Being a mother is one of the best experiences in life. But every new step we take may be accompanied by a few, minor mistakes that you surely won’t repeat with your second child.
Don’t worry, motherhood is also an apprenticeship and as Mafalda says, both you and your baby begin working the same day. Us mothers and our babies, we all make mistakes, but what really matters most is your love for the child.
Sterilizing/disinfecting everything
This is a typical attitude parents tend to exhibit with the arrival of the first child: continue disinfecting all objects used by the baby every second of every minute. It’s not that you don’t have to do it, but you also don’t have to overdo it or obsess overdoing it, except in the case of premature children, of course.
He/she doesn´t have to get used to it
Don’t let your child cry if they demand your presence, it is likely because they need you. Babies look for food, protection and comfort in you. What could be better than to offer it? Trust your instinct and stay close to your baby while you melt with all the love.
Running to the doctor at the first sneeze
New mothers don’t always know how to tell when their baby really needs medical attention. It’s tough because the doubts of a mother and the constant concern for our baby’s health and well-being makes us feel an unstoppable fear of even the slightest signs of a disease.
Baby onion
First-time mothers have a tendency to over-clothe their little ones a bit too much. During winter, their kids look like little onions, all layered up, and in the summer, despite the heat, we end up wrapping them, especially when they go to bed. If their hands and feet are cold, wrap them up. If, on the other hand, the area around the neck sweats (or if you see that it turns red like it happened to me once), it will be best to reduce the number of clothing layers you have going on there.
Flee from the extremes
Do not let everyone touch and kiss your baby, but don’t isolate them from contact with others altogether either. The choice is in your hands, but you already know that the virtue lies in the middle term.
Hair-shaving
There is a famous saying about the importance of shaving the hair of newborns in order to make them look stronger. Those are simply urban legends. What we do assure you is that, if you do plan to shave your baby’s hair off, he/she will surely have a fresher and lighter head.
Total silence
Few places are as quiet as a new mother’s house while her baby sleeps. But let us tell you a secret: it’s not necessary to stop doing things at home even if your child is peacefully asleep. Dreams defeat any little warrior out there, and a little noise isn’t really going to wake them up.
How many of these common mistakes of first-time mothers have you made? Don’t worry, one of the most beautiful things on the road to motherhood is learning things for yourself first-hand.
