The Gift of Motherhood: Things That Nobody Really Tells You

I knew that I wanted kids as long as I can remember. I felt like I was just destined to be a mom. So as the time approached for my calling in life to become a reality, I was quite excited but also a bit nervous. I remember thinking "how will I know what to do?" and "what if this is harder than I think?"--I'm sure that every mother to be does the same thing. Then she was here, my beautiful little angel! After a terrible labor and recovery from a C-section, the reality sunk in that I was going home with this tiny little baby and I had no idea what to do.

My husband and I laugh now at the day we came home from the hospital, put her carrier on the floor, and just stared at her. Now what?! I always felt like the basics of motherhood would just come to me, and though they have now, they didn't at first. People tell you that you'll just know what to do, and I think that's true, but it's also after a few initial rough days (and nights of course!) of muddling your way through it and making mistakes along the way. There's also an overwhelming amount of advice, all of which conflicts. I can remember crying the entire way home from our first pediatrician appointment--everything they told us conflicted with the information in the hospital, and surely didn't match up with that of my friends and family. What to do now? As I take a step back and really think about it, I find that there are some things to put in perspective and so I offer these tips to new moms, moms to be, or maybe even those offering the advice.

*Find Your Way: You will get tons of information, but at the end of the day it's you (and your significant other) that are doing the parenting. Figure out what works for you and go with it, trust your instincts here! Just because Bobby took seven bottles a day or slept through the night at two months, doesn't mean that your baby will and that's okay. Find what works for you and make it your way!

*Rest When You Can: I find that the sleep deprivation along with the constant flow of visitors, as well as the sheer energy of trying to figure out what I was doing, made me feel completely rundown. I tried to take a nap whenever my daughter did, I tried to go to bed early whenever I could, and for goodness sake if somebody offers you help (including your husband or mother)--take it!

*Sort Out the Useful Information: It's amazing how you will get unsolicited advice, even from people on the streets. Take in whatever you can and then sort it into useful vs. not worth buying into. I'm not being nasty here, but sometimes even your closest of friends will do things differently and therefore offer you advice that you can't possibly process much less practice. This goes double for what you read, there's some really great stuff out there, even some great sites. You do however have to take into consideration that there's some less than credible information and be able to sort it--again whatever works for you and blends well with your particular parenting style.

*Enjoy Every Second: I heard this tip more than anything else, and it's because it's the most important! Enjoy every single moment with that precious little bundle, even the sleepless nights where you rock until you can rock no more. Enjoy and savor it because it goes so fast, and though it sounds cliche it's so true. I heard recently that "while the days seem to sometimes last forever, the years speed by." Don't take anything for granted, and enjoy the absolute bliss that this little angel will bring to your life!