I’ve been a mom for almost 2-years (wow), and I’m sharing the 10 Things I Wouldn’t Do As A New Mom. 

Before we start, I want to put a disclaimer out there; I am no expert. As I go, I’m just learning and sharing my journey with you all. I’m here for all the positives and negatives of putting my parenting thoughts into the world. (Let’s say parenting, in general is a very controversial world) It’s important to know that everyone does it differently, and that’s okay.

If you haven’t read the Top 11 Things, You Should Know About Babies; this is the sequel and just my way of sharing my journey with you all.

Forcing Bottles and Pacifiers

When we first had Sage, we were in the mind frame that she needed to be able to take a pacifier, breast, and bottle. I was lucky that I was able to breastfeed, but I wanted the ability to be able to step away and have the best of both worlds. In reality, Sage didn’t want anything to do with an artificial nipple. It was very stressful and tense for everyone. Yes, it would have been great, but the reality was it just wasn’t going to work for us, and that was okay. If you’re worried about your baby sleeping through the night, there are other ways to get your baby to sleep.

Piercing My Baby’s Ears

I wouldn’t do this for a couple of reasons. You are purposely putting holes in their body at a young age. When your child can make those decisions, earrings might not be a thing. I used to have my belly button pierced, but I don’t anymore because it went out of trend. It’s one of those things in life that she can decide later, and an ear piercing isn’t that painful at all, so it’s not one of those things that need to be done soon so they won’t remember the pain. Once she is old enough to tell me she wants to get her ears pierced, I will take her. I want to give her a choice to make those decisions for herself and her body.

Screentime

I know this is a hot topic; I am okay with screen time. The one thing that I do differently is I do not let Sage hold my phone. I don’t let her touch it, and she doesn’t feel the need to try and scroll it or put it too close to her face. Again I’m okay with screentime; I like to create boundaries. If you’re looking for a tablet with a case that stands up on its own this is the one that we use and it’s worked well for us.

Not Over Bathing

I started this with Sage as soon as she was born was being mindful of bathing and cleaning off the good bacteria. Even at the hospital, I asked the nurse bathing her not to use soap. (I’m sure I got a weird look) There are a lot of reasons why I decided to limit the amount of soap used on Sage; this didn’t mean I wasn’t cleaning Sage; I was; I just chose to use water and limit the amount of soap I used on her, especially that first week of her life. I wanted to keep that PH balance and good bacteria to help her immune system. Honestly, I only bathe Sage twice weekly; we have not incorporated bathtime into our nightly routine.

Avoid Products With Frangrance and Toxic Chemicals.

I try hard to avoid products that have a fragrance or contain chemicals that aren’t natural. I realize that usually, all-natural products are more expensive, but there are so many options now on the open market that you can find something that works within your budget. We started using unscented Castile soap like Dr. Bronner’s and Weleda Baby for diaper cream. Later we moved to more specific products like Weleda Diaper Cream, and you don’t have to go for the super fancy bottle all natural products. There are a lot of all-natural products out there that fit within almost any budget.

Don’t Buy Clothes In Advance

I have burned myself too often, trying to stock up on clothing while they are on sale. It’s tough to guess what size your child will be in a year from now. Children grow at different rates, and it’s just tough to plan that far in advance. Play it safe and buy as you go, especially when they are small! There will be more sales, I promise.

I Will Not Compare My Child To Any Other Child

It’s a bad cycle to get into, you can get in your head so fast, and that’s not good for anyone. Sage was a “late” walker, and I got a lot of comments from many people asking me if I was worried that she wasn’t walking yet. Honestly, she was such a good crawler that I got why she wasn’t walking. However, it would have been easy for me to get inside my head about Sage not walking if I had listened to every comment or compared Sage to every walking toddler younger than her. If you start to get concerned, you should talk to your child’s doctor and get their professional opinion.

Kissing Babies’ Faces

This one is a big one for me! I will never let anyone kiss my baby’s face. Even now that Sage is two, I would still be like, uh…no. I feel this way for many reasons, especially when babies are newborns. So many things can be transferred to your baby from salvia and cold sores. Honestly, there’s no need for anyone but you to be kissing your baby, and even then, you want to be mindful if you’re sick or have a cold sore.

Don’t Judge Other Parents

Before becoming a parent, I would say things like, “When I’m a mom, I won’t ever do that.” I had it in my head that everything was going to be picture-perfect. Unless you’re a parent, you have no right to give input on how someone else chooses to parent their child. When you become a parent, focus on your children; stop worrying about everyone else’s kids and focus on your children.

Not Receiving Help

As new parents, we are in the mindset that you must figure this out yourself. Receiving help from others is essential, especially in the early newborn days. You need sleep, and you need to also take care of yourself. Ask your friends and family for help, and let them help you transition into motherhood and life with a new baby.

These are all the things that I could think of right now. I’m curious… what are your big no’s when it comes to how you parent? Leave me a comment below!