SISTER WISDOM

1. It won’t last forever.
2. You will sleep again.
3. It’s not just okay, it’s absolutely necessary to ask for help.
4. Take a nap every chance you get.
5. Enlist the slowcooker, the pizza place, your husband, your in-laws, your Chinese delivery place for help with dinner. No shame.
6. Peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches count as a home-cooked meal.
7. Your baby won’t look like a Gerber commercial all the time. It’s okay.
8. Take a bath or a shower every single day, put on a little makeup, and put on some fresh clothes. You’ll feel a thousand times better.
9. A newborn requires something like 8 to 10 hours of care per day. You’re working a full-time job in addition to being a wife, a home-maker, etc. Give yourself a break.
10. Keep easy, protein-rich snacks on hand: string cheese, yogurt, protein bars, trail mix. Eat them.
11. Drink water till you feel like you’re floating. It will help you feel more energized, it will refresh you, it will clean out your body, it will make your skin brighter.
12. Go to bed as early as you want to whenever you can.
13. Tell people what you need help with specifically: they’re not good at guessing (especially husbands).
14. If the house is a mess and it’s driving you crazy, pick one thing to tackle each day. Monday, sweep the floor. Tuesday, put away laundry. Wednesday, pick up clutter. Don’t try to clean the whole house and bring complete order in one day.
15. Hire a housecleaner, if you can, to come one afternoon or morning and get things scrubbed and shiny. It will give you a boost for getting back into a routine.
16. Trust your gut. It’s great to read parenting books and get advice, but keep things in perspective. Go with your gut. You’re the Mommy.
17. Say NO loudly and firmly when sick people ask to get near or hold your baby. It is NOT worth it to end up with a sick newborn.
18. Babies cry. This is a natural thing, and it does not mean there is a crisis, you are a bad Mommy, or anything like that. Remember that crying is their only way of communicating at this point. Sometimes all they’re saying is, “Hey, um, I’m bored. Can you do that funny peek-a-boo thing again?”
19. Emotions, sleeplessness, and hormones are a crazy combination. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed. It’s normal to cry. It’s normal to be frustrated. Talk to your spouse, your Mom, your best friend. If you feel depressed for more than a few days, talk to your doctor.
20. You will make mistakes; this is a law of parenting. But you will still be the best possible parent for your baby, so hang in there, do your best, take care of yourself, and relax your standards. Perfection isn’t the goal; love is. The more you relax, the more you will enjoy your baby.

Image courtesy of therapycatguardian on Flickr.