Parenting Differences

"Different ways of bringing children up? noway! My way or no way"

↑ DON'T YOU JUST HATE MUMS WHO HAVE A MIND LIKE THIS!! 

Something I have learnt since having my first baby and being a mum for the first time; when it comes to parenting there are no right or wrongs. I am aware that there are a lot of baby books out there but there are no real rules for being 'the perfect mum'. Everyone does things slightly differently and parents find what works for them and their babies through trial and error.  There are a lot of my friends/family who have children/babies and would do things that I maybe wouldn't but I would never dream of slandering them and thinking 'oh god why is she or he doing that' that's just not me, we are all learning, some mums think they have it 100% sussed but every mum out there are still learning everyday. How I see it is if it works for me and Primroses dad that's all that really matters.

Breast Vs Bottle

This really made me feel like I needed to breast feed, all the stories I heard and I found people are so fast to tell you like 'breast milk helps the immune system, it helps the brain to develop more, they will be more intelligent if you breastfeed' 

"OMG I have to breastfeed I don't want a dumb baby who's ill all the god damn time!!!!!" 

This causes quite a stir amongst the parenting community when in reality we should all be supporting each other in what works for us. I finally made my mind up & I wanted to breastfeed for the first two weeks and if I loved it I would do it for longer of course, anyway since my labour was totally misjudged, the pain from Primrose trying to 'latch on' after the first few feeds was I would describe worse than labour itself! - Joking a side, I didn't have the energy or fight left in me to try and breastfeed nor was my body stable enough straight from birth and I didn't get out of theatre for 3 hours after Primrose was delivered so the doctor and I decided giving her a bottle for her first lot of milk was my only choice and Primrose would be perfectly fine from this! 

When I come around I did try and breastfeed for a couple of her feeds but I just didn't have the energy too. So I went straight to bottle feeding after the first few feeds. 

Does this make me a bad parent? No. My baby is happy, healthy and content. I have experienced negative comments about bottle feeding but that is what worked for me. We should support other mums in their feeding which ever way they happen to be doing it.

Who's to say I wouldn't try breastfeeding with my next baby?? 

Holding vs putting down

I hardly ever let Primrose cry, I really couldn’t bare the sound of it and if anyone else had my baby and she was crying I just wanted to pick her up straight away and make sure she was OK! I held her almost all day long and hardly ever put her down when she was first born, this was most of the time out of my control because she would get all comfy on me and I would go to put her down and she would open her eyes and cry with that new born scream straight away so there was just no point, anything for some rest and peace when your on 2/3 hours a sleep at night. A few months in I gradually started putting her down a little more and tried to continue life as normal as possible. 

Some mums say from day one let your baby have lots of free time on there own put them down to sleep and don't always pick them up, which is totally fine and I do agree with but only if that works for you and your baby. I do think new born babies need a lot of love as well especially in there first few months alive, after that that's when they can start to have some independence - JUST MY OPINION :) 

Self soothe Vs Parent soothe

More so now, I let Primrose cry it out a little especially if its at bed time and she just doesn't want to be on her own in her room, but once she knows I'm literally only next door in the bedroom she settles herself and goes to sleep happily and in the morning when she wakes up its the cutest thing ever when I walk in 'MORNING BABYYYYY' her little smile, I pick her up and she wraps her little arms and legs around my body so tight like she is super happy to see me!!!! Some mums like to have there babies in there beds with them all night and there baby literally won't sleep unless there touching there mum, so each mother is different - there is no right or wrong!!!

Be the mother you want to be, and do what you think is best..... after all, were all learning and taking each day as it comes!! Don't ever question your motherly instincts. 

MUMS KNOW BEST !! 🔚

Love

PAIGE PICKERING