Being a parent is one of the most common roles in this world. It binds us together as humans, and while our end goal may be the same (keep our children alive!), every parenting experience is uniquely different. No two people do it the same. However, that doesn't stop us from bombarding each other with stories, advice and judgment.

Women especially love to share and compare when it comes to pregnancy, birth and being a new mom. I know, because I am guilty of this!

Come on over for a glass of wine if you want to hear my (3) birth stories, because I'd be happy to tell them. As I should! Come on ladies, it's an incredible accomplishment to survive 9 months with a human growing inside of us, an even bigger feat to successfully bring that human into the world, and THEN they send that human home with us and say, good luck!

It's helpful for us to come together and talk all of it through so that we don't feel so alone (and crazy).

However, despite all the advice I was given during my first pregnancy, there is one thing I wish I would have known before bringing my baby home from the hospital, and that is... ignore all of it. Don't listen to any of it!

That's easier said than done, but I wish I wouldn't have been so stuck in my head constantly over-thinking, worrying and comparing. I read books, I called my pediatrician, I compared my baby to the babies in my weekly email updates and, I GOOGLED. Oh, Internet, you are so wonderful and terrible at the same time. And while I was doing all of this, my baby was growing up just fine, and very fast. I wish I would have savored the moments more, taking less showers and more naps with him, reading less about his milestones and observing them more.

Again, easier said than done, and hindsight is always 20/20. The worry and paranoia are all a part of being a new parent! If you no longer care, that is a problem (orrrr, you have a lot of kids and your 6-month-old is sucking on the bottom of your 2-year-old's sneaker...
oops). If you are pregnant with your first baby, I am simply encouraging you to be more present, less concerned and to trust your instincts. But here I am giving you advice, so you should probably disregard all of it. :)