Being Kendra Read Free Page B

definitely think Jenny McCarthy is doing a great job being an advocate. If God forbid anything were to happen to my son, I’d be an advocate too. Jenny speaks with her actions, and they show how much she loves her son. She doesn’t preach but educates and shares her powerful experiences. I don’t believe in telling people what to do. You have a choice, you either listen or you don’t. She’s had to suffer and she’s dealing with it. I listened to her and learned from her experiences, then I made my choice.
    Kids living in poverty who don’t have immunizations and health care are more at risk of getting infections that turn into other problems. We are fortunate, so we should use the resources we have.
    I talk about this stuff all the time with my friends who are also moms. When one of my best friends, Mykelle, was pregnant, I sent her an e-mail full of advice, the facts of motherhood. I wanted to write her woman to woman, mom to mom, and tell her how I survived the first couple months. I didn’t go off any books; I went off my own experience, intuition, and instincts. I covered everything, down to stealing everything at the hospital, anything they have laying around.
    Here’s exactly what I wrote her:
    Dear Mykelle,
    In the 1st year of being a new mother I’ve learned so much, but not by the book and I want to share some of those lil tricks, shortcuts, ideas, and ways that made mine and Hanks and baby Hank’s lives easier. I suck at typing but here I go lolol. Starting all the way from hospital . . .
    1. Once I had the baby the docs were very forceful with breastfeeding it made me stressed out . . . my milk didn’t come in until day 3. I would cry because I thought something was wrong with me but everyone’s milk comes in at different times. Anddddd DO NOT stress if he doesn’t latch on immediately . . . keep trying . . . don’t give up even though you will want to. Don’t feel guilty if you want to take those days at the hospital and rest as much as you can because your body just went through war!!!
    2. Steal the stuff around that they provide at the hospital for extra stuff. They don’t care. Its diapers and wipes and formula.
    3. Pack yours and Bob’s favorite card game, movie, music, and thick ass pads for you bleeding vagina. Seriously bring a million of them, it’s like a bloody Niagara Falls.
    4. After the epidural and medication I was soooooooooo itchy . . . anti itch cream or lotion will help. Bring that too.
    5. Feed the baby as much milk/formula as the baby will eat . . . I made the mistake of always giving him only a certain amount and he’d wake up starving . . . I wish I knew that simple thing. Keep going until he stops.
    6. Wake up when the baby wakes you up . . . Don’t wake him up to feed . . . I killed myself setting alarms . . . don’t be afraid to let him sleep, he’ll wake up when he’s hungry and he’ll cry when he’s tired to go back down. Especially at first, they don’t fight much.
    7. I’m getting you some things for the baby shower but if you decide to shop for yourself before that get allot of bottles (so you don’t have to run the dish washer every five minutes!) and a BOTTLE WARMER! I didn’t have one until the 2nd month and thank god I learned about it, the babies love warm milk!
    8. Diapers.com is the site Hank and I use for diaper deliveries, and stuff to stock up on for baby. Don’t worry about over ordering, it’s impossible. Think about how many wipes you might need and then order five times that amount.
    9. Change his diaper where ever is comfortable to you . . . don’t always go to the changing table. If you want to do it on the floor or the couch or the kitchen table, do it.
    10. I don’t think we’ve used baby powder since first week he was born . . . Overrated.
    11. I love the unscented baby lotion better than the powder fresh . . . it moisturizes better I think.
    12. When you yourself need to shower, do it with the baby in the bathroom of course in a