What you wish you had known....Advice for 1st Time Moms - Page 6

[IwannaBanRN]

Just re-bringing up this thread as I was looking through old threads on my page, I found this and wanted to add to it.

I wish I had known the great qualities of nursing longer than the doctor recommends(6 weeks). Seriously, I was convinced that was okay for some odd reason.....

I wish I had known the benefits of using my placenta after birth. I wish I had known how to better educate myself about the birth of my own child. I didn't know that there were other, more gentle ways to bring a child into the world, I just knew I didn't want a c-section.

I wish I had known to look at the benefits/risks in keeping my first son intact or to have him circumcised, instead of taking a biased doctor's word for it that it was best to have him cut.

[mommy55]

I've been browsing this DDC (due 11/29) and I'm trying to be a little more active!

The biggest thing I can think of, which may have been said already, is that those first few weeks can be really tough, and it's OK to reach out to friends/family.  I think our society tends to romanticize parenthood, and it is a wonderful experience, but parts of it are really hard.  My son is 16 months old and I've found myself comparing notes with other moms over the last year or so......and it turns out many of us (close friends) struggled with one thing or another, but no one really talked about it.  We all suffered in silence.  Reach out, ask for advice, let your partner/spouse/support system know you need help.  If someone offers to cook for you, take them up on it!  Sleep when the baby sleeps - not possible 100% of the time, but the best advice I got.  I'm a bit of a clean freak, and one of my friend's moms told me to "let the dust bunnies gather".....and I did!

[1love4ever]

Originally Posted by willsmomm 

This is easy! There are many, many things I wish I had known but the king of them all: I wish I had had the faith to trust my own instincts! You know yourself and you know your baby better than any one else. Don't take any advice before running it through your instinct filter. You will know what is right for your family!

Beyond that, I wish I had started out with a ring sling (taylor made) and had just started out with my baby in my bed/Arm's reach cosleeper. Oh, happiness.

I mostly wish I hadn't gotten all hung up on the "shoulds" and silly details and had just gone with the flow and my gut more. Do that and your golden!

Oh, and one more thing! Don't stress about nursing in public. The frustration of trying to hide yourself away all the time builds up pretty quickly and makes you crazy. Just do it, no one is paying attention. And who cares if they are? Not your hungry babe!

This is the only post I have read but I totally agree.  Listen to Your instincts!!!  Dont listen to people who tell you it is dumb or whatever to sleep with your baby, or to hold them all the time, or BF, or whatever.  People were ALWAYS telling me to "just let her cry" and it felt so wrong, I listened for a few minutes a few times, but then stopped.  I wish I wouldnt have even bothered listening at all.  My poor baby was without her mommy/comfort for several minutes several times and was totally lost because someone else thought it should be that way?  Not this time!  I dont even go to the Dr anymore for well child checks or anything unless I am concerned about  something.  My Dr was not a very good Dr, she pressured me into vaccinating when I didnt want to, told me not to co-sleep, told me breastmilk was imperfect and I needed to supplement and give DD vitamin drops, said cloth diapers are pointless, told me to let DD cry herself to sleep from the time she was a NB on, told me to give medicine at the slightest hint of a fever, was in favor of circumcision(I had a girl, but I know this from her other patients), told me to start solids WAY too early, said organic food was no different than conventional, ETC.

Anyway, do your research and find out what really is best for your babe.  And base decisions on facts and on your own feelings, not what others think.  It is your baby.

[mommy2be2011]

wow i would seriously think about changing doctors!

[miriam_bat_avraham]

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Edited by miriam_bat_avraham - 4/20/13 at 9:52pm