A Day in the Life of a New Farm Mom

All parents know that getting a daily routine down when you have a newborn or young children can be a huge hurdle. Some days everything stays on schedule—other days, it’s just about getting done what you can, when you can. Being a new farm mom is no exception. Running a business and caring for a newborn are not easy tasks, especially when done together. And as all working moms know, it takes time and a lot of effort to find work-life balance as a new mom.

A typical day in the life.

When all goes smoothly, here is what my typical day looks like as a working mother.

In the morning, I wake up my 3-month-old daughter, Lucy, and get her fed. Once she is finished eating, she plays as I get ready for the day. I get Lucy into her bassinet stroller, and as we make our way to the barn for work, she’ll eat again or fall asleep.

Once we arrive, I’ll put Lucy in the heated office attached to the barn to sleep for a few hours. With her so close, I can get as much done in the barn as possible and know I can respond to her at a moment’s notice if needed. Thanks to the incredible technology we have today, I also can ensure Lucy is safe and happy using a Bluetooth camera and headset while I go about my morning responsibilities. My employees will do most of the morning milks while I handle feeding and assist with cleaning.

By the time I finish my morning, Lucy is up and ready to eat again. In the afternoon, I work on paperwork and housework while Lucy keeps busy working in the garden—which is really her playing on her garden-themed floor mat. We like to say she’s doing her own version of farming. Come midafternoon, I’ll mix more feed, clean the barn again and attend to any cows that need extra attention while Lucy naps in her baby carrier or the office.

The importance of a strong support network.

Nothing can fully prepare you for motherhood, but dairy farming certainly helps. Whether it’s farming or motherhood, you never know what’s going to happen in a day. My main priority is always to keep Lucy healthy and safe. It’s not always realistic to have a newborn or young child outside so it’s important to have a trusted network nearby—both for the kids and for the cows—if you need extra help. We need to realize that we can’t do everything all the time. I’m very lucky to have a strong tribe to call on for backup childcare so I can do what is needed to take good care of my cattle while also knowing my daughter is happy and safe.

Being there for the moms in our lives.

Since becoming a new mom myself, I now have a better understanding and appreciation for the challenges working moms face every day. It takes a lot of energy to be a mom—now I understand why cows need to rest 15 hours a day to produce milk!  And it’s not uncommon that we forget all the hurdles moms face in their day-to-day lives, especially once they return to work. It’s important that we make a conscious effort to support and uplift the working moms in our lives.