A Mom Blogger’s Advice ~ Week 7

With a new baby on the way, I am planning a virtual baby shower for August complete with tons of baby gear reviews and a massive giveaway. I already have some great companies lined up, and I am working on getting more. (If you have a baby or new mom product and would like to participate, contact me.)

Leading up to the virtual shower, I thought it would be fun to recruit some of my fellow bloggers to share their best parenting advice. So every week from now till August, I will feature A Mom Blogger’s Advice. I hope you enjoy the advice as much as I do (I am printing all of the advice for my baby book).

I’d love to hear from you too. If you have parenting advice you would like to share (whether you are a blogger or not), email me. I’ll feature any advice I get so everyone can enjoy.

Advice from Jen at Oddly Enough

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Just recently I was working in a hospital as a newborn photographer. I got to see lots of different babies and, more interestingly, how the new parents acted with their new baby. There was quite a difference in how couples with their first baby acted versus how a couple with more than one baby acted. You could always tell those first-time parents, because they were the ones worrying over every little thing. One couple in particular sticks out to me, where a new mother refused to let anyone visiting her, even her family hold her new baby unless they washed their hands completely. Even then she hovered over them worrying that they were going to drop the baby or hold her new baby’s head the wrong way.

I’ll admit that I was the same way when I brought my own baby home from the hospital for the first time. She was just so fragile looking. I worried over every little detail. There were issues that I couldn’t nurse her so I worried that the formula was not the right temperature and that I would scald her or it wouldn’t be warm enough and give her an upset stomach. There were a zillion little things that I worried about. It took me several weeks, but I finally got over it. With my second child, I knew not to sweat the small stuff. The second time was much easier around. I wasn’t tying myself into knots over every little thing.

Bringing a new baby home can be just as scary as it is exciting, but don’t sweat the small stuff. Your baby will be okay if you are five minutes off your feeding schedule. The umbilical cord is just ugly and will fall off when it is supposed to (don’t ask). That sigh is not your baby struggling to breathe (yeah I was that momma). Take your time and enjoy your little one, because those first few weeks baby is home can be quite nerve wracking as you learn your new routine, but it will be all okay. Take it slow and relax.

Congratulations on your new baby! You will have lots of fun and horrifying moments and I can guarantee you it will NEVER be a dull ride. Lots of love!

Jen at Oddly Enough where I talk about the trials and tribulations of raising teenagers.