Pregnancy/Baby
Survival Tips: The Best Advice I Ever Got
Special Baby issue: 2006

At my baby shower/mother blessing, twenty or so women went around the room and one at a time gave me a bead and offered a blessing or wish for my passage into motherhood. One that really stuck was given by a mom who, as she bounced her 6 month old on her hip, told me, "All you have to remember is to love him and feed him - everything else will work out just fine." Alexa Shea

As a first time mother of a 3 month old, my best advice is to appreciate every minute! Babies change and grow so quickly, I feel like I have a different baby every week! Each day is precious. So no matter how hard it may seem at times, I try to treasure every poopy diaper, every cry and every long night because I know this stage won't last long. Other things can wait. When you look back later in life, you won't remember whether your floor was spotless or your dishes were always done. But if you surrender to the experience of motherhood and enjoy it, you will have amazing memories that can't be replaced! Stacey Overstreet

Get the book called The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, MD. I just wish I had gotten this book with my first baby. It is a quick, easy read and I just love it! A lot of the advice in the book is what the nurses do for your baby in the hospital (like swaddling), but we don't tend to do when we get home with the baby. Being a new mom is often so overwhelming that you don't take time to stop and study a book, but if you read this short book prior to having your baby you will be well prepared for bringing that new bundle of joy home.

One of the best baby shower gifts I received was a sound relaxation machine. The "white noise" on the machine mimics the sounds the baby hears inside the womb and I would always turn on the "white noise" before I put the baby in the crib for nighttime sleeping. Ann F. Hunt

Take one last "alone" trip with your husband before the baby arrives because these trips will never be the same again. Not to mention it's hard to find the time and money to do it after the baby. Get on the baby's schedule. In other words take lots of catnaps when the baby naps and let the house go. Rest, rest, rest when you can. It's easier said than done. I rarely take a nap when I should. The chronic sleep deprivation is the hardest part for me and I'm sure for many new moms. Nell

Burn the books! In the first year there really is no "schedule" since babies change so fast. Yes, you really can survive on less sleep than you could have ever imagined. Someday soon the clouds will clear and life will be better than you ever imagined. For me, it was at 6 months. Not the 3 or 4 months like so many moms told me. Stop worrying. Just keep on being a loving mother and it will all work out.

If your first months are really hard, just trust that whatever you are going through is necessary to bring about the great qualities in you for future motherhood. And some advice for the brave ones attempting natural birth: You are so much stronger than you know. Your experience will be unlike anybody else's. Be sure to bring your birth plan with you to the hospital!

Some things I could not have lived without: a sling (I recommend the Maya Wrap); a back/front pack carrier (I recommend the city sport Snugli); and the 5 in 1 adjustable gym by Little Tykes. Maggie Moore

Let others hold your baby when they ask. This will give your arms a break and allow baby to feel comfortable with others. Let your husband or partner do what they want with their baby. Trust them with the baby and remember you could not have created this baby without them. Sleep whenever the baby sleeps and let someone else worry about the house for a few weeks!

Enjoy all of the endless holding, rocking, cuddling etc. with your new baby because they grow up so fast and no longer want to be held. Trust your instincts and stop reading all of those crazy books! Don't try to do everything yourself. You can only handle so much. Kristina Wallace

Everyone in the world, whether they've had children or not, is an expert on how you should handle yours, especially people who haven't raised a child in 25 years. Do what makes you comfortable and happy and ignore the idiots. Reign Streiter

The miracle blanket (a special swaddling blanket) was hands down my favorite item. It helped me to get sleep when I needed it most, around the 4 week 3 month age. The first night I put my newborn in it, he went from sleeping 3 hours to 6 hours and sometimes longer. It was also useful to have Dr. Harvey Karp's book, The Happiest Baby on the Block, which helps explain the usefulness of swaddling. The miracle blanket can only be ordered online at www.miracleblanket.com. The ones sold at the local stores don't compare. Beth Lovern

Prepare your children for transitions. Don't just pick them up and put them in the car for a trip to the grocery store. Give them time to prepare. Tell them, "You can color for five more minutes and then we are going to the store to get some milk and bananas." This simple strategy has prevented many tantrums. Chris