- Take a deep breath, you’re doing a great job. Taking care of a new baby is HARD! No amount of parenting books or advice from friends and family can adequately prepare you for the moment when you get discharged from the hospital and it’s just you, your partner, and your new baby alone in the car. I had been a pediatric intensive care nurse for 7 years when I had my first son, and I STILL was wondering who trusted me and my husband to bring that sweet baby home by ourselves! The sleepless nights, frequent feeding, and healing from delivery (or supporting a healing partner) is no joke. My favorite mantra that still helps me on tough parenting days when I question everything I’m doing is “every child is different, and you are the best parent for your child”
- No question is a silly question, trust your instincts. PLEASE do not be afraid to ask your baby’s primary care provider any and all questions—I can guarantee that they’d prefer to address your concerns themselves vs. having you dive headfirst into the internet! I know it may feel that you’re too new in the parental journey to have the magical parent intuition that everyone talks about—but it kicks in sooner than you think! Trust your gut and (again) ask the question, state the concern.
- FED IS BEST. I’d like to believe that as a culture we are doing better at not shaming parents for how they feed their child, but many of the mamas I talk to at their first newborn visit have left the hospital feeling VERY stressed about making sure that their baby is breastfed (myself included). Breastmilk is a wonderful thing, but so is mom’s mental health. However you choose to feed your baby—breastmilk, formula, or combination, is a-okay.
Patients & Parenting 
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