I really shouldn’t be writing this. I mean, no one told me this advice until after baby #2 arrived. There must be some mama code that insists we keep this golden gem of advice secret from first-time moms. I mean, why else did no one tell me this before baby #1 was born?
I don’t like secrets, so I’m going to tell everyone this TOP SECRET BABY ADVICE they only tell you after baby #2:
Unless you’re willing to make it a habit, don’t do it.
Allow me to elaborate with an example. With my first child, I held her during naps from the moment she was born. I loved the baby cuddles and was in complete awe of this beautiful sweetheart, so I wanted to soak it all in. Well, that became a habit—wanting to nap in my arms. Sure, I loved holding her, but to do that all day…it was exhausting. Plus, she then had trouble napping on her own. She would scream. I started this bad habit and it took forever to break it. Lesson learned.
For baby #2, I’m doing my best to establish “good” (meaning whatever works best for you and your family) habits from the get-go. I’m happy to report that my second daughter naps in her crib (for the most part…she definitely has some on-the-go naps!).
Spread the word to all new moms out there! Let’s help each other and stop with the secrets, deal?
