6 PREGNANCY ‘DONT’S’ I WILL NEVER REPEAT

Here are 6 Pregnancy ‘Dont’s’ that I will NEVER repeat!

1. Don’t ask Dr. Google and Dr. Know-it-all-without-PHDs.

Bye bye Dr. Google and the fake doctors of the world. I feel like I need to put this as NUMBER ONE of my 6 pregnancy ‘dont’s’ that I will never repeat because omgeee has it been liberating to not Google each symptom that could have me spiral into a fear frenzy. If you have real concerns, call your doctor. Secondly, leave behind the strong opinionated Nancy’s that have no degrees whatsoever. The people that will tell you “do not take a bath while pregnant!!!!” Sadly, my eyes can’t roll back any further than they already have at this moment. While many women have had the gift to experience it, pregnancy is not an all-opinions-welcome buffet. Advice is appreciated when asked for though, and this community has more than once helped me tremendously when I needed help. 

2. Don’t eat for two.

Leave that advice at the door. And yes, that’s my opinion and you absolutely do what works for you. If you’re hungry for two, go for it!!!! Just don’t do it for the wrong reasons, like ‘I’m worried if I don’t eat for two that my baby will not get enough nutrients’ because that is simply not true. 

3. Don’t buy 100 different items.

I’ve realized that all babies are different, and all parents are as well. Some babies will really dislike some bouncers, while for others, it’s the parent’s saving grace. This time around, I’ll let my baby be the judge of that and I’ll get a feel of what he/she likes before spending $$$ on swings and bouncers and well…a wipe warmer…but that’s just my preference. I ended up using a wipe warmer for maybe a week and it dried out all my wipes. Most importantly, I only used gauze and lukewarm water for quite a while…(did I just save you 20 bucks??) 

4. Don’t doubt your confidence in your personal decisions.

One of the hardest things for a first time mother, or at least for me, was knowing what worked for us in the midst of listening to everyone’s opinions of do’s and don’ts. I actually had no idea what was right/wrong and how to not have an overwhelming fear of harming my baby over things that, ultimately, came down to MY/OUR preference in raising our child. New flash: there’s no right or wrong (besides the obvious like leaving an unattended baby in a bath etc…that’s just dangerous). I’ve always said this: there’s a few universal ways to take care of a baby that are basic and there’s also cultural aspects, parenting styles, baby personality styles, religious, feeding styles, sleeping regimens and so forth that comes down to OUR OWN PERSONAL CHOICES. Setting healthy boundaries with family or people that will tell you otherwise is key.

5. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re doing your best!

As some of you know, this hasn’t been an easy pregnancy to say the least. Extreme vomiting is taxing and very difficult on a physical & emotional level. It is different than regular morning sickness. If you have a tough pregnancy as well for XYZ, and you might be going through something really scary or even harder, please know you can reach out if you need to talk. If you are in one of these scenarios, being okay with not being okay and gracefully accepting your circumstances can actually make life easier than being in a constant state of upset and denial. A good cry and reminder of the rewards, that YOU are doing your best, can help as well. Sometimes I beat myself up at being unable to do the smallest things; but the reality is I AM doing the best that I can in that moment. Changing the negative narrative to a grateful sense of life and kindness to my body is relieving. 

6. Don’t skip out on sleep & feed knowledge!

Now coming to the last of the 6 pregnancy ‘dont’s’ I will never repeat. I was so focused with Oliver on the pregnancy that I completely forgot to learn a bit about baby sleep tendencies, training and feeding. I had the hope to breastfeed but simplified it in my head to boob action = baby happy. Clearly, it is more intricate than that. The good news is, I was lucky to get the hang of it fast. Although it would’ve been WAY easier, I mean wayyy easier if I had looked into a bit before the overwhelming hungry baby put on my boob and asking myself with a big light bulb, HOW DOES THIS WORK?!!

The nurses at the hospital were great and taught me so much, but it still felt like a tsunami of information after pushing a baby out that I wasn’t quite ready for. Our situation is also a little different, as both of our mothers had already passed away, so we didn’t have much guidance. I knew that once back home, I was not going to get any more insight besides my Instagram moms and books. So thankful for those resources, but they are super time-consuming when you need to feed a baby with engorged boobies! So yeah, just a bit of a preparation helps… 😉 Here’s two of my posts you can read up on! Sleep training AND breastfeeding. Also connect with me on Instagram for more insights.

Hope this helps!