ParentMap moms offer advice for new parents

"If
you had one best piece of advice to give to a new/expectant parent,
what would it be?" We posed this question to our staff of moms and came
up with a wealth of tips for our BabyMap readers. Happy reading!

"Take lots of photos because it goes so fast!!!"
-- Nicole Wehl, classified account manager

"Make sure to have an exercise ball on hand before you bring baby home.
With both our kids, we found that sitting and bouncing on the ball was
the one thing that worked to soothe and quiet them when all else
failed. The ball is magic. Just make sure to get one that's appropriate
for your height or it can be hard on the back."
-- Allison Dworkin, special projects editor

"I found it very important to remember that though my husband was doing
something differently than I did (like the way we change diapers),
"Daddy's way" is as good as "Mommy's way." It helped me to stay out of
his way so he could develop his caretaking skills and feel good about
them."
-- Kathy Gerke, advertising sales manager

"Purchase tickets now to a play, concert or event of some sort -- on a
date six to eight weeks after your baby's due date -- for just you and
your partner to attend together. (Of course, you will talk about the
baby the whole time you are gone.)"
-- Toddy Dyer, advertising production manager

"Stock up on the basics, such as diapers and baby blankets, but wait
until your baby is born to buy extras. Your ideas about what you need,
or don't need, may change once your baby is born."
-- Kris Collingridge, calendar and Out & About editor

"Laugh a lot with your child and enjoy every moment, or at least as many as you can."
-- Laura Glass, senior account manager, national sales

"Start early, start young -- get a babysitter every Saturday night so
you don't have to talk about or think about when you will get alone
time."
-- Alayne Sulkin, editor and publisher

"If I could do it all over again, I'd keep a journal of my pregnancy,
birth and the first few years of my child's milestones and funny
moments. Because now it's all a blur!"
-- Cindy Ness, display advertising

"It's OK to NOT be productive and just BE with your babe for as long as
you need to -- and to realize that life is going to slow down so much,
but before you know it, you'll be up and running again and almost
wishing for those slower days."
-- Colleen Butler, Family Directory coordinator

"Being a new mom, home with a baby, can be isolating at times. I would
make an effort to go somewhere each day, whether for a walk around the
block or out to do a quick errand. At least it gets you out of pajamas."
-- Kim Schmidt, display advertising

"Know that other parents have different values, ethics, priorities and
rules than you do. Don't be shocked/upset/outraged at the way they
raise their children -- be ready for just about anything."
-- Linda Morgan, contributing editor

"Join a PEPS (Program for Early Parenthood Support) group. It can be
disconcerting to realize that many of your professional friends won't
relate to you in the same way, and will start to have different
interests. PEPS allows a new mom to cope not just with the changes at
home that a baby brings, but helps cope with losing what was previously
a way of life."
-- Tracy Sigmon, distribution coordinator

"Relax...take a deep breath and enjoy every moment with your newborn.
Enjoy every cry, every burp, every smile and every little movement.
Remind yourself that these moments are fleeting and a new 'stage' of
development is around the corner. You will never have this 'stage' back
again."
-- Suzanne Goren, marketing and distribution manager

"Document the life of your second child (and subsequent children) as
thoroughly as your first. My daughter, who is four years younger than
my son, feels a bit slighted because there are fewer photos and journal
entries regarding basic milestones (losing teeth, height at certain
ages, etc.) compared to what we had for her brother."
-- Teresa Wippel, managing editor

"Don't assume your child will: