Amazing Advice For First Time Parents From Experienced Moms and Dads

But first... here's my two cents!

This is a little exercise I have my expecting couples do prior to the baby's arrival. It's a yummy one!

Each person gets one piece of paper. On that paper write "10 reasons why I love you". For example:

1. I love you because_____________

And once you've written down 10, then write down "5 things you do that makes me feel loved". For example:

1. You make me feel loved when you____________

Once you're done place both pieces of paper on the refrigerator. And from time to time go back to it and try to do one of those things. It's a reminder of why your other half is so important to you. And this will be SO important when the baby arrives! Cause you both will be consumed in baby land.

For more baby prep ideas, you may want to check this out. How Making A Baby Plan Can Help Make Your Relationship Strong Here is what other parents had to say...

What is the best advice you can give to first time parents?

My mom gave me the best advice: you are going to make mistakes - you have to forgive yourself.

The best advice I got was written in a card at my baby shower, and I've since passed it on to every Mom-to-Be since: "Remember YOU are the primary expert on YOUR baby. Everyone has what they believe to be the 'right' way to parent, because that worked for their babies. Find your 'right' and make it your 'right' to see it thru. Don't let grandma's nostalgia for how things were done 'in her day' cloud your judgment and remember that for every article you read, there's another arguing the opposite point. Listen to suggestions and should you take them, make them your own: no two babies are the same."

Every stage passes SO quickly the good & the bad. Enjoy every moment. Spend at least 1x a week a few hours on a date with hubby or treat yourself for alone time. Join mommy or daddy groups for support but trust your instincts because ultimately you will know your child best. Your teenager won't want to sleep in your bed, cuddle your baby!

Trust your instinct. My instinct was telling me to do AP (attachment parenting) style parenting before I knew what AP was. But I had friends, family suggesting things like sleep training, bottles, cribs alone...I was lucky to find Dr. Sears, and the AP community really validated my gut!

Babies don't read "the books", so don't expect them to do everything "by the book".

Follow your instinct & try not to let the typically unwarranted advice of others impede on enjoying this precious fleeting moment of new parenthood.

Don't buy too many things-first time parents do that.

Cosleep from day 1. Feed on demand. Forget all those rules about routines and schedules. Enjoy your motherhood by making your own rules and following your god given instincts.

Enjoy every minute, despite the lack of sleep, etc. Every day is a gift and the little one grows and changes so fast!

Question circumcision. Research it.

To mum : Get cooking and cleaning help. You just take care of the baby, sleep and do the things you like.

The first 6 weeks are the hardest.. you will adjust and everything will fall into place. Accept as much help as you can get and SLEEP!

When people ask, what do you need? Ask for meals!!!

Secure help before birth of the baby, Real help. People that will hold the baby in between feedings so you and hubby/partner can get some sleep early on to recover and later to catch up on sleep from the sleepless nights. Most especially if you live far away from family and friends.

People don't remember how old their children were when they give you advice, what works for a 1 year old may be great advice, but if you try to apply it to your 3 month old, it could be disaster!

People don't remember how old their children were when they give you advice, what works for a 1 year old may be great advice, but if you try to apply it to your 3 month old, it could be disaster!

My best advice is... Don't listen to anyone else's advice.

Parenting is not a competition. Don't get sucked into comparing your baby with someone else's or comparing your parenting style with someone else's. Spend your energy enjoying your baby!

Don't read too much. Trust your gut and remember that what works for one baby may not work for the next....

Have a sense of humor!

Put down the baby expert books, and listen to your baby and instinct. Every baby, and parenting style is different. So do what feels right to you, not what a book tells you to do.

Don't let others to influence the way you raise your baby, do what you feel and know is best! And cherish those moments when your baby is little, they grow way too fast

Everyone remembers the firsts, but try to remember the last as well. You will miss the times when your little one used to fit on you, the toothless grins, etc. Try to not look forward to the next stage and enjoy the one you're in at the moment.

Remember that people have been doing this for years, so don't overthink it.

Relax and take deep breaths!

ALL BABIES ARE DIFFERENT...don't assume that you're baby will do something or be a certain way because you read that's how it's "supposed" to be.

Whatever's happening, good, bad or ugly. It will pass. It really will. No phase will last forever.

MANY people will give you advice, whether they are parents or not. Do what you KNOW in your HEART is the right thing to do.

Trust your instinct!

SLEEP TRAINING. Not cry it out. But to learn how to self sooth (the baby). I wish someone would of told me sooner about the sleep eat and play.

Keep calm and latch on.

Don't forward face the car seat too soon.

