Light Weekend Reads: 5 Things Grandmothers Can Teach A New Mom!

When a baby is born, grandparents of the child are as excited as the parents. Grandparents, especially grandmothers, with their experience of raising children, often offer some great advice to new parents. And just like parents,they start dreaming about the new arrival, and the good times they will have with him, the moment the expecting parents share news of the pregnancy.

Even while times are changing, some things remain a constant – a grandmothers’ wisdom – the wisdom that will come handy in your parenting journey, as it stems from experience.

Things An Expecting Mother Can Learn From A Grandmother

Grandparents are special. And besides the parents, they are the people who shower a child with unconditional love, and undivided attention. During pregnancy, your mother and mother-in-law do their best to share their experiences and do’s and don’ts. Here are some things that you can take tips for.

1. Prenatal and postnatal care: The moment you share the happy news of your pregnancy, a whole list of do’s and don’ts will follow.
   1. You must be aware that prenatal care is quite important for not only smooth pregnancy but also for a smoother delivery
   2. Your mother and mother-in-law will present you with a list that will include – what to eat, what to avoid, when to relax and put your feet up and how to walk so on and so forth
   3. Once you have delivered your baby, there are more do’s and don’ts to follow, with respect to food, exercise and so on. Grandmas are the best people to help you during this time
2. The art of holding a newborn: Newborns are fragile, and need careful handling. And holding them is nothing less than an art (one that the nurses in the hospital will keep telling you about).
   1. Hold the baby while supporting her head with one hand and the lower body with the other
   2. While you start feeling confident under the expert guidance of hospital staff, at home the grandmother is the best person to guide you in the art of holding a newborn. After all, they’ve done this a couple of times, at least?
3. Massage the right way: Even as a first-time mom, you know the importance of a proper oil massage for your baby.
   1. Whether you are planning to hire a professional masseuse or do it yourself at home –grandmothers’ advice always comes in handy
   2. Trust their guidance and learn from them how to take care of the baby. Grandmothers can teach you the basics of bathing, massaging and exercising your baby – the right way including tips for baby care while bathing and massaging
4. Lullabies are soothing: Lullabies are the songs that a grandmother/mother/caretaker sings to the baby to calm and soothe her. You may learn some classic lullabies from your mother and mother-in-law, and sing them to your baby or you may just listen while the grandmothers sing.
   1. While lullabies are soothing, playing with a newborn is equally fun, especially for grandparents
   2. Remember they have seen their parents do the same with you and your spouse and now it is their turn
   3. As a first time mom, watch your baby having fun with her grandparents. You may also learn some new songs or games from them
   4. If your family is bilingual, even better! You will get to learn songs in a different language as well, to sing to your little one
5. Patience is a virtue: Taking care of a newborn can be overwhelming to a mother who is recovering from childbirth.Mothers and mothers-in-law can teach us how to handle it with patience while taking care of ourselves, too

Parenthood is a wonderful journey filled with love, care, guilt, zeal, and madness but it can be a smooth one if only you involve the grandmothers as well in the journey. Your child is in safe, loving hands with his grandparents, and your stress and anxieties are drastically reduced, too. If you aren’t comfortable following a particular custom or tradition, do consult a doctor when in doubt. But there are tons of things that grandma can help you with, using her wisdom!

What are some of your favorite tips from grandma? Share them with us in the comments section!