Best Advice Offered

[craftcrazymama]

We've all been offered plenty of bad or questionable advice, but what is the best advice you've been given?

What advice have you heard, agreed with, tried and found to be valuable/true so far?

[jags8]

-Let the laundry and dishes go. You will never look back and think "I wish I cleaned my house more." Snuggle your kiddo(s) as much as possible while you can.

-use Lanolin right away, before they ever get sore or crack. My nipples never cracked and were only sensitive for a little while!

-You don't have to change the diaper every MOTN wake up, just if the diaper feels pretty full/squishy or if there is poop.

[rubykitten]

My mom and sister have been amazing with breastfeeding advice. They're like my own personal lactation consultants! From ways to get her to open her mouth wider, or provide more support for her head, or how to get more out of a pumping session. They're one of the reasons LO and I have such a successful breastfeeding relationship and why I felt so confident once I left the hospital

[jags8]

While still at the hospital after birth, send the baby to the nursery at night. At first I didn't want to, and DH really didn't want to, but DS was such a loud sleeper! Finally at 11:00 the first night, while DH was sleeping soundly, I called for the nurse and she took him. It was awesome having someone just bring him to me when he needed to eat and then taking him so I could sleep!

[scotty138]

If you can, let baby sleep on you. Relax, watch tv, read, etc and snuggle that baby.

[craftcrazymama]

Mine would be sleep when baby sleeps, if you can.

I didn't do that nearly enough with DD and I felt it big time. This time with LO I have been taking at least one of his naps with him on me or upstairs in my bed while he's in his bassinet and getting a good extra hour or two has made all the difference to my tiredness levels and my ability to cope.

I really notice it on the days when DD is home from pre-school and I can't get a nap in.

[Deleted]

You don't have to love every minute with a newborn.

There is so much pressure to love the newborn phase because it goes quickly but I love toddlerhood far more and I look forward to her being more mobile.

[mrsk23]

Trust your baby. If they are hungry feed them. Tired? Let them sleep.

Never wake a sleeping baby, unless you have to. Don't wake them up just because you think they should be up.

Fed is best, however that has to happen.

[renbee]

Jun 18, 2016 12:38:53 GMT -5 @unicornofthesea said:

What is this "fed is best?"
Meaning who the F cares if it's BF or FF?

Yep. Someone also told me "look at a class of second graders, and try to guess who was breastfed and who was formula feed. You can't tell the difference." This helped put things in perspective for me when I was struggling with my inability to EBF.

[sammie]

My mom told me to sleep when the baby sleeps. Don't try to get stuff done around the house then.

After the first week my mom also said point his penis down in his diaper so he doesn't leak. Seems obvious now!

[sammie]

Jun 18, 2016 14:59:31 GMT -5 gooselover2012 said:

Best advice was from here....

Don't change the diaper MOTN unless dirty or very full. This has made a huge difference in getting her to go right back to sleep after her MOTN feeding.

Interesting... I didn't know that.

[jags8]

Ohhh yes sammie! My sister told me to make sure DS' penis was pointed down in the diaper! Such good advice.

[renbee]

Jun 18, 2016 16:23:30 GMT -5 jags8 said:

Ohhh yes sammie! My sister told me to make sure DS' penis was pointed down in the diaper! Such good advice.

Yea my husband always forgets this and I got peed all over today while I was nursing DS. All the sudden I was really warm and then I was like AWWWW MAN!

[jags8]

Jun 18, 2016 20:24:09 GMT -5 renbee said:

Jun 18, 2016 16:23:30 GMT -5 jags8 said:

Ohhh yes sammie! My sister told me to make sure DS' penis was pointed down in the diaper! Such good advice.

Yea my husband always forgets this and I got peed all over today while I was nursing DS. All the sudden I was really warm and then I was like AWWWW MAN!

Oh no! You would think he would understand!
DH never puts diapers on tight enough, and the sticky bits are always diagonal instead of parallel with the diaper.

[None]

Let yourself feel what you feel. It's a stressful. Don't feel guilty.

[creepyeyeball]

Lower your standards. Priceless advice. It's impossible to maintain a magazine-perfect home with little ones. Embrace the mess and look at it as a sign of a home full of children making memories.

Also, my life changed when someone reminded me that it's a good thing that babies wake frequently through the night. They are biologically hardwired to do so. Trying to change that will lead to stress, so just embrace it as a new norm and enjoy the mid-night snuggles. Once I started doing that it all became easier.

[creepyeyeball]

I forgot another one- never say never!! Everything you thought you knew before becoming a parent will change when you are. And it will change again when you have a second and a third and then sometime after that anything is game.

When I was pregnant with my first I said my kid would never play with noisy, flashy toys, never watch TV, never eat sweets, never be that kid throwing a tantrum in the grocery store, never BF when they are old enough to ask for it, never wear diapers at age 3, and so much more. I had so much to learn. Lol

[creepyeyeball]

Jun 19, 2016 11:44:07 GMT -5 graybaby said:

Jun 19, 2016 11:34:07 GMT -5 creepyeyeball said:

I forgot another one- never say never!! Everything you thought you knew before becoming a parent will change when you are. And it will change again when you have a second and a third and then sometime after that anything is game.

When I was pregnant with my first I said my kid would never play with noisy, flashy toys, never watch TV, never eat sweets, never be that kid throwing a tantrum in the grocery store, never BF when they are old enough to ask for it, never wear diapers at age 3, and so much more. I had so much to learn. Lol

Yep... I made all of DS1's baby food. Now that DS2 is here he is eating frozen chicken nuggets and Nutrigrain bars for more dinners than I care to admit. So much changes with every kid.

I gave up on baby food altogether by the time I had #3. I just EBF until age 1 and go straight to table foods. There's no time to sit and feed a baby at mealtime. I'm busy trying to get the other little people to eat. Plus with cloth diapers once you introduce food it gets harder (no more throwing poopy dipes straight in the pail). #lazymom

[Courtniko]

Go to the bathroom before sitting down to BF, even if the baby is crying

Be in the pictures with the baby, even if you do not love your body right now

[jags8]

Jun 21, 2016 9:21:03 GMT -5 buttercup said:

What you see on FB and social media is a very filtered part of someone's life. They don't have it together any more than you do.

Oh hell ya. I'm certainly not posting videos of me yelling at DH, or taking pics of DS when he's crying! Only the happy cute stuff goes up

[MissMusic]

This more applies to my older child but:

Always listen intently, even if they're talking about something silly. To them, its important. Always try to believe your child is telling the truth until proven otherwise.