| 1. Don’t sweat the small stuff like laundry and dishes. And rest when they rest!!!!! – Nicole" |
| 2. Trust your gut, don’t let people sway the way you feel. You have to do what is right for YOUR family. – Candise |
| 3. Sleep when they sleep…no matter what needs to be done! – Leigh |
| 4. Don’t be afraid to ask for or accept help! – Sarah |
| 5. Don’t skip the shower, you feel more refreshed afterward. – Ebonita |
| 6. Relax!!! The only perfect parents are people without children. Don’t kill yourself trying to be perfect in the world’s eyes. Your baby already thinks you hold the moon and stars. – Stephanie |
| 7. Don’t read anything on the internet about where your baby should be or what they should be doing. Also, try to stay away from baby books too! – Katie |
| 8. It’s a phase they do grow out of it! This too shall pass! – Sarah & Fran |
| 9. There is nothing more irritating than other people telling you what you ‘should’ be doing with your newborn baby. You need to find it out for yourself as you go along. Its much more relaxing that way. – Karen |
| 10. Do what works for YOUR family, regardless of whether others agree with it or not! – Carie |
| 11. Pray over your child nightly – Marlene |
| 12. Figure out how to afford a monthly housekeeping by a professional. So worth the investment! – Michele |
| 13. Enjoy every second of your motherhood – … Its too precious. Never treat them as a burden. – Lynn |
| 14. Stock up on the batteries…. There are very few toys that don’t need them… A pack or two in all sizes. – Carla |
| 15. Don’t pump until you get things sorted out. Pumping just makes you feel bad. Also, smell your baby whenever you can. That delicious baby smell doesn’t last nearly long enough. – Sarah |
| 16. Breastfeed your baby. The best milk on earth! – Lynn |
| 17. Patience patience patience. And your hygiene is just as important as the baby’s. Take a shower everyday. Let the bundle cry for 10 minutes if it means you feel refreshed. – Josie |
| 18. Babies cry, it’s what they do. And sometimes there is nothing we can do to soothe them. Our job is NOT to make them stop crying- it is to hold them your child while they cry. – Karen |
| 19. Get your hair cut and colored right before the baby is born. It will be a LONG time before you will have the time or energy to make it to the salon again. – Rebekah |
| 20. Breath. It’s ok to walk away and breath. – Tasha |
| 21. Take everything people tell you what you should and shouldn’t be doing with a grain of salt. Only you know what’s best for your baby!!!! Never doubt your mama instinct!!! – Kimberly |
| 22. Hold you baby as much as you can. Enjoy every precious moment. – Joy |
| 23. Sleep when the baby sleeps. Share the care responsibilities. Take lots of pictures! Daddy will always do it different than you and THAT IS OKAY!!!!! – Lisa |
| 24. Oh wow. That time really does fly. That every stage is a passing one, and before you know it your babies will not be babies anymore. They’ll be moody teenagers or in the blink of an eye, off to university. IT GOES SO FAST!! Cherish those baby days. – Jackie |
| 25. Follow your heart/gut on what you feel is right for raising your own baby. Don’t let others make you feel like you don’t know what you are doing because upi are a new mom and they have more. Don’t let others make you feel like crap if you don’t breast feed your baby, they don’t know why you maybe can’t or don’t want to. Enjoy every moment, they are the most amazing gift EVER! – Janel |
| 26. Go with your heart instinct on what is best for your child. Don’t let the books and others fear you into doing “it” a certain way. Each child is unique and has different needs. Don’t feel guilty to do what you feel is best for the little one you love so much! – Jennifer |
| 27. It’s already been said but I will reinforce because it’s soooo important. SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP…you need it. You’re a much better mother with some rest; dishes, laundry, whatever…it can wait. Learn to be okay with a messy house sometimes. There’s no such thing as too much love. – Andrea |
| 28. Enjoy! It goes so quick! – Julie |
| 29. Give yourself some grace: motherhood is a work in progress, we’re always learning and even the best make mistakes from time to time. – Jennifer |
| 30. Ask for help!! Don’t be ashamed everyone needs help. – Lisa |
| 31. Take pictures of the good times… evidence for later – Jes |
| 32. Find time to take care of your essential needs because you will feel better. And have patience during the sleepless nights and enjoy that time with them instead of getting angry or depressed, allow yourself to adapt to the change in your {daily} plans. Babies are only babies for a little while. – Brianna |
| 33. Patience and love. Oh and make sure you always have replacement batteries and that your phone is always handy for priceless Kodak moments. – Darla |
| 34. Unconditional love. You cannot like their behavior but you can love the child in words and actions. – Latricia |
| 35. Everyone loves to give advice. Go with your instinct and intuition. If something works for you and people disagree go with your gut feeling. – Leni |
| 36. Everyone has meltdown days, so don’t feel like a failure when you do too. – Bronte |
| 37. Ignore the baby books and others advice listen to your baby. – Karina |
| 38. Make sure to eat. – Kelly |
| 39. You don’t need all the baby stuff. Just hold them, talk to them, read to them and love them. They don’t need every bouncy, saucer, and seat they sell at babies r us. – Jodie |
| 40. You know those icky-sticky Weetabix leftovers that turn to concrete ….. If there’s no time to clear them….. Wet a flannel/face washer with hot washer and lay over the top! Wipes up super fast when you get back from whatever you have to do. mama x 8, Emma. |
| 41. Don’t stress about the house being super clean. A house where your kids feel comfortable playing and being creative is a happy one! – Kristen |
42. All of the above, plus don’t over research anything. You’ll only scare yourself needlessly. Trust me. – Michele. |
43. Don’t think just because someone has more kids than you that they know it all. – Faige |
| 44. Take pictures…they change so fast. – Stephanie |
| 45. Take the time to play with them. – Monica |
| 46. Rock them while they are little, it goes away so fast. You will never regret it. – Dionne |
| 47. You will never regret being sweet with your child, but you will regret it if your grouchy with them. Especially, when you see their precious lil face after they fall asleep. – Elizabeth |
| 48. Relax, if you are lucky they will be out of the house in about 30 years. – Mary |
| 49. Trust your instincts. – Andrea |
| 50. Time with your baby is more important than stuff for your baby. Treasure the baby time. – Jill |
