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Being a fist time mom can be a very intimidating experience, how are you supposed to go from being a regular person to becoming the keeper of an entire soul overnight? There is no magic wand, there is no class, and there is certainly no book (I checked) to prepare you for your experience as a new mother. Every parents’ experience is unique, and no one thing or person will have all the answers, but there are a few things I’ve learned in my four plus years as a mother of 3 that I wish I knew earlier, and I’d like to share them with you.

Trust Yourself

When I first became a mom, I was so unsure of every decision I made for my baby. I had my heart set on having a natural birth and breastfeeding my baby, but friends and family told me all the reasons why I wouldn’t be able to do it. I was told it would be too hard or too painful, and I heard more discouraging stories than I can count. Even though I didn’t have much support I focused on my parenting goals and when the time came to have my son it hurt more than anything I could’ve imagined but I stuck to my goal, and I had a natural birth. When he had to stay in the hospital after he was born and he had trouble latching, I cried because I was so desperate for him to latch. But after days of trying to get him to latch and a heaven sent nurse he finally latched and I was able to breastfeed him for over a year. As a young mother I had many birthing and parenting goals and at the time I didn’t have much support but what I learned after accomplishing my goals set the tone for my mothering style, which is to trust myself. I later had two more kids naturally, and I breastfed them both for over a year.

Have Fun

As moms, we spend so much time being examples of what we want our children to be that we quickly forget to teach them how to have fun. The world is full of rules, and I sometimes drop the ball when teaching my children that life should be enjoyable, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to teach them this lesson over and over again. Learn early on to unplug from mommy mode and embrace the screams, squeals, and messes. As a mom, you’re #FreetoBe the parent they want and the parent they need. 

Don’t Compare Yourself to Other Moms

There’s a lot of pressure to be like the moms we see on TV. We’re expected to cook, clean and look beautiful while nurturing a screaming pooping baby. The truth is it doesn’t work like that, after four-plus years of being a mom I learned that some things will fall by the wayside, and it’s Ok when they do. You have the responsibility of caring for another person along with yourself, so it’s ok if the dishes don’t get done tonight.

Pay Attention

My daughter has eczema, and after she had a horrible allergic reaction at six weeks old I learned to pay closer attention to ingredients in products that are close to her skin, I started using all® free clear detergent, and it has been great at minimizing her skin irritations.

all® free clear Mighty Pacs® which are perfect for travel can be found at Walmart along with all® free clear detergent just make sure to always follow packaging directions exactly, and keep laundry detergent pacs out of the reach of children.

I wash everything that touches her skin in all® free clear detergent because it is the #1 detergent recommended by Dermatologists, Allergists, and Pediatricians for Sensitive Skin and it was awarded the Seal of Acceptance by the National Eczema Association for having no dyes, perfumes, certain chemicals, and irritating residues.

A baby’s skin is so sensitive, and now more than ever you should be paying attention to the ingredients in every product that you use on your baby. Continue the conversation by joining the all® free clear community and connecting with parents just like you.

*Including cat and dog dander, dust mite matter, ragweed, grass, and tree pollen.  all® free clear detergent is not intended to treat or prevent allergies.