Here are five things that surprised me most about parenthood:
1. The emotional roller coaster the first few weeks
I was a total basket case the first two weeks of Jack's life. I cried at the drop of a hat. Not out of sadness, but out of overwhelming love, stress, fear, worry, and happiness. I loved this little baby so much that I couldn't stand it. Everything just pulled at my heartstrings and made me cry. I remember that I could not watch the news those first few weeks because it would make me too emotional. I even broke out into tears when my mom surprised me with a cake from my favorite bakery for my 30th birthday (10 days postpartum)!
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My baby boy and I on my 30th birthday. He was the best present ever! |
I wrote about this topic here, but in summary I was just ignorant about the amount of work and dedication it takes to breastfeed. It's 100% worth it in the end (and I actually LOVE it now), but I really thought something was wrong with me in the beginning because it wasn't easy.
3. Staring at your baby is the most fun thing to do
What do Jason and I find ourselves doing for fun these days? Staring at Jack. We can watch him for hours on end...smiling, sleeping, playing, even fussing. Forget Netflix. Our baby boy is all the entertainment we need these days!
4. There is no standard answer to your baby problems
Being a first time mom, I asked a lot of questions at the hospital when Jack was born. I was so surprised at how many different answers I was given to the same question from the hospital staff. One nurse would say to feed our baby anytime he cried and for as long as he would eat. The next nurse advised us to watch the clock and stop his feedings after a certain amount of time. I got so frustrated, but quickly learned to listen to all the advice I was given, but then rely on my instincts and trust that I knew what was best for my baby.
5. How sensitive baby's skin is
The first few days of Jack's life we used the hospital provided wipes during diaper changes (the kind you wet with water first). No problems. When we went home we started using the traditional wet wipes and Jack immediately developed the worst diaper rash. It looked horrible and I felt like a terrible mom! I tried several different brands of wipes, but nothing seemed to make it better. At Jack's 2 week check-up we showed the pediatrician who told us to stop using wipes altogether and start using water and washcloths to wipe him at every diaper change. She said lots of newborn's skin is too sensitive for wipes. No one tells you these things!
So we basically moved all of the cute changing table items into the bathroom, nixed the wipes and wipe warmers (what a waste) and bought a ton of cheap wash cloths for each diaper change. We are still doing all diaper changes in the bathroom to be next to the sink and he does well. We also religiously use Dr. Smith's Diaper Rash Ointment now at every diaper change to keep the red away. I picked it up after reading other bloggers rave about it. This is the only creme that has worked for us (even compared to a prescription creme we tried).
Dr. Smith's is now available nationwide at Walgreen's as of last week! You can find your closest retailer by visiting doctorsmiths.com.
To celebrate their nationwide launch, Dr. Smith's is doing a giveaway for the readers of The Perfect Catch! They are generously giving away one $50 Walgreens gift card and a supply of diaper rash ointment to one lucky reader. Enter below, good luck and now tell me...
What surprised YOU most about about parenthood?
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Great tips Chelsea! Proud of you for breastfeeding :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! It is an amazing experience.
DeleteI absolutely LOVED dr smiths. A nurse in the hospital recommended it and at the time it was hard to locate. That stuff is like a miracle!
ReplyDeleteHey Staci! Hope you are having a good Monday.
DeleteOh the joys of motherhood - every day is a new surprise! Can't wait to see you soon. Graham says kisses are too girly so give Jack a high five for him!
ReplyDeleteHigh five right back at ya Graham! Can't wait to see ya'll soon!
DeleteI agree...breastfeeding is the hardest, most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. I wasnt prepared for it though when we had our first child and then the second was like all new - all over again!
ReplyDeleteHopefully the second one isn't quite so hard? By the way, thank you for the new Stella & Dot book. I love all of the new stuff especially the peacock pieces.
DeleteGreat tips Chelsea! I'll be looking to your blog for advice for a soon-to-be mother :) I had no clue about the sensitivity of babies' skin so I'll be picking up some Dr. Smith's.
ReplyDeleteThanks Meagan! I am so excited for you! I'm sure you are ready for baby to arrive. Did I see on Facebook that his name is Jackson? I obviously love it! Also, Lauryn said she ran into you and your mom the other day! Talk soon.
DeleteTotally agree with all of these!!
ReplyDeleteHopefully it will be easier the second time around with Boy #2 for you!!!
Deletecongrats on your baby boy!!! I love this post and can totally relate to it!!! my baby girl is 4 months!
ReplyDeleteThanks and congratulations on your baby girl!
DeleteMy surprising thing is how much my son hiccups in the womb :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your pregnancy! That feels so weird doesn't it?
DeleteI will need to check this out. We are considering cloth diapering and we are looking at all of our options.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much out there now to consider...kind of overwhelming!
DeleteI am surprised at how different two kids can be who were raised together in the same family!
ReplyDeleteDigicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
So true! It makes me scared to have a second one!
DeleteHow different 2 kids can be in personality
ReplyDelete