Lessons of Motherhood

I watched a video about what first time mothers would tell themselves if they could go back to before their first child was born...got me thinking...what would I have told myself...

DONT weigh yourself when you first get home from the hospital. It won't help you feel better about yourself. If you retained ANY water during pregnancy and had IV fluid during your hospital stay, you WILL NOT come home any lighter. It takes a week or two for you body to adjust...THEN weigh yourself.

Sleep is optional...especially at night.

Sleep when the baby does - at least once a day.

If you don't breastfeed, your children will not be learning impaired, sick all the time and allergic to everything - including air.

You are NOT a failure or love you baby any less if you choose to give them a bottle. You are however a champ if you stick it out and nurse...just not a better mother for doing it.

You are not a failure if you have a c-section. The goal is a healthy baby...regardless of how their entry is made.

Drugs during labor were MY friend - they are not everyones.

Your heart will now beat outside your body.

Your mother and your mother in law know more than you about newborns.

Trust your instincts

Your baby will get sick. You will panic. You will call people at all hours of the night to see how you use that boogger sucker outer thingy.

You will realize that you are capable of a love much deeper than you ever thought possible.

You will deal with more bodily fluids than you ever dreamt of...and none of them will gross you out like you thought they would.

You will love your husband more truely and deeply than before.

Don't google any odd things your child does or has...it will only panic you.

You will cry as much as your child during their first set of shots.

You can't die from not sleeping.

Your child will EVENTUALLY sleep through the night.

Sleep at night helps you handle just about anything during the day.

Sometimes babies cry for no reason.

Pacifiers are your best friend...and your worst enemy...all at the same time.

Learn to swadle.

Babies don't need shoes.

Those gowns are all you need for night time sleeping with a newborn...no buttons or snaps at night!!

Baby boys will pee on their face at some point...you will be baffled as to how he does that...there will even be a point where their will be pee everywhere, BUT, in the still dry diaper.

It will take you 1 hour longer to do anything or go anywhere.

You will wonder what you ever did with all of your time before your little one comes.

Free time is no longer in your vocabulary.

Mommy guilt is real.

Mommy guilt SUCKS.

Never say the words...my child will never...it's dangerous.

You WILL buy character clothing/shoes...even if you said you wouldn't.

One will look just like you. One will not.

It is possible and ok to think your newborn is ugly.

You might have to take a bit to bond with your little one before you feel like a momma!

Your husband may say: " I CANT BELIEVE THEY ARE LETTING US LEAVE WITH IT!!!"...you will agree and laugh!