If only my newborn baby arrived with a handbook….
I often wonder how much easier it would be to raise a child if they were sent home from the hospital with a handbook. Sure, you can walk into your local bookstore and stand for hours reading the backs of “how to” books, watch educational shows on TV, and attend the local hospital’s prenatal classes. But nothing, I mean nothing, can prepare you for motherhood. From the moment you find out that you will become a mother, fear strikes!! Will we have enough money? Are we ready to be parents? Is my spouse responsible enough? The more questions that come up the more and more you wonder, will I be a good mom? Will I be like my mom?
Fortunately it takes nature 9 months for you to have your baby from the moment you find out that you are expecting. I took this time to educate myself by researching the Internet, attending prenatal classes, and watching “baby shows” on TLC. I definitely underestimated the amount of advice I would receive, some requested and some unsolicited. I received advice from everyone—my parents, in-laws, co-workers, friends, family, and even fellow grocery shoppers (once I began showing). By the time my due date arrived, I thought I was ready.
One of the first decisions I made during my pregnancy, was to wait to find out the sex of the baby until he/she was born. I would recommend waiting to everyone. The moment my doctor said “It’s a girl!” I was overwhelmed with emotion. After she was cleaned and checked in the delivery room, my husband walked with the nurse to the nursery. As soon as my family and friends saw him walking down the hall with the hospital crib, they ran up to him anxious to meet the addition to the family…he was so proud. Immediately, phone calls were being made…is it a boy or girl? How much does she weigh? How long is she? Who does she look like? What’s her name? This wouldn’t have been the same if we already knew the sex, name, and birth date (if it’s a planned C-section).
The next decision I made was to breastfeed our daughter. Even though I believe that breast milk is the best nutrition, I underestimated the commitment. Looking back, I would have approached feeding differently. I was foolish to think that when I would be ready to give it up, so would she…wrong.
My daughter is now 8 months….and I am offering some unsolicited advice to you. You will make a feeding decision that is best for you and your child, you will learn what he/she wants or needs long before they will be able to communicate, and you will make mistakes. The important thing to remember is that our parents didn’t have handbooks nor the Internet, and they raised us!
Stay tuned as I experience life as a new mom!
