Getting Over Parenting Panic!

"Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do." - Dr. Spock

When I discovered I was pregnant with my first child one of the first shopping trips was to the book store. So many books to choose from, I grabbed 3 or 4 and made sure What to Expect when You're Expecting was in the pile! I even bought one for my husband about becoming a dad. We settled in and began to read. I felt like the more I read the less I knew. These books made me feel like I was completely unprepared for this adventure. I didn't eat right, exercise correctly, heck I didn't even sleep on the proper side of my body!

PANIC!

My ObGyn tried to calm me down, and tell me I was fine and on the right track. Oh but the books, the books said otherwise! And then I discovered web sites and magazines...I was even dumber than I thought! The worst was the discovery of the medical reality shows about women giving birth, I had no idea so much could go wrong!

My mother and mother in law tried to calm me down by pointing out how they never had to worry about half the stuff the media was shoving at me. What did they know...my generation is just lucky to be alive!

I do remember the day (actually night) that the dependence on the books began to fall away. My little boy, arriving several weeks early but healthy, was finally home. He did not like his bassinet, he cried and cried. Every time I put him down he cried. My husband kept telling me that a friend of his had said his baby would only sleep in the car seat carrier. How absurd! The books said nothing about that! What does your drinking buddy know that my precious books can't tell me! Another sleepless night went by, and another. OK I'll try it, I conceded...but I'm calling the doctor in the morning to make sure its safe! It worked!

As time went by I threw those books out and depended more and more on my instincts. I can't tell you how many friends of mine feel like they don't have those instincts. That they could never throw out their books. As my kids are now 8 and 6 (and the 8 year old no longer sleeps in the car seat- FYI!) I still need to take a minute and rely on my instincts from time to time. It doesn't make me the most popular Mom all the time, but it does keep me happy with my family and my parenting decisions!

I was inspired to write this today by this awesome article in the Washington Post! Check it out!