Royal Baby Advice

This week, we celebrated the birth of Prince George, the royal baby. Albeit he is the prince of the UK rather than the USA, he is a cutie nonetheless.
Babies tend to put most people in a happy mood. The world is thrilled. This royal baby is already oozing cute and cuddly. Why do people get so giddy about babies? Maybe because they are the physical embodiment of our future hopes. Perhaps they are reminders of our own childhood dreams. The royal baby solidifies the cultural legacy of a country, but most importantly, he is the physical union of two people and two families forever intertwined. Baby first, prince after.

The Unique Role of a Mother

Motherhood is a unique and bumpy road journey filled with its own ups and downs. As a side note, you do not have to give birth to a child to be a mother, but more on that later. Whether you’re a mother to a prince or a princess of your own, the pride in your child’s achievements and the empathy for their pains are universal feelings shared by most parents and people who parent kids. Let’s process some thoughts for all the amazing mothers out there.

Trusting Your Intuition in Parenting

In my office, I like to say, “You are the expert on your child.” Typically, most parents are the primary caregivers of their children. Connecting and trusting that internal parent voice is an essential parenting task. Especially in a world with loud voices. Learning to recognize and honor your voice is the foundation for healthy decisions across your child’s lifespan. One of the most empowering aspects of motherhood is learning to trust your instincts. Your intuition is powerful in making decisions for your child’s well-being. Remember, you know your child best. Stand firm in your beliefs and decisions, especially when it comes to their health and safety.

Baby Advice and Our Identity

The ritual of marriage happens over time. Note the wedding goes by quickly. We put so much into that one day…but the real marriage starts when we start to negotiate and “get it together.” Hopefully, we define ourselves before marriage, but then we must go back and redefine ourselves as wives and husbands. When the baby comes along, we must redefine ourselves again as we become parents. The order may change as our circumstances change, but the shifting of identity is guaranteed.
You may be independent and well-rounded, but this new role of Mother is something that no one can ever prepare you for.

Motherhood

Despite all the help she has surrounding her, Kate alone is in the position of Mother to the young Prince. She will feel the pride of motherhood as her son meets his milestones. She will also feel the pain when her baby is hurting in a way that she cannot fix. That pain comes to all of us in the club of parenthood by blood or by love. From one mother to another, here is “Royal Baby Advice.” If your child is a prince or princess in your house, this is for you, too.

Learning Independence

Begin as you mean to go on. As a fan of attachment parenting, I cannot stress enough about the importance of those first two years. It is critical to bond with your baby, yet we must also allow them to self-soothe. The walk over the tightrope begins. The hard part with kids is realizing when they need your help and when to back off so they can learn to help themselves.

Independence is a critical skill that all kids need to learn. If you intend for your child to be an independent adult, we must allow them to practice their skills. We have to allow them to walk and fall down. We have to be there to say, “It is ok.” We have to cheer as they get back up, knowing that they will get knocked down again.

Resilience

Most importantly, we have to practice our own skills to teach our kids to become resilient adults. We have to show them how to overcome those difficult times in life. See Angela Duckworth for more on this.

Self-Care

Rest and go easy on yourself. Raising a baby is hard work. Sometimes you will be a mom, sometimes you will be a wife, sometimes you will be a friend, and sometimes priorities will conflict. Be prepared for that and make a plan that works. Allow yourself to make messes and show your child that no one is perfect. Remind them that aspiring for perfection is a path to the unfulfilled self. That “perfect” person will never be full.

Routine

Set a rhythm and routine, and then stick to it (more or less). Routine gives babies and families a sense of stability and normalcy. If the routine is too relaxed, children become fearful because they don’t know what the boundaries are. If the routine is too rigid, the family system starts to lose its sense of spontaneity and fun; life becomes a chore, and then everyone’s needs go unmet as they try to stick to the routine.

Grounding Your Baby

Use essential oils and breathing to ground you and link you to your baby- he will always know that you smell like lavender (or clary sage or vetiver). Your child will respond to you from the start. They know your smell, your sound, and your touch. Nothing will soothe your child more than your presence (until they hit toddlerhood, and then there is a communication issue:). Use a neutral indicator, a blanket, a smell, or a family sound to get your child’s attention and bring them back to you because, as the mother of a young child, you are the center above all.

Do it Your Way.

Everyone knows that breast is best but it is entirely ok to supplement and do not let the holistic mafia make you feel bad, we are all built differently. I swear La Leche drove me into postpartum depression. After the third lactation consultant, it was a wrap. My baby was starving, and I needed to feed him by any means necessary. The world can sometimes push into our families with their opinions and judgments. What matters most is your own voice. Turning up the volume on our authentic voice is a healthy practice and one that will hold us in good stead throughout this baby’s lifetime.

Every Baby is a Royal Baby.

Finally, having a new baby is a time of great joy; in their own way, every child is a royal baby. With that decision to bring a new life into the world comes great responsibility, endless nights of worry, and a stream of prayers and hope that will no doubt be fulfilled. Somewhere in the midst of all that, we need to try to find time to slow down, take pictures, and snuggle as much as we can. The days of snuggling will be over soon enough as friends take center stage. See Erikson’s stages of development for more on this.

Despite our circumstances, all mothers are equal in one way- We all have 24 hours to be the best moms and women that we can be, and while we are working on that “small” task, let’s have a little fun, shall we?

The Holistic Store

While we are thinking that through, boost your connection from the inside out with our wellness supplements and supplies, check out our store for products that help you feel your best, making it easier to open up and connect on a deeper level.