By Claudia Guerra

When my daughter was born, I wasn’t prepared for all the changes that followed.
You have to be able to take a lot when you’re a new mom, and that includes knowing what advice to accept from others.
Since day one, my mother has been a constant nagger about what I should and shouldn’t do when it comes to raising my daughter. Since we live 30 minutes away from each other, it’s easy to ignore her over the phone.
But when she did visit, all I heard was “give her this,” “don’t do that” and “maybe you should try this.”
At first, I told myself that mother knows best. After all, she’s done this before.
But this is my baby.
I grew tired of hearing my mom put her two cents in. One day, I snapped.
“Stop telling me what to do,” I said. “She’s my baby, and I know what I’m doing!”
I didn’t like yelling at my mom. After all, she was only trying to help.
However, she did finally get the hint.
After that, she calmed down and let me take charge.
It didn’t stop there, though. Sometimes friends will comment on how well their baby is progressing, making you wonder what you’re doing wrong if your baby isn’t developing as quickly.
I finally realized that I will always hear from others about how I should care for my baby.
It won’t always be what I want to hear, but most people do it because they believe they are being helpful, and think they know more than you because they’ve already been though the experience.
They might mean well, but it can get overwhelming to a new mother when she is constantly hearing what she should be doing instead of how well she is doing.
The best advice I can offer is to simply smile and say “Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.” No one knows what is best for your baby better than you. Advice from others is always helpful, and the best part is that you don’t always have to apply it to you.
So even though I might be boiling on the inside from this constant advice from others, I’ve learned that this is something all mothers go through.