Thursday, September 15, 2011

Writer's Workshop

5.) Advice to new mothers.


When I was pregnant with Ethan, everyone I met had some advice for me. What to do or eat while I was pregnant. I got advice on how to make my labour smoother. Once Ethan was born I was inundated with advice. It got to a point where I questioned myself. 


Yes, I was a new mom. But I didn't feel I was a bad one. I wanted to do things my way. Learn. Make mistakes (as long as they didn't cause Ethan harm). But everyone I knew would tell me when to feed, what to feed, how to bathe him, dress him, hold him. It was crazy.


You've heard of Mother's intuition, right? I remember being pregnant and wondering if I would ever have that. And then, the minute I held Ethan, I knew I did.


So, my advice for a new mom is simple; Don't listen to advice. If you have questions, ask. But as for all the unsolicited advice you'll receive, take it with a grain of salt. Seriously. With the advice I was given, it got to the point where I felt I couldn't trust my instinct. I didn't have a mother's instinct. So, don't listen to it all. 


Trust yourself. You may be a new mom, but you're a mom. You have that instinct. You know what to do. And while everyone's there to help, that's just that. Help. Not tell you what to do. Trust yourself, and ignore the rest. 


Having said that, I do have one more piece of advice. Take time for yourself and your partner. Never forget, that before you were a mother, you were are a person. You need some time for yourself and your partner. Time to connect. Enjoy each other as you did before two became three.


This unsolicited advice has been brought to you by Mama Kat and her Writer's Workshop.


My apologies, but I can't get the button to work.







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