10 Things I Have Learned During the Summer of Lydia

Neatorama author Stacy Conradt gave birth to her first child at the beginning of the summer. Her blogging understandably slowed down while she was on maternity leave, but she posted some thoughts on how motherhood has changed her life.

1. As long as I have a small child, the topic of conversation will eventually turn to bodily fluids and/or functions.  It's true. I was even out at a bachelorette party last weekend and Paul sent me a picture of a particularly good (or BAD) diaper. I said, "Aghhh, I can't believe Paul sent me a picture of poop!!" and then I promptly sent the picture around the table. And when you manage to get spit up down your shirt and in your bra, c'mon, that's funny. You just have to share that with someone.

6. I will try really hard not to judge the way other people raise their kids. I'm totally guilty of judging what people were doing with their kids before I even had any. I thought, "Why wouldn't  you breastfeed? It's so much better for your baby." Um, the answer? Because it's HARD. It's time-consuming, it's stressful not knowing how much the baby is getting, or if it's the right kind of milk, or if what you're eating is hurting her stomach, and being the only one who can get up in the middle of the night with her. And now I would never fault anyone for using formula. You have to find a good balance between your stress level and your guilt level. Mine is this: nurse when I can, but supplementing with formula is just fine. That way I'm not stressed about all of those things but I'm not feeling guilty because she's not getting all of the awesome benefits of breastfeeding. It's not all or nothing! You can compromise! And speaking of breastfeeding…

Experienced moms will say, "Yes, yes, yes... welcome to the club!" Read all ten items at i met a possum. Link