Motherly Advice

With just 6 weeks left, I thought it would be fun to hear from some of my fellow Mommy Bloggers to see what experiences and advice they had on being a mom. I love that all three of these mama's had great insight as well as different experiences and viewpoints to draw from. Hope you enjoy!

First up is Sandee @ Style Spoon

  

On becoming a mum:

I guess the thing to remember is, every baby is different, from their temperament to how they were born or the current situation you and your baby are in, just don't compare! I read various parenting/mum books and every book had their own style and way of caring and bringing up your baby etc. It's sometimes difficult knowing what will work until you give it a go - what might work for one baby might not work for yours so be prepared for that.

In a way I felt I was fairly prepared for the unexpected, but when I think about it now, 5 months on, I still remember googling 'why my newborn grunts and makes lots of noises in their sleep', to 'my newborn is only nursing for 5-10 minutes at a go' and whether it was normal or should I have been worried-various parenting books will say nurse from one side then switch to the other side after x amount of time etc - I didn't do that by the way as bubs would get too much foremillk and not enough hind milk - I always started him on the same side I finished before switching sides. If you need advice and if your baby is not thriving then speak to your health visitor/pediatrician.

It really helps if you and the Mr. work as a team (don't scream at him for being useless, it doesn't help) when the wee one arrives, so make sure you've got plenty of food you've cooked up in advance and frozen - you're not going to have much time to get stuff done around the house (just let housework slide a little) or eat if the bubba needs you! Somehow though, most newborns sleep lots, so make some time to do stuff - they're pretty portable y'know.

Finally every five minutes someone will probably criticize your parenting technique/decisions... just ignore it, I occasionally get it now!

I also wanted to add that if people (friends/other new mums) are saying their baby is sleeping through the night or is this or that, take it with a pinch of salt (it's sometimes BS) because you'll only drive yourself insane if you think your baby is a problem child, when in fact they are perfectly healthy/normal! In regards to other peoples advice, just say thanks for sharing, usually helps shut them up.

Next, is Lani @ Mon Petite Chou mom to 3-month-old Daphne

No matter how many books you read, how many classes you take, how many people you ask for advice there is always, I mean always, something that you are thoroughly unprepared for when it comes to your first baby.

I prepared for the worst when it came to child birth. I was ready for elective c-section, rather than endure natural delivery. My friends shared horror stories. And you know what? I had an easy time of it once my doctor convinced me. I started mild labor around midnight, went to the hospital with steady but not unbearable contractions at 9 AM, and was ready for an epidural by 12. By 4:00 I had a baby. No screaming. No mess. No tearing (a word I hate and.... gives me shivers). No one prepared me for the fact that I was born to make babies. Literally, my doctor told me, you are born to make babies. Yikes. Who knew?

Someone else's sh*t won't stink. As in your baby. They will be doing a lot of it. Probably on you. On your walls, your furniture, your clothes. And you won't mind. Seriously, you love the darn thing so much that it doesn't even phase you.

The item you are most hesitant to buy will probably turn out to be what you needed the most. I hated swings. Did not want baby clutter around my house. Sure enough, the only way we got our little one to sleep those early days was with motion. So I caved, bought a swing and it was the best 160 bucks I HAVE EVER SPENT. Sleep is precious those few weeks and you just need to do what ever it takes to get some. Clutter and all.

Conversely, the item you paid the most for and seemed so damn cool (in my case, the Mamaroo) may turn out to be the gadget your baby hates the most. Try though we might, when ever we put babe in the Mamaroo and turn it on, she cries. And cries. Doesn't matter that it looks like it is about to launch into space, she hates it. C'est la vie!

Live, learn, return (the items that you still can;).

And last, but not least:

Hi everyone! I'm Meagan from Mo Pie, Please, a blog I used to tend to daily until I became mama to my 8-month-old baby boy, Wyatt.  Life is chaotic and messy (literally messy, I'm always covered in sweet potato-tinted drool) but I wouldn't change it for the world.  

Becoming a mom has thrown me many surprises but it also feels similar to what I thought it would be.  I love that boy more than words can express but it is the toughest (and most gratifying) role I've ever had.  

Some things I couldn't have prepared for :

1) waking up every 3 hours to feed the baby is easier than it sounds but going back to sleep is tougher than I could ever imagine. The more tired you are, the harder it is to fall back asleep. My mind starts racing or I get super anxious over the baby waking back up that sometimes I just end up laying there for what feels like hours upon hours. You wind up jealous over your fur babies for being able to sleep all the time and not have any problems getting there.

2) this one may be obvious to some but you don't always get what you plan for. I imagined Wyatt to be born on time, to nurse for at least 6 months and to be attached to me via solly baby wrap all the time. I got to wear him in the wrap for a few weeks, then he started hating it. Thankfully he prefers the other carriers we have but still...that wrap was so pretty and snuggly. Wyatt was also born 6 weeks premature and as a result, we had mega nursing issues. No book could have prepared me for that - a week in the nicu, hardly any kangaroo care, and his inability to latch on and suction. Little did I know I'd be a slave to my breast pump instead of the easy way of doing things. And might I add...thank heavens for formula. I never wanted to use it, but you know what? It's not the worst thing that could happen, he is a healthy, happy and content baby who eats both formula and breast milk among all his solids and I am forever grateful for that.

3) The hardest part for me has been making sure he gets enough milk in the day so he doesn't need it at night, or making sure you don't overstimulate them or making sure you get them down for a nap before they become overtired.  It's SO HARD! If you don't stimulate a baby, it's bad.  If you overstimulate them, it's bad.  If you don't put them down for a nap the moment their eyes turn red or they rub them, they can wind up not sleeping at all! There's a really fine line so every day I find myself kind of stressing over it a little too much instead of just taking it all with stride.  

4) Last...your sense of fashion can change pretty rapidly after becoming a mom. I'm addicted to shopping and clothes and all the awesome things about being a woman. After having Wyatt, I suddenly felt lost when it came to my wardrobe. Where was I supposed to shop?! What was I supposed to wear? I found myself wearing mostly shirts and jeans, for fear of spit up ruining anything nice I owned. Plus my wardrobe wasn't up to date considering the maternity clothes I wore the season before. I still feel a little lost, I'm 30 (eeps) and a new mom who doesn't love her body. I certainly won't be stepping into a Chicos anytime soon but it's taking me awhile a to build a wardrobe that makes me feel put together and age appropriate at the same time! 

After having said all this, I really do love being a mom and having this baby boy was the best decision we've ever made! Watching him grow these past 8 months has been so amazing!