I think my husband and I are one of the most boring couples in Australia. We drive Fords, have decent occupations, met in college, and take trips to Southeast Asia. I became pregnant at the age of 30, and after nine months of the most regimented and textbook pregnancy imaginable, we brought a gorgeous boy into the world. Our lives were anything but dull once he was born. After six months, things are starting to settle down a little, so I can now sit down and put down some notes before I forget them. So, I think most parents will find these few things interesting that I’ve learned over the past six months about my infant.
The Infant Is Not Dying
In one of his stand-up routines, English comedian Alan Davies makes a hilarious joke about thinking that his kid is dying when she cries. We believe it to be dead when it is not weeping.
It may sound gloomy, but as a first-time parent, you truly do worry about your child’s survival almost nonstop. Every noise it produces—and they produce a lot of noise—is a certain sign that something disastrous is about to occur. Any quietness is always a sign of something worse to come.
The newborns’ little bodies are generating sounds as they, so to speak, break into them; they are a work in progress. Most of these sounds are uncontrollably made and have an odd quality.
But you shouldn’t be concerned about them. For the most part, anyhow.
Unbelievably, babies are incredibly tough; they won’t break if their tiny hand accidentally bumps into anything or becomes sick with pneumonia the instant the temperature lowers.
The infant is not going to die.
Regretfully, it is hard not to feel this level of fear. We are wired that way by biology and evolution.
Purchase a good baby monitor. If nothing else, it will let you spend a few minutes each day apart from the infant. We used an excellent, reasonably priced one made by Roger Armstrong. Honestly, baby monitors don’t need to cost hundreds of dollars.
It Takes Work to Breastfeed
Nursing requires a lot of work. It’s comparable to uranium mining in a South Australian location. It is a physically and mentally taxing type of labor that is done around the clock.
The worst part is that issues are present at all times. Almost every woman I know that I have spoken to had at least one breastfeeding-related issue.
The worst part about breastfeeding issues is that you feel like you’re failing your child and not doing enough to provide for them.
However, if you are truly committed to making it happen, there are ways to make it happen. Even the most difficult nursing experiences are surmountable with the use of silicone nipple shields and baby formula.
When everything comes together, it’s truly one of those unique, life-altering occurrences.
You Must Test Out Products
After all, one of the main reasons Mouths of Moms exists is that there is no shortage of infant product makers. Frequently, and this is something no one ever told me, a product line from a company will just not work for you or your infant.
For example, when our son was born, we received a wide range of Chicco products, including baby bottles, pacifiers, and other items. Furthermore, our little guy was incompatible with them. Everything went really well when we tried Avent. My sister told me later that she had experienced the exact opposite with the same two manufacturers.
We experienced a similar issue with the small man’s dry skin areas. Nothing would be beneficial. Before someone handed us a gift full of Sebamed baby goods, we tried a ton of other things. Their anti-dry cream did amazing things.
Products are best tried; you never know what might work.
A Couple More Thoughts
Infants fart a lot—a lot, in fact. After a few weeks, they master the technique.
After a while, people cease to provide assistance.
Taking a bath can be the greatest thing ever.
You have to suck out stuffy nostrils in babies. It’s not going to be your best experience.
You’ll discover a great deal about your spouse.
And that’s it.
