1. Don’t waste time buying a nice outfit for the hospital. After women give birth, they bleed (like a heavy period). I was much more comfortable in the hospital gown and those undergarments they give you to wear. It is so much easier.

2. There is a pretty good chance you may go number #2 while pushing the baby out! This certainly isn’t something to be embarrassed about, it happens naturally when you are bearing down.

3. Don’t plan on sleeping while you are in the hospital. Nurses are in and out at all hours. If you’re nursing the baby, they will bring her/him in to nurse, etc. Don’t be annoyed. Their job is to take care of you and your new little gift, let them.

4. You are charged for all the stuff that is under the baby in the hospital bassinet! I didn’t know this the first time. However, the second time around, I took everything I could, including diapers, blankets, nasal aspirator (AKA “The Boogie Sucker”), the water jug, etc. If I am paying for it, I am taking it!

5. You might be modest before you go into the hospital, but it is a good idea to shed it before you check in. Everyone comes to check your “Belly” every hour or so, no shame left at all! Don’t be embarrassed, they do this everyday. In addition, their job is to take care of you and your little one on the way, so let them!

6. Although things can get pretty uncomfortable, it all melts away once you see your baby. All the pain is worth it when you hear your baby’s first cry and hold them for the first time.

7. Try not to have expectations when you go into the hospital to deliver. Don’t have your mind set on having/not having an epidural, giving birth naturally, having a c-section, etc. Remember, it doesn’t matter how the baby gets here, as long as it’s healthy.

8. I wish I had known to tell friends not to come to the hospital – you are there such a short time and you need all the sleep and help from the nurses you can get!!!! You’ll have the rest of your lives to show off your new addition.

9. Use the nurses for all the knowledge that they have. Nurses do this everyday, all day. Therefore, use them for their knowledge. Ask them to show you how to correctly change the babies diaper, give them a bath and feed them. Even if this is not your first child, get a “refresher” course. If there is something that you forget to ask, call them!

10. If you are nursing, ask to meet with a lactation nurse. These nurses specialize in making both mommy and baby successful in breast-feeding. In addition, you may want to ask for some breast shields to take home with you. If you are not nursing, as the nurses the best way to help you feel comfortable when your milk comes in and drying up.

About the Author
Amy Cummings is currently a stay at home mom who takes care of her two daughters. Amy is a special education teacher by trade. She created the “Knot Me” which helps eliminate knots and bald spots from riding in the car seat or stroller. They are available at http://www.theknotme.com. In addition, Amy sells gourmet soy candles and soaps. Visit her website at http://www.soycandleshome.com.

This horrible, debilitating disease can transform even the kindest, sweetest children into horrible thoughtless monsters!

Has this ever happened to you?

• You walk into the grocery store with your little angel by your side. She asks if she may please have a box of Starry Fish Gummy Fruit Snacks, and when you say, “Not today honey,” your princess transforms into a screaming, raging beast, stomping her foot, shrieking loudly, accompanied by fake sobs. Spectators look on, wondering how you could be so cruel.
• You take your children to visit their 97 year old Great Aunt Thelma. She is bedridden in a nursing home, and just as soon as she appropriately pinches both their cheeks, they simultaneously chime “What’d ya get us?”
• Your teenage daughter has three dressers in her room. Her closet is overflowing and she has overtaken the closet in the guest bedroom. It’s time for school. You ask what is taking so long for her to get ready. She replies “It’s just not fair. I don’t have any clothes.”
• You scour the stores at Christmas looking for a Go-Go Rabbit Power Hero – the toy of the year – for your seven year old son. After waiting in line for eight hours, you are pushed out of the way by a throng of desperate parents. Finally exhausting all other options, you pay $200 for one on eBay. On Christmas morning, your son opens his package and promptly tosses it aside. “I wanted to red one,” he complains.
• Your children have boxes and boxes of toys laying about their room that they don’t play with. Yet every time they find themselves in a store, they whine and moan about how they “Never get anything” and how “We don’t have anything nice to play with”.

Does any of this sound familiar? Your children may be suffering from a common affliction know as: The Gimmes. This disorder is brought on by having Too Much. It rears its ugly head at the most inopportune times, usually in front of family members or the general public, causing a second-hand effect of acute embarrassment for the parent.

Never fear! There is a cure!
The only cure for The Gimmes is Less. Yes, that’s right; in this case, Less is More. Get rid of 75-90% of their toys and clothes. In addition for providing relief to The Gimmes, you will notice a remarkable difference in the cleanliness of said room and your children will experience an increased desire to play with the remaining toys. All this, because they can finally find them!

Don’t Buy Off-Season
Stop purchasing little toys and trinkets for your children between holidays. Give your children a small allowance instead, and make it clear that they are responsible for buying these items. The Gimmes clear up quickly when a child needs to spend his own money!

Purchase Less on Holidays
Keep your holiday gift giving simple. Only purchase 1-3 items per child for each gift giving occasion. Children become over-stimulated when presented with too many options, and receiving gifts is no exception. Between the gifts you give and the ones friends and family members give your child, it is easy for a child to confuse the gift itself with the thrill of getting. This is the root cause of The Gimmes.

Your family can overcome this. Your child can become a respectable, caring individual who doesn’t place his needs above everyone else’s. You can beat this disease. We’re all rooting for you!

About the Author
Rayven Perkins is an expert at saving money at home. She has spent 7 years finding and implementing unique cost-cutting tips that allow her family to live comfortably as a one-income family. Her site http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com examines resources and tips on Reducing Expenses, Stretching Your Dollar, and Supplementing Income in order to stay a SAHM