Trusting Your Parental Intuition

If you are a parent, then you will understand that paralyzing fear when you come to realize that your child depends on you completely for everything. You hold his or her life in your hands. I always assumed that this was a first time parent thing, but my friends who have more than one child all say it happens prior to the birth of every single child. One of my girlfriends in particular is a Mom of 5 and has another bundle of joy on the way and yet she says she still has cold sweats and is adamant that this one will be the one she won't know how to look after! One huge piece of advice I can give you as a parent is to relax! You've got this! No baby comes with an instruction manual, but you will get the hang of it!

Mommy, Daddy & Tyler

The great news is, that when it comes to parenting it is mostly intuitive. There is no special class or a specific book which can give you all of the answers! In fact, with modern technology we perhaps have access to too much information. There is such a huge amount of information out there, much of it conflicting, and it can be difficult to know what to put your faith in. So why not put your faith in yourself? Inside of every parent is a little voice that is telling you the right thing to do. That is the voice of your intuition. Learn to listen to that voice and you will soon find your own path. If you are having difficulty, then by all means consult books and websites, talk to other parents. But, instead of following their advice to the letter, just use it as inspiration. Listen to your intuition and decide what piece of advice fits for you and your child. We are all different. What works for baby A will not work for baby B. For example, often women feel lie they are under pressure to breastfeed their babies, but sometimes this is not what is right for you. I tried breastfeeding Tyler when he came along, but after a few weeks of bleeding nipples and the constant crying from Tyler because he wasn't getting enough milk I finally let go of the guilt and took the advice of the midwife to try bottle feeding. We are both much happier and my husband can help with the night feeds. I think even from the early days I knew it wasn't right for me and Tyler and I only wish I had listened to my intuition then instead of going through the pain and upset. That doesn't mean I won't try to breastfeed our next baby. I'd definitely give it a go in case it was just an incompatibility issue for Tyler and I.

I think that what I am trying to say here is that as you get to know your baby, you will get to know what he  or she needs. When you witness your child experiencing any strong emotion - be it fear, pain or even joy - it will trigger your on response. You will intuitively know how to sooth them and if you don't ... call your Mother!