Close the books and listen to your baby. Your mommy instincts are rarely wrong; you just have to listen to them.

Remember it is your body and baby and you have rights! The right to have the birth you want not a doctors. The right to refuse all shots and eye gel. The right to say no if you are uncomfortable with what the doctor tells you! It is your body your baby!

Time moves slower AND faster than ever--just have as much fun as possible.

Everyone has an opinion on everything to do with child rearing . . . Not everyone (or mostly anyone) has earned the right to speak into your family's life. Translation: glean parenting wisdom from sources you trust and love! The rest, take work a grain of salt!

Breastfeed your baby and sleep when your baby does during those early days.

Make sure you tell each other how much you love each other and hold on to one another. A baby brings so much love and chaos too into a couple's life and with sleep deprivation and attention directed at the baby it is easy to forget the little things we used to do.

Allow others to help. Sleep when baby sleeps (really). Adopt a new definition for "clean house".

You can never hold, cuddle or kiss your baby too much...

You're going to make mistakes and it's ok. Don't be too hard on yourself. We all do our best and that's all you can do.

Don't invest in all the how to books! It's a learning process and every baby is different! If you get offered help from people you trust, accept it!

Embrace each phase, don't struggle against it even when it's hard. Just realize there is no magic formula, your life has changed and it will continue to do so at a rapid pace. It will be hard but it will also be amazing and the amazing will outweigh the hard overall. Don't compare, and try your best not to judge oh and try to join something like a stroller strides or moms walking group, fresh air is good for you and baby and the connections you make with other moms are so important::)

Breastfeeding for a whole year without solid food.

Not all babies have different sounds when they cry so don't worry if you can't tell the difference. Just be calm and try different things til it works. If you can't be calm hand the baby over to your SO and take a breather. Cry if you need to

Don't get advice from strangers on Facebook!

Follow baby cues. Turn your sleeping pattern into theirs then grow out of it together, slowly. Throw away that cot, co-sleep. Tell your husband it's all temporary, nothing lasts forever.

Throw away your previous plans for your baby in favor of your instincts, and treasure every possible moment.

Eat something while you're in the early stages of labor contractions because ice chips won't cut it later. Applesauce is good!

Enjoy your belly... You will miss, don't be too hard with yourself and trust your instinct.

Listen to your baby and not society. Don't fight with what your baby is trying to tell you. Go with the flow. No phase stays for long!

Trust your instincts and don't blink!

Take them to church. Co sleep or bedshare. Spend as much time with baby as possible. Make videos. Enjoy family time. Build memories to last a lifetime. Enjoy they grow up too fast.

Cherish the moments as much as you can. It really doesn't last as long as it seems when your tired. Step back from the moment occassionally to observe and laugh. Some things are worth capturing in a photo before you clean up.

Everyone will give you advice... Do what works best for you and your baby. It takes time to figure it out, but you will!

It will feel weird the first month after bringing your baby home...go with it...you will not sleep during that time...laugh and enjoy the ride...hold, love and kiss your baby as much as you can during this time...your going to miss it someday...and the two things I couldn't do without...Gripe Water and a Snuggleme!

Just follow your baby's lead, and respond with what comes naturally. Ask for help on errands and housework, so mommy and daddy can just be with baby.

Feed them, Love them and keep then close. That's all that matters:)

Breast feeding is a lot of work at first. You will feel like your life is over and you will only sit and feed the baby from here on out! but it gets way easier and less time consuming around 6 weeks!

Sleep with your baby , have patience with nursing, and don't be afraid to ask for help.

Remember to take some photos with all three of you in them every once in awhile.

To cherish every single moment no matter what. They get big so fast, I remember people telling me that, now 3 children later, oldest 13, I miss those little toes and my sleepless nights, embrace it!

You will get frustrated at your spouse/partner but realize you are in it together and just breathe deep and work through the sleepless nights, blowouts, etc as a team!

*****don't rely on anybody else's advice... what may be "right" for their family may not work for you and yours***

Keep laughing! A positive attitude is everything. And remember that this, too, shall pass whatever it is you are dealing with.

Listen to your intuition. If someone suggests doing something that just doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.

Do the normal things you do around your home for example if the baby is sleeping make noise!!!!!

Sleep now, for it's going to be a thing of the past!

Do what works for Mom and baby...don't sweat the small stuff

Soak in every second of those first few days and weeks, they grow so fast, especially in the first few weeks.

If you can't breastfeed, don't put yourself down.

Always enjoy your child. They grow up very fast.

