An Open Letter to New Mommy's

Having a baby? Have a brand new little one at home? This is my personal survival guide.

1. Get a good ring sling. They are adjustable, and they keep baby close and give you a pair of hands to do laundry, dishes, or read a book.
   
2. Don't give up on nursing too soon! Nursing is often misunderstood as being totally natural and easy. It IS natural, but it's NOT easy in the early days. Read "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" and take the advice. After a few weeks you will be amazed at how easy and wonderful Breastfeeding is.
3. Don't worry about "training" your baby. You have plenty of time for discipline (trust me.)enjoy this small amount of time when discipline is not necessary. In my opinion you can not spoil a newborn. The transition from womb to air is severe, and the transition should be made as smoothly as possible. As your baby gets closer to age 1, techniques can be altered according to the baby's needs & abilities.
   
4. Do it YOUR way. There is a reason why God gave your specific baby to YOU. In my experience "Mommy Gut" is almost never wrong. Let your inner mommy talk. If someone tells you that you are doing something wrong, be confident in your choices and decisions...and stand by them. Don't give in to something because you assume that an experienced parent knows a better way to do things....they don't. Every baby is unique and must be parented according to his/her needs.
5. LEARN TO SWADDLE!
   

In conclusion, babyhood FLIES past. It's the shortest period in your child's life. In the beginning the hours seem like days, and the days like years, but when you look back on the hazy days of babyhood you will wonder where it went. It's like the blink of an eye. EAT IT UP!!! Take in as much of that time as you possibly can, because you can't ever get it back. When I was in the midst of Reagan's colic (and pregnant!) I thought the days would NEVER EVER END!!!! I now look fondly upon the hours I spent rocking her, and walking around the apartment for hours with her (trying to calm her down! She liked to walk.). They are treasured memories. I look back on the 1-2 hour long nursing sessions I had with Ethan, and I smile. It seemed like all he did was eat, for literally hours at a time....and I WAS tired, but now it's a warm & fuzzy memory.

I have some of the same memories with the triplets, but that's the bittersweetness of having multiples....you never seem to have enough time to snuggle them as much as you want to.