I was given plenty of advice when I was pregnant, but there was something that nobody told me, something that I needed to hear: Believe in your ability to be the type of parent you want to be. You're absolutely capable. When I talked about wanting to read to Noah daily or give him a massage as part of our nightly routine, I heard, "You'll be far too exhausted to do those types of things". When someone asked what our birth plan was and I shared that we were planning to do it with no medication or interventions, they laughed and told me that I'd be begging for an epidural the second labor started. I'd mention wanting to make my own baby food or wanting to avoid "crying it out" and get equally negative responses."Just you wait", they would say.
Here we are, six months into motherhood. I've made plenty of mistakes, but I do the things I said I would. I'm the type of parent I planned on being before Noah arrived, and I don't think that makes me unique. If I had to give any piece of advice to an expectant mom, I'd tell her what I wanted so desperately to hear six months ago: You can be the type of parent you want to be. Believe in yourself. You're totally capable.
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