The Mommy Diaries

Everyone has their own way of parenting. Honestly, the best piece of advice I've received is not to listen to anyone's advice. No one knows your child and what is best for them better than you. That doesn't mean my experiences and the things I've learned for my son shouldn't be shared. Obviously, each child is different, but I think it's important to at least try to pay it forward.

I view myself as the new kid in the mommyhood. See what I did there? Like neighborhood, but for mom's. You know you thought that was a good one! I'm never going to claim to be an expert when it comes to infants and children, the lessons I've learned so far aren't earth shattering revelations; a lot of it is trial and error mixed in with research I've done. Some of it may seem like common sense, but if you have a screaming, inconsolable baby, you won't necessarily be thinking straight.

Now that I've made my introduction, my first entry into the mommy diaries is in regards to when I was still in the hospital. LRMC (Landstuhl Regional Medical Center) doesn't have a nursery, so we had Coleden with us in our room. At first I had wished that there was a nursery just so we could get some sleep (having a baby is super exhausting in case you didn't know), but thinking back on it, I'm so glad there wasn't. Having our son with us the whole time helped us bond and I believe that the time we spent getting to know each other helped us get off on the right foot.

When we were finally discharged, I wasn't stressed about having to care for Cole without the nurses because Josh and I were the ones who cared for our son, not them. I'm happy they left Josh and I alone so we could start learning our newest family member.

For all I know, some hospitals might require some nursery time. I can only speak from my experience. Had there been a nursery, I don't know what I would've done. To all the expecting momma's: I merely suggest that you weigh out your options and figure out what's best for you and your family. To the already-been-through-it momma's: what did you do when you were in the hospital? If you have more than one child, or are expecting your next child; if given the option would you use the nursery since you've been through it all before and have a better idea of what to expect?