- At hospital my baby will room in ONLY. ha...it took less than 4 hours for me to realize that all those moms who advised me to take advantage of the hospital nursery were 110% right. During the first 2 hours of sleep, my aching body was out of bed 3 times to check on the baby because I heard her make a little sound or I needed to make sure she was still breathing or she started crying because she got her little arm out of her swaddling. Then I woke poor sleeping daddy to check on her once because I just couldn't make my legs move anymore. We both agreed she would go to the nursery....best thing I ever did. We both got MUCH NEEDED sleep. Our first night home, with the baby finally asleep, we looked at each other and said, "no nursery anymore" :( Bless those nursery nurses for taking care of my baby!
- I won't use the pacifier.... when you have a screaming baby and can't calm her down, the pacifier becomes your sanity saver. I also said I wouldn't let her have it in bed....yeah she gets it in bed.
- I'll be tough and let her cry herself to sleep. I'm tough....for about 2 minutes and then I can't stand it any longer. I've become tougher, or as Brendan would say, my heart has become cold. :) I do let her cry a little longer than 2 minutes, but sometimes the girl just needs her momma.
Nursing is natural; the way God designed it; the best for baby.... then why is it so darn difficult! We spent Eliana's first 6 weeks with a lactation consultant. For 6 weeks for e.v.e.r.y. feeding we nursed, pumped and fed her a bottle. Each feeding lasted about an hour or more. EXHAUSTING! I'm so glad that for the first 2 weeks my mother in-law and my mom were there to help out. They would even get up for the night time feedings. Bless their hearts, they were so helpful! Around 7 weeks baby girl finally caught on to nursing and by 8 weeks the bottle was a thing of the past! So were night time feedings! Hello 8 straight hours of glorious sleep! It seriously does a body good!
In the first few weeks you spend most of your time consoling a crying baby, feeding your baby, changing your baby, or putting baby to sleep. All the while trying to find a spare 15 minutes to take a shower just so you can feel human! More common advice from moms is to, "Sleep when baby sleeps." And ladies if you follow any advice follow this! It makes a much happier momma, a happier daddy, and just a happier home! One day I didn't get a nap and I was a basket case! So my hubby became the nap nazi. He always asked me when he got home from work if I took a nap that day. I really didn't stop taking naps until she started sleeping through the night.
Here are some of my top picks on must have's for new mom's...ok, maybe you don't have to have them, but they made my life a little easier.
When parents tell you to, "Enjoy them because it flies by before you know it," listen to them. I can't believe that I have a 2 month old! Every day is different than the day before. The sweet noises of a cooing baby that fill my home put a smile on my face and tears of joy in my eyes
