Now I know…

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sam’s Club. All opinions are 100% mine.

Motherhood is a difficult thing all on it’s own. Being in charge of an entire miniature human and then tasked with not only keeping it alive but also raising it “right” (whatever that means) and protecting it from the big scary world is intimidating to say the least.

If it was nothing more than that, we’d already all be nervous. But then, strangers start asking you about your birth plans, as if they have a right to know and then launch into monologues about how your plans (no matter what they are), are not only wrong but horrifyingly so.

Birth is the easy part though. After baby arrives comes all sorts of chances for people to tell you their opinions on sleep  (sleep training AND non-sleep training are both awful, depending on who you ask), discipline, what your baby should eat (and how often), and so much more.

It makes my head hurt just remembering those days and all the time I spent worrying about what other, more experienced, moms thought of me.

Now I know, those well-meaning mamas were trying to help and sometimes, maybe they were just need to be heard. But they may never know the worries and insecurities they caused me as a newbie mama.

I’ve figured out the best possible response in these situations is: “oooh that’s SUCH a good point, I’ll have to look into that more, thanks!” It quiets the advice-givers and mommy-judgers alike because they know I’ve heard them, and appreciate what they were trying to do for me.

There are so many little things like that, that would have made my life SO MUCH EASIER as a new mom. Things I know now, that I wish I had known when I was first being inundated with all these rules about motherhood that I never saw coming.

Sam’s club is hosting February Baby Month right now, and I guess it has me feeling all nostalgic. I see the Johnson & Johnson baby wash and I’m reminded of how I made my mother-in-law give my son his first bath because I was TERRIFIED I’d get the umbilical cord wet and hurt him. And then he sobbed and I felt like a horrible person and cried too.

Y’all. Motherhood doesn’t come easy.

I see those adorable little Huggies on my shelf, ready to wisk off to a baby shower, and while I know those diapers are the most useful, physical thing I can give a new mom, I wish I had a way to offer her something else too. Like the knowledge that she’s going to do great at this, even if she makes different decisions than her own mom, or even her best friend.

There are things I know now, and none of them have to do with the magical-mommy-formulas I was once so confident in. I thought surely all the world would revel in my mommy-ing skills from the moment my son was born. But they didn’t and eventually I didn’t either. Because this is hard. And sometimes we just have to get through it and figure it all out as we go.

Baby number two came along and once again I thought I had it figured out. More confident now and ready for anything… or so I thought.

And then she was all rashes and failure to thrive and nothing like my son was. Aveeno Baby Wash came through for us when I couldn’t get her rashes to go away and thank goodness those little red bumps went away as it seemed like she was allergic to ALL THE THINGS.

Then she started losing weight and everything was scary and nothing like it was with my first baby and we switched to formula to try to bulk her up a bit. I was nervous about that, but knowing facts like how Similac has an exclusive blend of DHA, Lutein and Vitamin E, can hopefully put your mind at ease so you’re not as nervous as I was! These things seem so big and hard and like you can go wrong at any moment. But there are so many ways you can go RIGHT too….and that’s what no one tells you as a new mom.

There are so many ways to make the RIGHT decision for your kids, and your right decision will probably be different than mine or your neighbors, but that doesn’t make it any less right, or any less good. It makes it YOURS.

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Now those to babies I worried over and cried over are huge. At six and four they have more opinions than any of us know what to do with, and I’m just trying to keep up with their antics and make time in every day to belly-laugh with them, because that’s the most important thing to us.

Looking back what I knew then, what I know now… At this point I feel like I know less than I ever thought I knew starting out in motherhood.

There are no secrets to make things easier. No special tactics that make your kids perfect.

There’s just love.

And whatever you gotta do to make it through the day.

Newbie mamas, there are so few words of wisdom I can offer you.

You do you mamas. We all have to figure this out on our own.

Enjoying every minute is a myth.

Anyone who makes you feel bad about your choices just shouldn’t be listened to.

Any time you can get all your shopping done in one place, call it a WIN because oh my goodness those car seats are annoying to buckle/unbuckle and naptime is always in the middle of the wrong time.

I guess that’s part of the reason I’m swooning over Sam’s Club Baby Month right now. Not only do they have everything you need in one place (one stop shopping = sanity) but you can also buy in BULK so you don’t have to shop as much. And trust me, you’ll be wanting to shop less with the kids. But then, it’s also all types of things on sale so, regardless of your parenting choices, there’s something for you!

From the number 1 infant formula brand chosen by moms (Similac) to the natural and soothing baby wash from Aveeno and lots of other goodies in between. Sam’s has discounts, and pampering for mama and baby alike all this month!

As you head out into the wild-wild world with your baby, just remember you’re doing great, you’re baby is doing great and everything else is just in the details! Now you know…