6 Things You Should Know About The First 6 Months of Having A Baby

Having a baby completely changes your life. Being a mother means that there is one being in this [...]

Having a baby completely changes your life. Being a mother means that there is one being in this world who means more to you than anything, and that's an amazing feeling. But with motherhood comes a lot of trials and tribulations. Emily Hatch, writer, therapist and new mom, shared with Huffington Post what is was like and how to cope.

mom and baby

Take advice or leave it.

When you are a first-time mom, you get LOTS of advice. Between what to feed baby, when to feed baby, and how in the H-E-double-L to make baby stop crying and go to sleep, everybody has something to say. And without a doubt, this can be confusing, annoying, and sometimes downright infuriating. But here's something else it can be: helpful. I wish I had been able to see through my dense postpartum fog that it really is OK to listen -- it doesn't make you any less of a mother to admit that you don't know, and to take what others have to say to heart. Sure, there are plenty of instances when it's best to tune out all the self-proclaimed baby whisperers and listen to your gut -- after all, you are the expert on your own babe. But, if I had to do it all over again -- which is kind of terrifying to imagine -- I would try to be less pessimistic and prideful and more open to the pearls of wisdom I was offered, some of which proved to be incredibly true: breastfeeding did get easier, the dreaded tummy time was not all that necessary, and Cody's flat head sure did round out with time! Thank you, well-meaning people of my life -- you totally told me so. And I'm sorry for yelling at you so much those first few months... the hormones are entirely to blame.

But no, I still cannot heed your warning to kick the little guy out of my bed and into his crib. Not yet!

>>Read more: Bringing Home Baby: 5 Ways to Ease the Transition

Do your research, but know when to put down the books.

To a first-time parent, it is almost unfathomable that the hospital staff allows you to take your new baby home and entrusts you to keep it alive. Sure, you've babysat here and there, but full-time care and complete responsibility for a tiny human who cries around the clock? It's overwhelming to say the least! The good news? There is an abundance of literature out there on how to be a parent. The bad news? There is an abundance of literature out there on how to be a parent. Reading about baby-rearing can make your life easier and harder. It can help you and hinder you. I learned this the hard way. I was so intent on being the perfect parent that I did my homework a bit too carefully; I took my research to the extreme. I began to believe that there were certain hard and fast rules we had to follow in raising Cody. I started referring to the different authors -- "experts" -- I'd read as a collective "they."

"They say we have to get him on a strict schedule."

"They say he shouldn't nap in the swing."

"They say he has to cry it out so he can learn to self-soothe and put himself to sleep."

Well, guess what? "They" didn't have to listen to my baby's bloodcurdling screams the first (and only) time we attempted a little tough love at bedtime. What I've learned is that while it's important to be well informed when parenting an infant, the plethora of information you'll find is not always pertinent to your infant. And with all the conflicting info you'll come across, there is really no right or wrong way -- there is only your way, the one that works best for your baby and family.

mom baby sleep

Stay connected, but savor the solitariness.

New motherhood can be very isolating; I knew that going into it. So, I made an extra effort to connect with friends who live nearby and also signed up for aBabycenter.com account, which has turned out to be the best and worst decision I've ever made. (If you're unfamiliar, "BBC's" community forum is like a virtual mom group with a crazy cast of characters who love acronyms, drama, and giving BTDT -- been there done that -- advice. Best part about it? You can attend without even getting out of bed. Worst part? It is the most addicting way to waste time that you don't have.)

What I didn't know about the new-mom isolation, though, is that it's not always a bad thing. Reflecting upon the last six months with my baby boy, many of the moments I treasure most are the ones we spent alone, just the two of us -- taking long walks around town, nursing in bed, reading story after story, making silly faces at each other in the mirror. We endured tough times together, too -- struggling to breastfeed those first few months, stuck inside the house all brutal-winter long as blizzard after blizzard blanketed us in white; I wondered if my January baby would ever see the sun. Then spring came and I knew that our struggles had made us stronger. Our bond was unlike any I'd ever had, and I grew so fond of the quiet times when I could shut out the rest of the world and just be with my boy -- the boy who I still can't believe began in my belly and has become the most delightful little person I've ever known. I think there are few stages of life as surreal and intimate as the early months with your baby. I already feel nostalgic for this special time with Cody, and it's not even over yet.

Want to read more from Emily Hatch? Click here to be taken to the original article on Huffington Post.

>>Read more: 10 Tips for a Successful Back-to-Work Transition After Baby

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