What Mothers Need to Know

More wisdom for ALL new moms from "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding":


"Newborns don’t look like magazine babies.

There are no right answers.

People say things, but they aren’t always trying to be judgmental when they say them.

A dirty house builds extra immunities.

Sometimes motherhood stinks.

Should is a poison word that argues against reality.

It’s important to see other babies so you know what’s really normal.

Sometimes the books are just wrong.

Listen to yourself.

Listen to your baby. Respect him and his intuition. He will tell you what he needs.

Find someone who will listen to you.

You will never achieve an ideal state of motherhood.

Wait long enough and it will change, and the questions and answers will be

different.

Pick your battles.

A dog is an excellent floor cleaner.

Respond to questions with “Why do you ask?”

Receiving blankets have all kinds of uses— a surface for public diaper changes, an extra wrap in a car seat, catching spit- up.

Hold off buying things until you know whether you’re ever going to use them— like a crib or changing table. Don’t get caught up in the consumerism of new parenthood.

The ideal adult- to- baby ratio is about three to one the first week. But if all you have is one mother and one baby, you’ll manage.

When people offer help, say yes.

Join a playgroup. It’s not for the child, it’s for the mother.

After a week or so, get out of the house. The crying doesn’t bother other people as much as you think it does, and even the grocery store can seem like a wonderful adventure.

Step outside when you can, throw your shoulders back, take a deep breath, and look up for at least a few seconds.

Don’t be surprised at how totally bizarre you feel the first week. It’s normal to feel really weird.

You can only do what you can do.

Let go of your expectations and let what is be.

Just because it’s fun doesn’t mean it’s not important."

http://www.llli.org/docs/0000000000000001WAB/WAB_Tear_sheet_Toolkit/13_whatmothersneedtoknow.pdf

Have I mentioned how much I love this book? ;)

The only one I don't like is the "Sometimes, motherhood stinks" statement. Don't get me wrong, I am well aware of the feeling this comment stems from; motherhood can be far from glamorous or "pinteresty", it's definitely stressful, overwhelming and hard sometimes. Yet even in those moments, the lowest of lows, I know how incredibly lucky I am to have this gift so I won't ever say it is anything but the best!