June 7, 2012

Mommyhood...a Top Five List to keep your Sanity

Recently it hit me that a lot of new and old friends are having bambinos as of late and, since I started a decade before them all, I thought I could share a bit of wisdom/humor that I think would be *helpful for you ladies (and gents) out there.

*The use of the word helpful is used cautiously...
  

#1. All Babies Cry...so get used to it and Just. Enjoy. Life.


Yes you. Your baby will cry...a lot. It's not your fault. It's not a problem. And if you want to feel better about yourself, just keep in mind that babies can't talk and all they know right now is that "if I cry, one of those big giant people will come and pick me up".


#2. A Boppy is your Best Friend!


It truly is...from birth to two, maybe even three years old. You'll use it for every and any thing. Breastfeeding...check! Lounging...check! Breaking a fall while your little one is learning to sit up on it's own...double check. They can drool on it. Fall asleep on it. Whatever you need, your Boppy can provide! Trust me.


#3. Diapers...



Okay. In all honesty, no one likes them. On top of being one of the largest waste products to go into our landfills each year, they're a pain in the ass rear to change. No one likes doing it; especially if you're not an immediate family member of said baby. Quick factoid: The average number of changes for a newborn is 12-16 times per day for the first 2 weeks!!! And according to http://www.diaperingdecisions.com, the total estimated average cost per year is $2694.54 for 7,349 disposable, single use diapers (and that's a rough estimate). I recently had a convo with a girlfriend of mine who's adorable daughter Gracie just turned three and just finished potty training, so add that figure times three.

As a Mommy of three, I've had my share of diaper duty and all I can say is that the best financial/environmental decision I've ever made (baby-wise) was buying reusable diapers for my youngest. Yes, it's a pain in the bootay to wash and all, but consciously I felt a lot better about my child's waste and how we were affecting this amazing world of ours.


#4. Let Dad (or whoever else is in that support role) help...please!




I don't know about you but when I had a newborn, it was hard to let go. Maybe it's just my Type-A personality, and I understand how different we all are however, I found myself wanting to do it all. We are Superwomen after all right? We are...and it's okay to know it. What's not okay is thinking we can do it all, after having given birth, on top of trying to breast (or bottle) feed, all while changing diapers and onesies, which only add to that increasing pile of laundry...you get my point now? Good.

As hard as we fall in love with this new life we've just brought into the world, we have to remind ourselves that we have to love ourselves too. And loving ourselves means getting rest when we can so we can be that Superwoman we always knew we had deep down inside of us.

So go ahead and let Dad, Nana, Auntie, the new Godparent/Best Friend, etc., help out...and don't feel a drop of guilt for asking or accepting any form of assistance!


#5. Don't forget that Life is Wonderful




You're Blessed. You're Loved. You've Given Life. And that in itself makes Life Wonderful. Remember the positive things and don't sweat the small stuff. Life is Wonderful. And every time you feel down, take a deep breath and then take a look at your beautiful baby. As insane and chaotic life may be as a parent, it's that unselfish love that will last a lifetime.

If you need more help out there on the web, here are my weekly recommendations:

http://www.babble.com/baby
http://www.dooce.com
http://www.mochamoms.org

I hope you have an amazing rest of the week and keep the positive thoughts going!

Happy Thursday
xo Cat! 


1 comment:

  1. what a great post! thanks for your wonderful insight!

    ReplyDelete