Coping with advice. One of the most common concerns for new parents is the seemingly constant stream of unsolicited (and often conflicting) advice, to which they are frequently subjected. How to cope with everyone's advice without offending anyone can at times be very challenging.
A note for health professionals who become parents. Health professionals who become parents can often find that their knowledge and expertise ends up being a hindrance, rather than help. Many health professionals find it hard to obtain (or ask for) practical support and advice, when they have their own baby. A common complaint is also that they are often 'ignored' or left to their own devices, in the hospital. Many don't feel comfortable asking their peers for basic advice and information, and/or their peers do not offer it readily (you are 'supposed' to know!)
Try and approach your new parenting role just as a parent, not a health professional. It is extremely difficult to be objective when it is your own baby, and asking for information and help (no matter how simple it may be), is part of this role. It can help if you find other health professionals who are willing to treat you as a 'mother or father' and who do not appear to feel intimidated by your professional knowledge.
The following looks at some coping strategies that some parents have found helpful when dealing with advice from:
Professionals in hospital
Family and friends
The early childhood nurse
Phone helplines
The local doctor
Professionals in hospital. Dealing with conflicting advice while staying in hospital can be very difficult. A new mother can feel torn between whom she should listen to. She is also often faced with having to justify why she is not doing it the way she had been told, or shown.
If you are receiving conflicting advice, you can try some of the following, (or use ones that you have found work for you in other situations):