I’ve been at this “mom” thing for a little about three months now…wow time flies! In my three months on the job, I’ve learned a few things and I would love to share those things with everyone.
1. I can handle diaper changes and spit up.
Before becoming a mother, I was anti-diaper changes and spit up but within the first week of taking care of my son, I quickly realized that when it’s your child, you’ll change their diaper and wipe their spit up because you love this child, because they can’t help themselves and most importantly because…it’s actually not that bad….trust me, it won’t kill you or scar you.
2. Losing sleep is worth it.
I dreaded the “sleepless” nights of being a new parent but once you’re in it with a positive attitude, you can truly enjoy your little one. I found myself missing my little guy on the nights when my husband took the night shift, I couldn’t wait to wake up and see him. On the nights when I did have the night shift, I would enjoy our alone time together and think about how blessed we are and the fact that I grew this human inside me. Next time, when you are on night duty, you might be tired but try to enjoy the moment and focus on the beauty you are holding.
3. Try not to “save” too many clothing items for a special occasion.
I’m serious when I say this. As parents, we find and buy cute clothing items that we want our little ones to wear for certain special occasions but I have news for you…babies don’t slow down their growth to fit into these outfits. You might be surprised to find that babies grow and if you save an outfit for too long, you might put it on your baby to find that he/she has outgrown that outfit and it never saw the light of day. Here’s my advice: Wear ALL the outfits at every chance you get before it’s too late.
4. Breastfeed, formula or simply fed?
I know there is a big push to breastfeed and of course there are many great benefits to breastfeeding but I have even better news. Fed is best! This means that if you can breastfeed for as long as you’ve dreamed of, perfect. If you can’t, don’t beat yourself up because what matters most is a fed baby. Your baby feels your stress, so if you are constantly stressed about producing breastmilk and breastfeeding, your baby will feel this and it won’t make for a happy bonding time. Do what is best for you and baby and ignore those who may look down on you. If you can’t breastfeed, focus on the other bonding moments you can have with your baby and enjoy those to the fullest. Also think of the bonus that this lets you share the task of feeding with your spouse or support team.
5. Love and treasure every moment.
This might sound cliche but guess what, it’s true. These little babies grow and change before your very eyes and I advise you to treasure the moments before they are gone. While you are having a rough no-nap day, or a crying day, it might seem horrible and you might hate it…but treasure it. It’s great when they are little because you still have a little control and can still love them, hug them and kiss them. Before you know it, they will start telling you that it’s embarrassing to have your mom kiss you in public or hug you and that is when you will miss those ‘terrible’ moments when you had no choice but to hold, hug and kiss them.
Do you have any valuable lessons to share? Leave a comment below.
