What would you tell yourself as a new mom if you could?

Beth.1212

A post elsewhere got me thinking... what would be top pieces of advice you'd give yourself if you could go back in time and talk to yourself right after your LO was born? 

I'd tell myself to get LO checked for a tongue/lip tie. Oh, the pain and troubles that could have been avoided if they'd diagnosed and fixed his tongue tie at the hospital! 

I'd tell myself to worry about life (housecleaning, dinner, laundry, etc.) less and take more time to snuggle with LO. They're never quite that snuggly again, and it passes way too quickly! 

I'd also tell myself to try and have LO avoid a nursing association for sleep. By 3/4 months, my LO couldn't sleep unless he nursed himself to sleep, and it got to be a real problem. For example, if he was full and needed a nap, we were between a rock and a hard place. If I needed to go to a dr. appointment and leave him with a sitter, he couldn't nap. Etc. It got really bad, and when I tried to fix the problem, it was REALLY really really really hard for both of us. 

MrsBigTime

Practically speaking, I would tell myself to pump every day, starting as soon as we got home. That would have saved me a lot of stress about supply and stash when I went back to work. 

More emotionally speaking, I would tell myself to trust myself as a mother. Not to feel like I had to justify any choice I made in my role as a mother - I still need to hear this now! 

I would also tell myself to take more pictures, and have my hubby take more pictures of me with DD. I still pour over the ones we have and I don't think any we would have had would ever really be enough to capture the sweetness of having a newborn.

JessAnnJ

Don't be as hard on yourself if breastfeeding doesn't go as planned.

Take more pictures of yourself with LO.

Everything gets easier with time.

Daycare will not damage LO. She will thrive there.

Jackiemxoxo

Like you Beth.1212, I would've pushed more to get the toungue tie clipped at the hospital instead of them waiting until she was 3 months which would've made breastfeeding easier and probably avoided mastitis. 

I would tell myself to relax more and let other people watch her. It is ok to take a break and get some rest.

Don't stress about nursing associations and binky associations, she will learn to sleep on her own eventually.

Take more pictures and videos

Trust your mother's intuition, you know your baby better than anyone else. 

jac409

Don't get used to any particular sleeping/eating pattern, because it will change. Don't worry about all of the advice everyone gives you. Do what works for you, your baby and your family. Babies are very resilient. Nothing you do early on is going to spoil them or ruin their sleep habits forever.

kerbear135

Enjoy baby snuggles more- I was worried about holding her too much and getting her spoiled, and now she'll only let me hold her when she's sleepy....

myskyegirl

Get a C-section, and I wouldn't have to deal with OAB again.

Take more pics with baby girl, no one but me cares what I looked like. LOL

@mrsbigtime I'm stealing this - More emotionally speaking, I would tell myself to trust myself as a mother. Not to feel like I had to justify any choice I made in my role as a mother - I still need to hear this now!

Litgirl77

Great question…so, so many things came to mind.

Refuse the Hep B shot. It's not necessary until much, much later.

Your milk isn't going to come in, and stressing about it isn't going to help. Neither is working with 2 lactation consultants. Or beating yourself up. Formula isn't the end of the world, and your child is going to be just fine.

The colic is reflux. 

It's ok that he sleeps in his swing. 

Stop worrying that he'll never sleep through the night. He will. Just not as soon as you think. 

SingleMom31

Know that whatever difficulty that we're having will pass soon.

Start pumping to freeze sooner.

Ask for help when I started feeling depressed.

 

Beth.1212

Jackiemxoxo said:

Like you Beth.1212, I would've pushed more to get the toungue tie clipped at the hospital instead of them waiting until she was 3 months which would've made breastfeeding easier and probably avoided mastitis. 

I would tell myself to relax more and let other people watch her. It is ok to take a break and get some rest.

Don't stress about nursing associations and binky associations, she will learn to sleep on her own eventually.

Take more pictures and videos

Trust your mother's intuition, you know your baby better than anyone else. 

How funny that we'd give the opposite advice! Just goes to show you that every baby and every family is different

LittleFish1

That it's o.k. to put the baby down. She'll fuss a tad, but will settle back.