Recalling my initial days as a new parent, I remember I would get so overwhelmed receiving tons of advice on how I should handle my twins – ‘should I exclusively breastfeed them or should I start bottle feeding? Should I swaddle them to sleep or not?’ Every person I talked to gave a new suggestion and it turned out to be so confusing. It took me some time to realize that in situations like these, it is best to rely on the parental instincts that can guide us to make the right decisions. 

Parenting has always been hard, but it’s all the more difficult in today’s time – as we have so much information at our fingertips. And one mistake we make as new parents is to rely more on the internet/parenting books than what our gut feeling tells us. 

There is plenty of good information out there, but the highly opinionated voices of others and the often-contrasting viewpoints, sometimes seem to drown our gut feeling. And suddenly we start to second guess everything. We start doubting our parental techniques, criticize ourselves, our kids and feel lost. 

It’s wise to seek advice and take tips from other parents that can be helpful. But it’s even wiser to first listen to our inner voice and see what our gut feeling is.

Learning to trust our inner parenting compass is a process that continues throughout our lifetime as mothers. Earlier it was how to get them to sleep, today it’s whether the show they want to watch is too mature. There aren’t any absolute answers to these questions, and the best is to go with our instinct.

My twins are six years old now but there are certain things I keep reminding myself that help me relate to my parental instincts while taking any decision/action.

1. No one knows my children better than me.

No one can relate to our kids in a way that we can. Therefore, it is best to filter the information we receive from others through our lens. I always try to assess and ask myself – ‘will this work for my child’. Every child and parenting situation is different. What worked for a friend and her baby may not work for me.

2. Trust my instinctive response 

In a confusing situation, I always choose my first response. For instance – the other day before visiting the garden, my girl was behaving a little differently. She was excited and was jumping around, but I felt uneasy. My gut feeling said, there is something unusually wrong. I kept asking her, but she didn’t tell. As soon as we stepped out of the house, she puked and it seemed like a bad case of a stomach bug.

Many-a-times we brush aside such thoughts thinking we are making a big deal about nothing, but that may not be true.

Always follow your parental instincts and if your first response tell you that something is wrong, believe it!

3. Pause, Assess, Act

When someone questions our parenting choices or decisions, a lot of times we give in and start doubting ourselves. In such situations, I stop, take some time to assess, and then act. When we pause and rethink, we are in a better frame of mind to weigh the pros or cons of any situation.

As new parents, we usually walk in the dark half of the time but we tend to find our way out when our parental instincts kick in. 

Reaffirming this thought, one of the most iconic brands Huggies has launched its new campaign #SahiWaliFeeling to champion the power of a mom’s instinct by advocating the belief that #MomWaliFeeling hai #SahiWaliFeeling.

With this campaign, the brand aims to boost the confidence of new mothers (who are always reeling under the pressure of perfect parenting) and make them believe in themselves and their choices for their babies. It’s a wonderful initiative by the brand to celebrate the happy moments of discoveries that come with motherhood. 

Huggies has always stood by mothers. It has been an indispensable part of my life as a new mom. And am happy to see that along with unmatched product experiences, Huggies also recognizes the invaluable virtue of a mother’s inner voice and is committed to being a trusted partner in her parenting journey.

Disclaimer : This post is in collaboration with Huggies. However, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.