Everyone’s got something to say when you have a baby (and even before you have a baby). Neighbors who barely nodded at me in the elevator suddenly inundated me with "pearls of wisdom" to ensure my newborn would be living her best life. I guess there is just something about a new mom’s haggard appearance that screams, "Please give me all of your unsolicited advice." Thankfully, I learned pretty quickly that I didn't have to take it all as gospel, as there are a few pieces of new mom advice I'm so glad I ignored. While I'm sure those neighbors (and friends and family members) had the best intentions, there is no one-size-fits-all way to parent.
Of course, that isn't to say that every single piece of advice thrown my way wasn't at all helpful. Most of it, usually from people I trusted like my mom and close mom friends whose parenting styles I admired, was nothing short of life-saving, probably because it came from people who knew me. Their experiences were unique, sure, but in trying to help me ease into motherhood they at least had the good sense to filter out anything that didn’t apply to my personality or my unique situation.
When I ventured outside my inner circle for advice, however, I was less successful in finding suggestions that proved to be beneficial. I disagreed with everyone who recommended I wash the kid’s clothes with special baby detergent; to me, it smelled like a junior high school girls’ locker room. As much as I wanted to wear my baby, I couldn’t stand the sweatiness. So, in the end and after consulting baby books and online forums and other people, I realized that I had scooped up a lot of advice that sounded great in theory, but proved horrible in practice. With that in mind, here are a few pieces of new mom advice that I’m so glad I ignored. Remember, the best thing you can do for yourself, as a new mom, is find out what works for you and forget the rest.