Advice for New Moms

02.10.09

The other day I emailed to congratulate an editor who just gave birth, and she emailed back immediately, saying "thanks!! advice welcome!!" I'm not sure I'll take her up on that-what could I write that would be useful? What would you say?

Thinking about this reminded me of how uniquely contradictory the early days with a first baby are. On the one hand, there's this huge sense of urgency. Every time they're wet, or hungry, they think they're going to die, and you really feel they might if you don't act fast. So you're in a state of emergency, and yet, what unfolds through that haze of the early weeks is the necessity for patience. More patience than you've ever had, for longer than you've ever done anything.

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