Every baby is different, one thing that might work for one baby may not work for yours. The first 6 weeks you will feel out of it with lack of sleep and recovery. You will have a bunch of emotions that you could ever know what to do. Your hormones go crazy. But push through them. Breathe. Learn to take quick showers and sleep when baby sleeps, even though you rather watch them sleep. Have patience and hold baby often. Everyone tells you all the good things about the baby and postpartum. Dont worry if things dont feel like rainbows & butterflies. This too shall pass. Most important take lots and lots of pictures -- include yourself. Make memories, they grow so fast. Enjoy the good, bad, and ugly moments! You know your baby best! Be their advocate. Dont explain your motherly decisions to ANYONE. Not their child, not their business.

No matter what needs to be done, sleep while the baby's sleeping! It's crucial to your sanity! Leave the laundry & whatever else. I didn't listen @ first & that was a huge mistake! She's 16 months & I sleep when she sleeps still to this day! Congrats!

Put the camera down. Be present in the moment, not behind a lense.

To father to be; try to help your wife as much as possible because she'll be a real mess in her first days of sleepless nights.

Take tons of pictures and videos of the baby doing nothing. You'll be glad you did.

Bask in the bliss! Even sleepless nights can be blissful ( when you look at your baby, you'll know what I mean).

Take more pictures when he/she is a newborn! Also buy a yoga ball works wonders when you can't get baby to sleep

You can't do everything, so focus on the important stuff and let the rest go. When someone offers to help, take it. Let them clean your house, do your dishes/laundry, bring you a meal. We've forgotten the village mentality as a society, but this is a wonderful time to take advantage of it!

Try not to take score between you and your husband, you will always have a higher score! And keeping score will only hurt your marriage.

Everything washes off with soap and water.

Take it all in- the good the bad and the insane moments you never think will and. They will... And things change, fast. Document as much as you can!

Eat only pure natural food.

Organize your entire house now, clear out one kitchen cabinet just for baby's stuff (bottles, food, cups, bowls), take lots of photos and videos and sleep train. Most importantly, soak up and enjoy every second of your baby. The days are long but the years fly by. Congratulations!

Respect your child!

Love every second, hold and be with baby as much as you can, you can't spoil them but this will spoil you and you'll love it.

Sing to him/her a lot.

Hi, I am a first-time mom, my baby is 7 months and three weeks old and it just seemed like yesterday he was born! Enjoy and appreciate every moment with your baby. It might seem as though the day and the crying/fussing will never end but they do. If any problems should occur, (hopefully not!!!) keep calm and do what's best for your baby and don't let anything keep you from doing what you think is best for baby. And lastly don't be afraid to ask for help! You will be tired and upset and tired and sleep deprived and did I say tired, I meant exhausted! Taking a bit of mommy time in order to rest will be beneficial to both you and your family! Good luck and enjoy your little bundle of joy!

Hug them every day. Tell them you love them everyday. It'll pay off big time for all three of you.

Go with the flow..

You will never be perfect so give that idea up now.

Just breathe & sing when in doubt.

There's no one right way to parent and care for a child, trust your instincts and make the best informed decisions that work for your family.

Be compassionate with one another and yourself :)

You don't have to do it all. Make sure you relax, take a nap so that your husband can have daddy bonding time and feel part of this wonderful life altering experience as well.

Dont think you have to do everything everyone is telling you just because it worked for them.

Get a bottle warmer!! Saved our sanity.

Our pediatrician's first advice was the best ever - "You'd have to try pretty hard to really screw up a kid. So don't worry too much, you will do just fine."

Yes... After the first few months it's all "Normal". Love your baby. Your baby is 100% dependent upon you and your love will nurture that child for life!!! It's really all about giving love so your child can in turn give love him or herself! Congrats!!!

Eventually you will sleep again. Not soon, but you will live through it.

Let go of your ideas of how it "should" be and go with the flow. Parenthood is perfectly imperfect! Also remember marriages have ebbs and flows adding children changes many things especially when you are sleep deprived but it gets better. Best of luck! Just lay down and sleep.

T O G E T H E R . Hold each other, enjoy your quiet time alone.

Pace yourself.

Cherish the little things for soon they will grow up and never be so little again. Read to the child daily from whatever book wherever you are (tub, car, doc office) for it will be an important part of their development.

For children any language is the same so if you will show your child some cartoons when he/she will be a bit older choose 1 or 2 foreign languages (french, spanish etc) and let them enjoy it! They will be exposed to different sounds and eventually if they will end up hopefully learning a foreign language it will make them understand different cultures etc. PRICELESS! Not because it enhances brain power but because it make it more likely that they will be good at foreign languages in the future which hopefully will make for more understanding, solidarity in the world.