Ingenue Mom

This is a part of a series of guest posts for first time moms that I have put together from a variety of moms with a variety of perspectives. This one is written by Adriel of The Mommyhood Memos . Please stop by her blog to read more of her posts. You can also follow The Mommyhood Memos on Twitter or in her BlogFrog community ! Dear Adriel, You are becoming a mom. Finally, after 32 long years your dream is coming true! And guess what? It’s going to be even better than you imagined. I know that right now it seems like pregnancy will never end… but enjoy these last days. Soon—when he’s not all tucked up safely inside of you—you will have to share that precious boy with the world. Don’t stress about him coming too early or too late. I know you’re concerned about your parents flying in from overseas and being there for Levi’s big debut… But your clever little one will actually be one of the few babies that decide to come on his due date. Isn’t that fun? {What you couldn’t have known...

This is a part of a series of guest posts for first time moms that I have put together from a variety of moms with a variety of perspectives. This one is written by Liz of A Belle, A Bean & A Chicago Dog . Please stop by her blog to read more of her posts. You can also follow A Belle, A Bean & A Chicago Dog on Facebook & Twitter . I'm so happy to be here today, taking part in Cameron's New Moms Tips Week!  I'm Liz, a 32 yr old mom of 2 girls, and my tips below are what I learned following the birth of my first daughter, four and a half years ago. I firmly believe in the power of numbers, and the saying, " It takes a village ."  Motherhood is like nothing else imaginable, and surrounding yourself with as many Mommy Friends as possible will be beneficial to you.  This story is mine, just like yours will be uniquely you.  I hope you can take away a thing or two that will help in your New Mom Journey... ****************************** ******...

This is part of a series of guest posts for first time moms that I have put together from a variety of moms with a variety of perspectives. This one is written by Melissa of Confessions of a Dr. Mom . Please stop by her blog to read more of her posts. You can also follow Confessions of a Dr. Mom on Twitter . Becoming a Mother and welcoming your first child into the world is such an amazing life altering event. You've probably read countless books, heard an inordinate amount of advice, and may even wonder...am I ready? Well...don't worry, the moment you see, hear, and touch your precious baby for the first time all your doubt will melt away.  I'm here today to share with you a few key tips that I learned through my (mis)adventures during the newborn days in the hopes that this type of (un)solicited advice comes in handy...hence, my first tip: You will get tons of advice, some will be unsolicited...take it all with a grain of salt .  It can actually be a good thing...

This is a part of a series of guest posts for first time moms that I have put together from a variety of moms with a variety of perspectives. This one is written by Alexes of One Cluttered Brain . Please stop by her blog to read more of her posts. You can also follow One Cluttered Brain on Facebook and Twitter . I remember being pregnant with my first baby like it was yesterday. She is turning 11 years old next week and I still remember holding her in my arms as a wee baby. I didn't know anything as a new mom. All I knew, is that this baby girl that I held in my arms was mine and that I loved her. I think that is enough to get you through the HARD days. I have put together a few tips for all you "new" moms that will be experiencing the miracle of life in a few months. Sleep when the baby sleeps. (No doubt about this one. Don't try and run around and clean or do dishes or anything like that. Just sleep at first. You will get the hang of this eating/sleeping/diaper...

I don't take breastfeeding pictures, so here's a pic of me & Isis! I'm only 7 1/2 months into breastfeeding my first child, but it's gone pretty well, so I have a few tips to offer. I was going to share 10 tips , but after sorting through my thoughts, I found I only have 5! Also, I am not a doctor & I am not an expert. Definitely talk to your doctor or other experts about breastfeeding. I can just offer what has worked or been true for me . 1. Work for full feedings from the start I believe there is great benefit to making sure your baby gets a full feeding each time they eat. This helps to make sure they get the nutrient-dense hindmilk that is released at the end of the feeding and it also makes sure that they are emptying your breast, thus promoting more milk production! Also - it can help them be able to go longer between feedings because they were full. Definitely a benefit later when they can go longer. In the beginning, though, you'll be feeding ever...

This is a part of a series of guest posts for first time moms that I have put together from a variety of moms with a variety of perspectives. This one is written by Simone of Sporty Mama Says . Please stop by her blog to read more of her posts. You can also follow Sporty Mama Says on Twitter . A birth story is a very powerful and unique story indeed. It’s a story based on human connection, on our babies, and on ourselves. I have three birth stories I’m proud to represent and to this day it amazes me how different each really are! I was 23 when I had my firstborn, my son. I had taken plenty of time to read up on how labor develops, I had watched many videos so I wasn’t completely in the dark, and had spoken with many friends about their labor as well. I was a labor expert, or so I thought… my water broke just like a trickling creek. I didn’t have that explosion like you see on TV, nope. Just 10 long minutes of trickle. 12 hours of active labor later and my sweet son was born! He was...

This is a part of a series of guest posts for first time moms that I have put together from a variety of moms with a variety of perspectives. This one is written by Alyson of Common Sense, Dancing . Please stop by her blog to read more of her posts. You can also follow Common Sense, Dancing on Twitter . I’m honored to be sitting in for Cameron today! She has asked me to write about a birth story. I have *4* stories -- how do I choose? I’ve included all of them, because each is different...and I realize now looking back I was so wrapped up in the *when* and *how* of the events that I didn’t really focus on the *wow* of them. Learn from me, Grasshoppers: I find more useful information from a Cake Boss episode than I ever did in Lamaze class. When you are expecting your first baby, you dutifully go through all the “correct” steps and stages along the way. You eat all the right things, read all the right books, take the birthing class and learn to breathe the “right” way. H...

This is a part of a series of guest posts for first time moms that I have put together from a variety of moms with a variety of perspectives. This one is written by Angela at Nine More Months . Please stop by her blog to read more of her posts. You can also follow Nine More Months on Twitter . The minute I told anyone I was pregnant with my first child, it was like an invitation for them to tell me their worst pregnancy horror stories. The biggest culprit of all was my mom. Having had three kids of her own, she had plenty of stories to share. I spent a good portion of those nine months fretting over what labor would actually be like. I worried about who I would have in the delivery room with me, whether or not I'd take pain meds, what would happen if they had to cut me down there?! The pregnancy itself went smoothly. A little morning sickness for the first few months, but nothing that affected my every day life. I felt pretty great. I gained a little too much weight, but avoi...

This is a part of a series of guest posts for first time moms that I have put together from a variety of moms with a variety of perspectives. This one is written by Queenie of The Planet Pink . Please stop by her blog to read more of her posts. You can also follow The Planet Pink on Twitter .  (Queenie has posted a birth series for her first 3 princesses' births on her blog this past week. I suggest reading those before reading this one. Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 ) We are made to do this work and its not easy...I would say that pain is part of the glory, or the tremendous mystery of life. And that if anything, it's a kind of privilege to stand so close to such an incredible miracle. -Simone in Klasson 2001 The first contraction came around noon on Valentine’s Day. I was folding laundry. How romantic, right? Ah well, laundry doesn’t stop for romance around here. This being my fourth time through the ringer, and being 2 days past my due date, I was pretty sure th...