Going by the book, or not

It's kind of funny. When my son was born nearly 3 years ago, I wanted to do everything by the book. I felt like if I didn't do it *exactly* like the books or doctor suggested, then it wasn't right. I sterilized his bottles, I forced him to sleep on his back or side, and I washed his clothes in baby detergent religiously.

And now today I have my second child. And boy how some things change. While I did sterilize her bottles, and I have been washing her clothes in baby detergent - I am much more laid back about doing things.

It was a long couple of months before we started letting my son sleep on his tummy. Belly sleeping is heavily frowned upon, and you are the world's worst mother if you let your child sleep on his/her belly. I worried SO MUCH about it - but he slept so much better that way. Granted, if he hadn't had such a strong neck and the ability to lift and turn his head, I probably wouldn't have put him to sleep that way.

So, it wasn't surprising that at just 2 weeks old our daughter slept better that way, and we started putting her to sleep like that more often.

And, I've already decided that once the baby detergent is gone, I probably won't be buying anymore. I think I'll just start washing her clothes along with the rest of the family's.

I just never would have thought that someone could change their parenting even when going from having just 1 child to 2. I imagine even more changes as you have more and more kids. Maybe it's just the fact that there isn't time to sort out a million different loads of laundry, remembering to use the Superdooper Stain Knocker-Outer Detergent for the kids baseball uniforms, the Sudsy Wash with Bleach Alternative Detergent for the white clothes, and the Oh So Soft and Delicate Baby Detergent for all the littlest clothes. And I imagine when you have a bunch of kids to get to bed - the main goal is making sure they are all comfortable and asleep in whatever position that works best for each individual.

It all really just comes down to the fact that books can be used as a guideline and nothing more than that. Everyone needs to find their own parenting style, and see how each child responds to things. Some babies DO need special laundry detergent because their skin is more delicate and they may have reactions (then again, most laundry detergents also come in Free & Clear, and are much cheaper than the baby versions). And some babies probably aren't strong enough to be able to sleep on their tummy without possibly suffocating in the mattress.

So, it's all about trial and error. But it still amazes me that I am a slightly different mother now than when my son was born.