Confessions of a Second Time Mom

I hold Molly all the time when she is sleeping. I also hold/bounce/sway her to sleep regularly. I know this will make it harder for her to learn to fall asleep on her own, but I also remember how quickly they grow out of the phase where they can sleep while being held.

I confess that I don't rush to Molly every time she begins to cry. Sometimes she is just fussing, sometimes she is frustrated, and sometimes if I wait like five seconds she will stop on her own and fall asleep. This would have never happened with Isabelle. I felt horrible for letting her cry even for one second. This probably explains why I am able to get more done around the house, take more showers and in general be a happier mom this time around.


If Molly spits up a little on the blanket she is laying on, instead of getting a new blanket, I just move her to a clean spot. After all, she usually spits up again and how many blankets can a person wash in one day?


I confess that if her pacifier falls on the floor, I now do what I would have considered absolutely disgusting before and pop it in my mouth and then give it back to her rather than cleaning it in boiling water first.


Molly sleeps on her tummy. I know this is a major no-no according to most of the population, but she sleeps better, sleeps longer and doesn't have a flat head.


I confess that I don't always call the doctor when Molly seems to have a little cold. I did this with Isabelle and spent a bazillion dollars on co pays to be told repeatedly that there was nothing they could do to help. Now I just do what I did with Isabelle, like use saline drops in the nose for congestion, put a humidifier in the room, and suction out her nose. I have a fancy tool to look in her ears for infection rather than rushing to the doctor every time she has a rough night, and because of that, I have saved hundreds. Babies can't take medicine for congestion so unless there is a fever, there is no real reason to go to the doctor. The first time I realized I hadn't called the doctor for something I would have for Isabelle, I felt guilty. Now I just feel smart.


Lastly, I confess to be one of those know-it-all moms. I don't mean to be, and I am working on correcting my problem! I think that after you have one baby and figure out how you and your family work and then you have another baby and you do even better (not perfect mind you, just better), you assume that what works for you will work for everyone. This is NOT the case and so as much as I want to offer my words of wisdom to other moms, I am trying to stop assuming there is a one-size fits all model for raising kids.


Those are my confessions, what are yours?