You Don't Know Until You've Been There.

It's amazing how fast time flies.

Although I have learned a lot in the last two and a half months of motherhood, one thing is for sure - you cannot say you will do this or that, or know better when you haven't had children, or experienced exactly the same situation, or had 'that' kid. 

 Until you've been there. 

Until you've done everything possible to have natural delivery and ended up with C-section.

Until you've been through the sleepless nights and colicky cries.

Until you've tried everything to calm the baby and it just seems that nothing works. 

Until you've stood over his crib trying to put him to sleep and he just wants to smile and play with you.
Until you've realized that all he wants is to be on your chest.

Until you've heard every kind of cry and KNOW what your baby needs at them moment.

Until you tried to introduce the bottle so you can leave him for more then two hours but he wouldn't take it.

Until you've followed the schedule and failed.

Until you've tried to nurse but the baby just won't take the breast but does fine with the bottle.

Until you've lost your milk supply very early on and hated that you had to switch to formula.

Until you've tried to give the formula but baby refuses.

Until you've realized that babies are people, and people have bad days. 

As friends, family members and just acquaintances, I think we all have offered advice in one form or another. 

But until you've at least been there, you can't say what works and what doesn't. 

And even then, all babies are different. 

Some want to be held all the time, others are completely satisfied without being smothered. 

Some want to eat every 2 hours for the first year of their life, others sleep through the night at one month old.

Some take pacifier, others like to suck on their thumb.

Some will be potty trained by 8 months, others still wet their pants at 3 years old. 

Honestly, every mother has her own struggles and until you've been there, until you've had that child, until you've tried everything under the sun, you have no idea what you would do.

So let's stop judging (which I'm guilty of as well) and start encouraging because God knows, we need it the most.

We, mothers, need to support and encourage each other in the fine job that we are doing, because we all know that it's hard enough without being criticized every step of the way.