The more I speak with friends and other women, the more I am convinced that Mothers are capable of anything. Whatever goals you have set for yourself and your family, you are capable of reaching. There is simply nothing more powerful than a Mothers love. I am so excited to introduce you to our next Warrior Mama. This Mama has more drive and passion than anyone I have ever spoken to. She is extremely successful in her careers, and is the CEO and founder of the ultimate online newborn care classes, The Baby Manual.
We know during the pandemic it is extremely difficult for new and expecting parents, and any tips can certainly ease stress and uncertainty. We wanted to take this time to not only introduce you to an amazing opportunity with The Baby Manual, but to also highlight an amazing Warrior Mama who accomplishes so much each day, and is a true inspiration to women.
Oksana Korsakova is the Founder and CEO of The Baby Manual. We sat down with Oksana to learn more about how she is able to accomplish so much, and her motivation to help so many parents not just during this pandemic, but each and every day.
Learn more about the Warrior Mama Series here.
Tell us a little bit about your family, and your daughter.
Thank you so much for such a generous introduction! I truly have a typical ‘American Dream’ background. I immigrated to the US at age 15, had access to amazing education, and was able to work my way up in the corporate world all throughout my 20s. My daughter Zoe is now 7 and is the absolute love of my life.
How do you balance your amazing career and family?
It isn’t easy. One key thing I learned is that multitasking doesn’t really work here. You can try it for a while, but you will easily burn yourself out. I now plan ahead to have only one area of focus for each part of my day – whether playing with my daughter or reaching out to clients. It allows me to be present in that role for a bulk of time instead of constantly switching back and forth. Especially as a mom, this made a huge difference in the quality of time I spend with my kid because I’m not expecting myself to manage a dozen other responsibilities at the same time.
What was the biggest change for you after you had your daughter?
I am a huge introvert. I grew up as an only child with a single mom who was often out working. So I was used to a lot of alone time, which I actually really enjoy. When you have a baby, all of that is gone. Someone needs your attention 24/7 and it takes a very conscious effort to schedule some ‘me time’.
What has been the biggest challenge for you as a Mama, and how did you/are you overcoming it?
What I learned in working with professional therapists in filming of The Baby Manual courses is that many moms develop what’s called ‘postpartum anxiety’. It is similar to ‘postpartum depression’, but it manifests in persistent, high-stress alertness that makes it challenging to relax. Looking back, I think I had postpartum anxiety for a number of years after birth. Only after I was able to identify it, I could seek the tools to work through it – but this is a very common challenge that many moms aren’t aware of!
What was your inspiration to start The Baby Manual?
What inspired me is recognizing how severely under-prepared new parents are. Think about the amount of time we spend on learning to drive a car. Most parents spend no time on learning to care for a tiny human being. Books can be helpful, but they are highly ineffective at describing how to do common tasks – how to swaddle, how to breastfeed, how to perform infant CPR. None of these are as intuitive as people expect. When you are tired and stressed, simple activities with the newborn can be extremely overwhelming. My mission is to empower parents with tools that allow them to truly enjoy and treasure every moment with their child.
How are you coping during the pandemic? Any advice for parents?
My big advice is try getting into meditation! I always heard about how helpful it can be, but really struggled to sit still. The pandemic gave me the excuse to slow down and start making meditation a daily habit. I really enjoy the app called Calm, which guides you through the process.
If there is one piece of advice for new or expecting parents, what would it be?
I’ll echo the #1 advice of many moms on The Baby Manual: go easy on yourself! It is so easy to get caught up in self-judgement and criticism as a mom. It is extremely important to practice self-compassion, inner nurturing, and make your own well-being a priority. This will make you an even stronger Warrior Mama!
The Ultimate Online Newborn Care Classes
What I love the most about Oksana and her journey, is she has found the perfect balance for taking care of herself and her family. Not only is she devoted to her daughter, but she has passion and drive in her professional life. She has found a way to combine her worlds, and help so many families get off to the best start possible with these amazing online newborn care classes.
I wish I had these classes when our son was a newborn. We certainly made our fair share of mistakes! Check out The Baby Manual, and make one thing easier for you and your newborn.