When I first brought my little girl home from the hospital after birth, I almost had an inkling of what I was in for. The 40 weeks leading up to this day were no picnic. I wish I could say I was one of those people that felt amazing and had that awesome glow when she was pregnant, but nope, not me. The only glow I had was from hot flashes. Brushing my teeth was a struggle every morning because anything near my mouth would make me gag. Once I started feeling my little one move – I was overjoyed. I felt that I could really connect with her – until she started fighting for space with my other organs – which ultimately lost the battle (my poor bladder.) She must have known I enjoyed feeling her move around so much, because she would be up all night tossing and turning, making sure I was enjoying every movement and never allowing me to sleep.
Once I brought her home, things were no different. She was up all night – I thought babies were suppose to sleep most of the time! Not mine! In the hospital the nurses told me that since she was breastfed, my daughter would nurse about every 3-4 hours. Not MY child! She was on the boob for the better part of the day, and night. Life was changing REAL fast – and no one could ever prepare you for life with a child. Advice was pouring in – the more I heard it, the more I resented people. Haven’t they heard the term, “every baby is different?” I guess not. I had to hear stories of how their kids slept through the night, how I have to give my little one formula so she sleeps, and how after 12 weeks, I should add rice to her bottle to help her sleep. Bla bla bla is all I heard from people. Maybe it was my lack of sleep, but I just didn’t want to hear it anymore.
After about three months I started to get the hang of life with a baby. Feeding had become easier, her colic had settled down, but sleep was non-existent, and remained that way until she was about 25 months (note- she is now 26 months.) I try not to give too much advice to new moms, but I am always willing to share my experiences if they choose to hear it. I guess you can say my best piece of advice is to take what everyone else says with a grain of salt, and do what is best for you and your baby once you meet her.
I found many online parenting sites to be very helpful in getting me through the first few months. After reading stories of parents in similar situations, I felt comforted to know that I was not alone and I had someone to commiserate with – even if it was a stranger. I actually just came across a brand new site called Baby Steps. On this site, you can find solutions for all your baby’s needs – from diapers and formula, to informative videos. Everything you need is all conveniently in one location. Video Topics include:
Changing Solutions:
• Baby Potty Basics
• When to Call the Doc
• Changing a Diaper
• Diaper Challenges
• Diaper Essentials
• Potty Training
Feeding Solutions:
• Good Nutrition
• Formula Feeding
• Bottle Basics
• Solid Food
Who else can orchestrate such a complete site, but Walmart! Check out Baby Steps today!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.
It annoyed me when people gave me advice I didnt ask for. I tried to remember that when Im about to give advice to a new mom. 🙂