I haven't had to do much more than that because usually he's right there with me.
Because of our small space, he's also limited in ways that other babies might not be. We can't fit a lot of toys and extra things. With your first child, you want him to have everything, but we only have space for the basics. We've done our best to fit in things that other babies have - a full-sized crib, a walker and lots of small toys. Balls are the greatest toys for small spaces, and luckily, they're one of his favorite toys.
"All the people in the city make it easier to find other moms to connect with."
Being here in the city as a new mom is actually great. I don't get bored. I don't get lonely. I walk outside and go sit in a park with my baby and end up talking to five or six moms that come up and start conversations. I've starting making friends with women who have babies, and we have play dates with them. As new mothers, we want to talk about our babies all day.
It's been nine months now that we've lived in the city, and my baby is ten months old. All in all, it's been a great experience. We are loving life.
