Tips for New Moms

{1} Trust your motherly instincts.  You know the saying "Mother knows best"?  It's true.  If you think your baby is sick, trust your gut!  I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to my child.  Do you research on things as well and be your child's advocate.  If you feel there is something wrong with your baby and the doctor isn't agreeing, get a second opinion!  Even if your baby is fine, you will feel good that you made absolutely sure he/she was totally okay!

{2} Stop comparing.  Don't compare your baby to other babies.  Don't compare your parenting style to others' parenting styles.  Nothing good comes from comparing.  Your baby will develop at his/her own rate and there is no need to waste time thinking about other babies who are hitting milestones before your baby!

{3} Keep the husband-wife relationship strong.  Bringing a baby into the mix can be stressful on everyone.  Babies can sense stress.  Keep the house happy by dividing your love and affection between baby and hubby.  Not only will this bring you closer as a couple, but it will make everyone happy.  I can't wait to absolutely disgust Carson when he's older with my affection towards his father.  Ha, I'm so evil!

{4} Research baby gear!  Don't pick the trendiest items or the items that your friends INSIST you must get.  Pick the items that get the best safety ratings and that have positive reviews from actual customers!  Also keep in mind that an item may get rave reviews from thousands of customers, but it might not work for your baby.
{5} Get into a routine, but don't feel rushed to do so.  I remember Carson being 2 weeks old and someone asking me what his bedtime routine was.  They made me feel like such a failure!  Why didn't I have a routine yet?!  You want to know why, because he didn't even have a bedtime yet, he was still waking up every few hours!  Start your routine when you feel your baby is ready!  If your baby isn't ready, it will cause more stress on you.

 {6} Cherish every moment.  I SWORE I would never be one of those moms to say this, but it's true - the time goes SO fast.  Take extra time to let your newborn nap on your chest.  Never say things like "I can't wait until ____."  Trust me, it will be here before you know it and then you'll be wishing you had a squishy little newborn again!

{7} Don't be so hard on yourself!  I know many new moms (including myself) who wasted too much time stressing over the little things.  It's okay if your kitchen has dirty dishes in the sink.  It's okay if your fanciest outfit of the week was yoga pants and a nursing tank.  It's okay if a messy bun is your new go-to hair style.  The most important thing is that you're now a mother to a little blessing!  Your baby just needs your love and affection, not nice hair and fancy clothes!
{8} Don't be afraid to ask for help.  This kind of goes along with #7.  If you're feeling overwhelmed, ask for help.  Most people are thrilled to help a new mother because there's an extra benefit of stealing some snuggles with an adorable newborn baby!  Help comes in many forms.  You might need someone to come over for 30 minutes so you can get a shower.  You might want someone to bring dinner over.  You might even feel the need to get out of the house.  Just don't be scared to ask!
{9} Read to your baby!  I know a lot of people think it's silly to read to a newborn, but it's not!  I even read to Carson while he was in my belly!  Although your baby won't understand the stories you read yet, hearing your voice will help to stimulate an interest in sounds which helps develop listening skills!  [Former teacher, much!?]  Besides aiding in developmental skills, reading to your baby gives you the excuse to get in extra snuggles and bonding time!  This can also become part of your routine!
{10} Find a support system.  Find some Mommy friends (in real life or online) that can answer your questions and ease your worries.  Someone you can go to to clear your head.  For me, this came in the form of a new mom's group at my hospital as well as my birth month group from a community message board.  Being able to talk with moms who are going through what you're experiencing is very important and comforting.  Carson is 15 months and I am still extremely active on my birth month board!  It's amazing what a support system can do for a new mom!

I'm linking up with Becky today: