- What’s the best part about being a mom? …
- Give us the cliff’s notes version of your birth story. …
- How do you find your “me time”? …
- What was the last non-baby related book you read? …
- What’s the most useful baby product you have? …
- If a newly pregnant mom asked you why she should take classes here, what would you tell her?
Do you know what questions to ask your parents that will spark meaningful conversations? I am talking about thought-provoking open-ended questions. Everyone has a story, so there is no doubt that your parents have an interesting story no matter how ‘uncool’ you may think your folks are.
It can be hard to strike up deep conversations with close relatives. Often we go through our lives so busy that we forget to talk to our own parents about their own journeys. Small talk takes over and we are left with dull conversations and a foggy memory of what we think we remembered about them.
When I was a child, my history teacher made us interview a grandparent about their childhood. At the time I thought it was the biggest waste of my time, but looking back it was the best gift my teacher could ever give me. At the end of our conversation, I had a binder full of answers to meaningful questions. I got to really know him and the stories he told about living through The Great Depression are still fresh in my mind.
My other grandpa told tall tales about his life, but I regret that I never wrote them down because at the time it was not a school assignment and the thought never crossed my mind. What I would do today is to have a written document with answers to the questions below from both of these strong men.
Tory Burch shares advice for moms re-entering the workforce
Don’t give up and write honestly. You are about to join an incredible parenting network and community!
My tip is to try to remember hormones are flooding your lady and some of her strange behaviour may not be completely within her control, so give her a few more chances than usual if you can. (We don’t mean any harm but sometimes it is tough growing a person). And perhaps take her out on some lovely dates.
Did you know baby vests are designed so that the neck can be pulled down a baby’s body, meaning no spills have to go over head? I learnt this late and mid-poonami.
The days may feel long but the memories fade quickly with sleep deprivation afoot, so record videos and take photos of everything, of your wife, of your husband, of the baby, of everything.
My gosh I packed so much stuff. In fact I listed the more unusual items in a blog post The Hospital Luggage Haul the list includes a change of clothes for the Mister and a fishing net…
Please define motherhood in your own words.
Being a mother means loving your child. It’s learning your child’s love language and understanding how they need to be loved.
[There is no truer statement than that! Our children need to feel loved and learning their love language will make communicating with them so much easier.]
A: I delivered a week early, which was SHOCKING to me. The doctor had told me the Wednesday before my Sunday delivery that he thought I would go past my due date, so when I started having contractions a week early I was definitely surprised. My labor was SLOW, which was a very tiring and painful experience. I had contractions for about three days before delivering. I wanted to go “all natural” and not get an epidural, but about three hours after checking into the hospital, I signed up for an epidural – which was amazing! The reason I didn’t want to get an epidural was to see if I was tough enough – and I had heard it’s better for the baby. Another surprising thing about labor/delivery was I really love pushing; it felt relieving. My epidural had started to wear off towards the end of my labor and I was thrilled to get to push! We didn’t know the sex of our daughter either, so there was a big incentive for me to get down to business and PUSH!
A: Breastfeeding came fairly easy for me and my daughter. I’ve heard girls are better nursers than boys, so that might have contributed to its ease. Some tips I would give to new moms is to try to stay relaxed about it and follow your gut. You are given so many “rules” on breastfeeding it can be overwhelming. I tried to follow my daughter’s lead and read her versus being worried about a “feeding schedule.” I also think its a good idea to let the hospital nursery know that you don’t want your child receiving a bottle in the nursery. Another thing – use the hospital nursery at night between feedings. It’s nice to catch a little sleep, and if you have a girl, they bring her back with a cute little bow on her head – melts your heart!
As I was thinking about my post for DMMB this month, I couldn’t help but think of my sister, Sara. She is a brand new momma and I think she would be the first to say that it is definitely harder than she ever thought. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching her become a mom. She has shed a lot of tears with me and brought me back to those first days and weeks of my own experience with motherhood.
A: I have two: pacifier and swaddlers. I know some people discourage the use of a pacifier with babies, but I think they are a must-have. I use a Mam infant size pacifier that my daughter loves. Mam had sent it in the mail to us and it just happened to be one my little girl loved. Definitely shop around and find the right one for your baby. I used a swaddle blanket with velcro for my daughter after she started “breaking out” of swaddling blankets. This helps her sleep longer stretches instead of waking herself up with a flailing arm or leg.
A: Funniest thing happened at the Sculpture Park downtown. My husband and I took our baby for a walk one night when she was about two weeks old. We were packing up to leave and changing her diaper in the stroller. We had taken the dirty diaper out from under her and hadn’t put a new diaper down. Well, our Little Miss decided to pee and poop all over everything. We couldn’t do anything but laugh. What was the kicker – another young couple with a new baby walked by and started laughing too because they could just tell what had happened without even knowing it! It was hilarious. Our daughter had to ride home in just a diaper, too, because we were inexperienced and didn’t have a change of clothes!
What advice can you give our mommy readers?
Motherhood is hard. It is very rewarding. But it is also very difficult to sacrifice yourself daily to love another. Don’t be discouraged when you find it hard to be a mom. We all go through it.
Love your child and you’re being the best mom.
[Yes, I so agree to this. Motherhood is a beautiful thing. It may be hard at times, but it is so gratifying.]
FAQ
What are some questions about motherhood?
- Did you sleep last night? …
- What is your favourite meal that I can make you?
- Do you want me to watch the baby while you shower?
- Can I do your dishes?
- It can be really hard transitioning to being a mom, how is that going for you?
- What can I bring you, coffee or tea?
What are some important questions to ask a pregnant mother?
- What has been the hardest period of motherhood for you and how did you deal with it? …
- What is your favorite go-to mom recipe that’s easy for a busy mom with a big family? …
- What is your best advice to moms of little kids? …
- What is your best advice for moms during the tough teenage years?
What are good questions to ask parents?
- Questions Pregnant Women Ask:
- Question #1: How will I know if I am pregnant?
- Question #2: When should I see a doctor?
- Question #3: Should I consult a midwife or an OB/GYN?
- Question #4: Is bleeding during pregnancy normal?
- Question #5: Which foods should I avoid during pregnancy?
