As A First-Time Mom, I've Made About A Million Mistakes In Just Seven Months — But These Are The Most Important Lessons I've Learned

Hi, I'm Hannah, and I'm a first-time mom to a 7-month-old girl named Ellie. Parenthood has already been a wild ride — no doubt the hardest, but also the most rewarding experience of my life. While I'm only seven months into this journey, sometimes it feels more like seven years 😅.

Me lying with my daughter while she drinks a bottle

Anyone with a baby knows that being a new parent, in particular, is quite the adventure. You're catapulted into this new life with a brand-new human you're meant to take care of, and no matter how many baby books you've read, you still don't really know what you're doing.

Hannah Loewentheil

Being a first-time parent is a gigantic learning curve...one that seemingly never ends. I've already discovered so many new things in the past seven months, and I've made tons and tons of mistakes. But as I look back on the past weeks and months, a handful of lessons really stand out.

Me holding my sleeping daughter
Hannah Loewetheil

I am certainly no expert (see above, re: 5 bajillion mistakes). And by no means do I have anything figured out. I'm just a mama taking this whole parenthood thing step-by-step. So I wanted to put together a bunch of the things I've already done wrong and what I've learned from these mistakes. Maybe you're a parent who can seriously relate, or maybe you're an expecting parent just trying to feel a little bit prepared. Hopefully, the following makes you feel a little more supported in your journey!

Feeding my baby a bottle with the help of my dog
Hannah Loewentheil

1.Not giving myself enough grace in the throes of the newborn days.

A spoon in a tub of ice cream in someone's lap

2.Worrying that I was "spoiling" my baby.

A woman holding a baby

3.Fixating so much on naps.

A baby sleeping in her crib

4.Comparing my baby with other babies.

Two babies playing together

5.Obsessing over my baby's sleep (or lack thereof).

A mother and son sleeping on bed

6.Paying way too much attention to milestones.

An infant playing with blocks above a crib

7.Trying to thrive instead of survive.

A man holding a newborn

8.Not paying better attention to wake windows.

A baby girl yawning

9.Overthinking and weighing too many opinions.

Women with babies on a bench

10.Not going with my gut.

Woman breastfeeding baby in bed

11.Buying way too many baby clothes.

Tiny pink baby shoes

12.Spending too much time on Google.

Carrie Bradshaw in front of a laptop

13.Blaming myself when I couldn't soothe my baby.

A mother comforting a baby

14.Being afraid of my baby crying in public.

A baby sleeping outside at a cafe

15.Stressing too much about a "schedule."

A baby holding a bottle

Now I'd love to hear from you! What were the mistakes you made as a first-time parent, and the biggest takeaways you learned from them? What do you wish you could go back and tell yourself the day you brought your baby home? Tell us about it in the comments or drop it into this Google form.