Oh... Baby! Baby!

Having a baby could be the weirdest, newest, most unexpected experience that one can go through!

It is just that you change in a very unexpected way! You can never anticipate what it feels like before you really go through it! Every thing is new for you... every thing you are doing is just being done for the first time...

And in all of that astonishment that you live in, without even thinking of asking for help, all of a sudden, every one decides that they want to help you...

You bring the baby home from hospital, and your mom tells you it is important to swaddle the baby. So you swaddle the baby. Then your sister in law arrives and says that swaddling is just to bad for babies and can interrupt their growth so you should not swaddle the baby AT ALL. So you unwrap the baby. And then your hubby comes and sees the baby un-swaddled so he asks you to swaddle the baby.

While all you want to do is swaddle the baby at sleeping time and keep him unswaddled otherwise!

You decide to buy a bottle. Yous sister says that the "Avent wide nick" bottles are the best as they simulate natural breastfeeding. Your mother in law says that Chicco bottles with silicon nipples are the best. But your mother says that the NUK orthodontic bottles are the most comfortable for babies. And whatever you buy, if the baby does not accept it, your hubby will comment that "you should have bought the other type that (whoever it could be) recommended"!

While you know that not every bottle goes with every baby, and you will not know what bottle he will like until you buy them and try them. Your baby might not like ANY recommended bottle and decide to be comfortable with a locally manufactured bottle of the brand "whatsoever"!

It is winter. The weather is freezing outside. You dress your baby in some thing warm. You add a blanket. Your hubby decides that there is no need for the blanket as the baby is dressed well. Your father comes to visit and sees the baby without a blanket, so he starts saying that you should not forget that you are now responsible for this soul and you should feel his needs and COVER HIM WITH A BLANKET OR TWO!

While you know that there is no rule and you have to keep checking your baby to know if he is feeling cold so that you cover him, or if he is sweating so that you remove the blanket.

Your baby is now ready to start eating solids. His pediatrician tells you that you should feed him veggis and fruits, and warns you not to add any salt or sugar in his food until he is one year old. Your baby is not accepting any sort of blended veggies of fruits. Every one around you push you and tell you it is OK to add just a sprint of sugar or salt to the baby's food. You want to do the best for him. But your baby is picky, and all what he wants to eat is plain cerelac wheat cereal, not even the flavored ones. Every one tells you that not adding salt or sugar will result in him not eating anything, and will grow even pickier and pickier.

What you think of is that even if the baby stays on wheat cereal and milk until his first birthday, he will be getting all the nutrition he needs, and once you start adding salt and sugar in his food he will start eating every thing.

You think, search the internet, and ask the experts to see what is better for your child. But seems that every one around has an opinion of more weight than yours!

And you just smile to every one, thank them, and tell them that their advice was great and useful. And then do what is better.

If they allow you.

That is what motherhood is about! :-)