As a new mom, it's normal to feel like your baby is the most important thing in the world. You might want to dedicate your entire life to taking care of your little boy or girl's every need, and in many ways, that's what parenting is all about. However, to be a good parent, you also have to take care of yourself, and doing so requires a significant degree of flexibility. Here are a few of the things that you shouldn't worry about doing as a new mom:
1. Feeding with Formula
While scientific research has affirmed that breastfeeding is always the standard by which other methods of feeding infants should be judged, it's also true that some organic infant formulas can come incredibly close to meeting the nutritional benefits of breastmilk. If you can, you should breastfeed your infant whenever possible, but there's no reason to feel guilty when you can't. Infact, Holle baby formula pulled out all the stops for you. They've created a truly organic baby formula which most closely resembles mothers milk so that your baby can feel your love and care no matter what.
2. Continuing to Breastfeed Beyond Infancy
Some parents feel like breastfeeding should stop shortly after infancy. There's a widely accepted social norm these days that breastfeeding toddlers or even young children is inadvisable, but no one seems to be able to give a good reason why you should stop breastfeeding your kids after infancy is over. On the contrary, there are tons of benefits of breastfeeding your toddlers such as increased immune health and better brain development.
In addition, breastmilk remains one of your child's best sources of nutrients even after infancy, and the act of breastfeeding is still a bonding and soothing experience after your baby becomes a toddler. Best of all, breastfeeding moms are less likely to get breast cancer, and they also share in the soothing qualities of this life-giving act.
3. Sharing Your Bed with Your Baby
How you put your baby to bed is your business. Some moms prefer to have their babies sleep in cribs, but others want to be as close to their infants as possible. Co-sleeping is becoming more and more popular every year, and some moms even like sharing their entire beds with their babies. If you feel like keeping your baby close to you instead of putting it in a crib is a cop-out, you shouldn't; sleeping right next to your baby can be a bonding experience, and it also makes sure that you're right there to soothe your little one if they wake up in the middle of the night. If you want to be close to your baby at night but you're afraid of hurting them while they're still a newborn, you might want to start with a co-sleeper and transition into bed sharing later.
4. Training Your Baby to Fall Asleep on Their Own
If you've always been there to help your baby fall asleep, teaching them to fall asleep on their own can be a stressful experience. Your child might cry or get upset at the prospect of going to bed alone, but sometimes circumstances demand this change in routine. If your baby or toddler is old enough to understand you, you can start by explaining the process to them with a book or a story. Then, you can gradually transition into leaving the room for longer and longer periods of time while they fall asleep. If you need to help your baby fall asleep on their own so that you can take care of them better, you shouldn't feel bad about pursuing this course of action.
5. Using Disposable Diapers
Cloth diapers are all the rage these days, but they don't always make sense. Not everyone has time to do multiple loads of laundry per day, and cloth diapers are also hard to handle while you're traveling. Also, keeping cloth diapers clean for multiple babies is a challenge that's often beyond even the most powerful of supermoms. If you need to use disposable diapers, don't sweat it, but try to buy safe and organic options if possible.
6. Going to Work or Staying at Home
As a mom, there's nothing wrong with staying at home full-time, and it's also just fine to go to work if you have to. There's something to be said about the traditional role of staying home and taking care of your family, but many moms these days take care of their families by winning the daily bread. If you do need to leave your baby in someone else's care, just make sure that they know how to prepare formula if you're still breastfeeding your child.