Trust your mommy instincts - tuning out  the white noise!

So you’ve got yourself a baby, mazel tov! With the arrival of your beautiful bundle of joy, you will also gain one of the most undervalued superpowers ever, it makes Captain America’s shield look like a child’s frisbee, it is of course Maternal Instinct. 

So why does so much of the advice we receive have us questioning our natural instincts? 

As a first time mom, I received advice (occasionally I’d even asked for it) on everything from sleep, to breastfeeding, to which dummies to use and when. Some of it really was helpful (a spare change of clothes in the nappy bag is a must have) but some of it was contradictory or even downright dangerous. 

So whilst there is always room to learn from evidence based science or those who have gone before us, the best decisions I’ve made since becoming a mom have been made by listening to my gut. 

One of the first things a paediatrician is taught, is to listen to the parents. Incredibly, even the medical field recognises just how powerful and invaluable the instincts of a parent are - mommy (or daddy) really does know best. 

Being a first time parent is scary as hell, and there will definitely be times when you doubt yourself and ignore what your instincts are telling you, but as you grow in confidence, you will begin to notice that the times when parenting feels the most easy and natural, are the times you tuned out the noise of other voices, and tuned into your own.