Ten Nuggets of Mom Wisdom from a Seasoned Professional

By Katie Rogers

1. No baby has ever cried themselves to death. If your baby is upset and they've been fed, changed, and have absolutely nothing wrong with them (that you can see), letting them cry so that you can catch your breath will not hurt them.

2. Plans are great! But don't beat yourself up if you have to deviate or even completely throw out a plan. Babies don't care about your plans. If you plan to breastfeed, but you're in a situation where you realize it's not working for you or your child, that's ok! If you had once told yourself "I'll never..." and then you end up doing that thing, that is perfectly ok. As long as your baby is fed and dry and sleeps (and you don't go insane), then don't feel bad about not sticking to your plan.

3. Everything is a phase. Every single thing. Nothing lasts forever. Currently in a rough patch of not sleeping? Give it time and hang in there because this will pass. Baby spitting up with reflux? It will pass.

4. Don't lower your volume. Do you like to have the TV blaring around the house while you're home? Does your dog bark at everything that moves? Creaky doors or floorboards? Once the baby arrives, don't keep the TV muted or the dog outside or whisper fight with your husband. Keep everything as is, the baby will adjust. By then, outbursts of sounds will be less likely to upset and rock the boat.

5. Motherhood is challenging, but it will get easier! Week by week, day by day, babies grow and change and become little people. Once they are able to better express what they want, they become more flexible to your life.

6. Accept help. Asking for help is never easy and accepting it is almost as difficult. But take advantage of your opportunities because you will have no energy to do what people might be offering.

7. Comparison is a thief of joy. Don't compare your baby to someone else's. Just because another baby can hold their head up, it doesn't mean your child is destined to go to college with a head flopping around. And don't compare yourself to other moms. They might look like they have everything together but I promise they do not. It just looks like they have it together for the 5 seconds it takes to snap a picture and post it to social media.

8. It is easier to keep a baby alive than it is a goldfish. I've had countless goldfish and none ever lasted long. But my children are both alive and thriving. The first year of having a baby is complete survival mode: you just have to keep them alive. They don't need to learn calculus or be able to write their name, they just need to be alive. Once you've managed to do that, you're all set.

9. You might not get the warm and fuzzy feelings of love for your baby at first. And that's ok! It will come eventually. Don't feel guilty for not immediately bonding with this little stranger who is keeping you up every night. Love will come, and it will be unlike anything you could ever imagine.

10. Don't take all the mom advice to heart. Some pieces will work for you, but a lot of it won't. If you try something and it doesn't work, drop it and move on. Don't feel like a freak because your situation might not fit into someone else's. Because guess what? Your baby isn't their baby! Babies are people and will do what they want!

Congratulations on your new bundle of joy, and I know you've got this!