Four words every new mum needs to hear

Whether you're preparing to have your first baby or have several children already, there's always a new lesson you can learn.

One mum was recently getting ready to have her third child, when her husband helped her realise an important truth about parenting.

Ashley Gibson, who shares her journey as a mum on social media, revealed her husband said four simple words to her in the delivery room.

And they were four words she thinks every new parent needs to hear.

 In a post on Facebook, which has since gone viral, the American mum shared the "meaningful" phrase her partner uttered.

He said: "There's no trophy Ashley."

She then went on to say why these four words were the "best" thing he could have said to her at that point.

"It put my whole world as a Mom into perspective," Ashley explained. "I was in agony and trying to decide whether or not to get an epidural.

 "I was trying to talk to him between contractions on the verge of tears and he lovingly spoke lots of support and some truth into my universe with, 'There’s no trophy Ashley'."

The mum goes on to admit that the words kept coming back to her during the first few days with her newborn.

She continued: "When I was fretting about supplementing with some formula those first few days and not wanting to feel like I was already failing at breastfeeding I heard those words again.

"There it hit me. As moms in today’s world it can feel like we’re all competing for a trophy that doesn’t exist.

"I literally thought in that delivery room that I would somehow be 'less than' as mother for tapping out and asking for the drugs. Like there would be a gold medal or AT LEAST a gold sticker on my medical chart for having a natural birth.

"Since having this third sweet boy six weeks ago I’ve given lots more thought to the invisible trophies we create as moms. Some society creates for us. Standards we try so hard to measure up to even though the contest is make believe and we were made to live in community, not competition."

Ashley then reminds fellow mums that there's no trophy for losing baby weight the fastest, for breastfeeding vs bottle feeding or for coming up with the most creative birthday party theme.

She finished her post by adding a very sincere and important message for her followers.

"My husband has no idea how meaningful those words have been allowing me to relax into having a newborn again. And I wanted to invite you to relax into motherhood with me.

"Because the only trophy you’ll carry through life is the bond you create with your baby. And we all go home from the hospital with a big basket of mesh undies and sanitary pads the size of our newborns no matter how glamorous our Insta pics look."