This post was sponsored by WaterWipes as part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. #WaterWipesMom

I have survived the first year of parenthood three times over now and consider myself somewhat of an expert. My third child was the easiest of all of them… not because she was much different than my first two, but because I was a more confident and experienced parent. In my opinion, the first year goes by faster than any other. As a mother to a newborn, you experience, learn and grow so much together in that first year. Here are a few things that I have learned about surviving that first year of parenthood with your brand new baby!

Don’t Try To Do It All Yourself

To this day, accepting help from other people is still one of my biggest flaws! I am very independent when it comes to parenting and I hate asking other people for help. I have learned over time to accept when people offer to help because many will get upset or offended when you don’t allow them to. Plus no one person is expected to do it all and you don’t always have to be supermom! Family, friends and neighbors love to be around a home that has just welcomed a new baby. Let those people take care of you, make meals for you, and run errands for you. If you have older siblings that are anxious to help with their new sibling, you defiantly should allow them to!

Filter The Advice

New parents are flooded with advice from health-care professionals, the media, advertisers, family, friends, and even a random stranger at the grocery store. Nobody knows your baby better than you do, so don’t let the opinions of others determine how you should care for your baby. As a mother of three my biggest advice on this particular subject is to always trust your instinct!

Sleep when you can

I know people say this all of the time, but seriously… take advantage of any sleep you can get! I know it can be tempting once the baby is asleep to load the dishwasher and get some laundry folded… but I promise you will be far more productive and happier if you just get some shut eye! Don’t get hung up on sleep techniques and schedules, you baby is going to change their sleeping routine 100 times in their first year no matter what you do. Save yourself the time and energy and just let them sleep when and wherever they can.

Do not compare

Parents get so hung up on milestones and comparing their child to other babies.Why aren’t they rolling? Why isn’t she sitting yet? My neighbors baby is the same age and crawling but mine hasn’t even attempted to crawl! Your baby has their very own preferences and they will develop in their own time! Milestones are just a guideline, please do not rely on them.

Know your baby care products

Your babies skin is so delicate and the last thing you want to do is experiment with different kinds of baby care products. Always go for the natural, safe and chemical free options. The one product you are really going to want to stock up on in the first year is baby wipes… you will be using these quite frequently!

We use the brand WaterWipes because they are completely 100% free of all harsh chemicals! You are only going to find two ingredients in this amazing brand of wipes and that is 9.9% pure Irish water and 0.1% grapefruit seed extract. This in no way comprises the quality, these wipes are both durable and effective at cleaning baby. This is a safest most natural option for your baby.

The first year of parenthood is unlike anything else you will ever experience, don’t take a single moment for granted! I am happy to share with you what some fellow bloggers had to say about their first year of parenthood.