New Mama Advice from Dara

Please welcome Dara from Not In Jersey who is so wonderful and offered to guest post for me! You should definitely pay her a visit!

I am so excited for Kim to have her baby and to hear about her journey
into motherhood. Since I have three kids myself, I feel almost
qualified enough to share some advice. Actually, advice from other
moms can be the last thing new moms want to hear! That’s why I think
my advice will help.

Me Then (2005)

1. Take everything with a grain of salt. Including from your doctors.
   When my first baby was born, I had a hard time getting her to start
   breastfeeding. Everyone from my sister-in-law to our covering
   pediatrician suggested that I try formula. While some moms would have
   done just that, for some reason whenever formula was mentioned I would
   start to cry. I stuck with breastfeeding and by the time my milk came
   in we had it down. I attribute our breastfeeding to our bonding and
   thankfully it worked for us. So for me, NOT listening to the doctor
   helped in the long run!

1. Even though you may not want your friends’ advice, you should
   still take any help they offer you. If someone asks what they can do,
   suggest they come hold your baby while you take a shower or a nap.
   Making you a meal is always helpful too!

1. There may be things you do as a new mom that you swore you’d never
   do. I didn’t think I would sleep with my babies, but it worked out
   best for me in the early days – I actually got so much sleep with my
   3rd baby was a newborn because I slept through almost all his
   overnight wake ups by nursing him lying down!

1. Find a community. Whether it’s online or through your church or a
   local moms’ club, it is helpful to find moms who are similar to you –
   moms with kids the same ages as yours, the same views on parenting, or
   just someone who is a good listener!

1. Even though the days may seem long, the years will go by fast. I
   can’t believe I have an almost 8 year old! So try to enjoy the moments
   – they’re only babies once!

Me Now (2012) – “Being a Mom is
like running a marathon. Every. Single. Freaking. Day.”

I’d love for everyone to visit me at my blog, Not In Jersey! Thanks for
reading!

Tagged as: advice, baby, new mom