5 Things I Wish I Could Tell Myself Before Baby
Written by Foundling Guest Blogger, Stephanie Kearns, Director of Business Operations
Don’t over-commit to things like writing posts or blogs, there is never enough time in the day! Only kidding. If I can impart any wisdom on mothers and fathers to be, it’s a privilege to share some helpful tips:
1. You will never be able to fully prepare. I know this is a tough pill to swallow but if you’re a perfectionist or control freak like me, it becomes an unfulfilling endeavor to make the scene perfect before baby. Do your best, get the most necessary goods and the rest will fall into your lap. Trust me, friends will come out of the woodwork and free goodies will fall on your doorstep. You will survive without the $300 baby monitor that allows you log on wirelessly.
2. That leads me to #2; Don’t go for the priciest items on the spectrum. That baby monitor I refer to above? I have yet to use it and babysitters and visiting family members can’t use it because it’s too complicated to set up. You have to download an app, make sure Time Warner doesn’t fail you and zoom the camera around wherever your little one decides to crash at that particular moment. Get the good ole’ fashioned noise notifier. It does the trick!
3. Breastfeeding vs. formula. Oh boy, hot topic! Yes breastfeeding is natural, amazing and magical all in one. But truth is, most people have an extraordinarily hard time doing it. Do not beat yourself up as you learn to embrace the idea of breastfeeding. Relax, take your time and supplement in between. I’m not a doctor but I found that stress contributed to making a difficult new experience almost impossible. Feeding your child, no matter how you choose to do it is the most important thing. Nourishment and love is what they need, not a frustrated mom.
4. Don’t overindulge in the internet while pregnant or once you have the baby. I spent WAY too much time looking up every single symptom, quirk and oddity that I experienced and wasted so much time when I could have been sleeping or bonding with my husband or baby. Take a class when you’re around 7-8 months pregnant and you will get the tools you need. Otherwise you will drive yourself crazy believing that your baby has a lip tie and THAT is the reason they disconnect from the bottle or breast during feeding. Relax, they are just excited about the world around them.
5. My last piece of advice is to let go early. I love my baby girl, she is the absolute best thing I ever did and improved my life beyond measure. But don’t neglect the other areas of your life because of guilt or fear. Spend time with your partner, go out with your friends, ask your support system to babysit so you can read that book you’ve been dying to finish – heck you can still do it in the house – just get relief for those precious moments of pleasure. You deserve it and your baby deserves a parent who can love herself too.
