I have a beautiful 8 week old baby, and I feel REALLY guilty if I'm not holding her ALL the time, like I'm a terrible mother. Even when I'm here typing this I feel super guilty. Any advice would be appreciated.

Don't feel guilty,Im 27 years old and i have 5 kids and sometimes i feel that im not a good mother too,but we can control this.Beleive me you are the best Mother,you have to take care of you first and went you do it you will see the change.This is my first time doing this and I found a lot of people that help me. On Tuesday I expirience my first Panic Attack and my family didnt understand what I was trought I was diagnostic with a several depression 5years ago and i almost kill my self 2 times,but went I realized that my kids are the reason to be here i decide to get help.If this is your first baby dont worry almost a lot of woman going trought this.Get help talk to your doctor about this he is going to give you options and from there everything it's on your hands.God Blessed You and your Baby

Being a mother is the most difficut job on the earth, I have to boys ages 5 and 10, and sometimes feel like im not doing enough, spending enough time, helping enough...etc..the truth is I think this is something that all parents experience, we never feel we can do enough for our children because we have theses little pieces of clay that we are responsible for molding into grown men or woman, and I used to think scarey thought, im going to be the main character in this persons life for alot of years, but all we can do is be the best parents that we can be, and you are doing that, and the feelings of guilt are normal, all good parents experience that a time or two or three! LOL

Think of this:
1. You are doing the best job you can do.
2. You are putting a lot of thought about doing the right thing.
3. You wouldn't be doing the baby a favor by holding it all the time. Yes, that's true.

Let me tell you a true story. My sister and I are 1 1/2 yrs apart in age. We were talking about times when we were small children. She said she always wished she were hugged more. She wanted to snuggle more. Now, I said what I had wanted as a child was to be left alone more, to stand on my own and do things independently. I felt like I was being smothered by my parents.

Isn't that odd? Same family, and two very different needs?

My point is this - it's not humanly possible for you (or anyone) to hold a baby constantly.

Ask yourself what it is you are feeling when you hold your baby. Are you fulfilling a need you felt you never had fullfilled for yourself at some point? Or in your mind's eye, is holding a baby your vision of a perfect mother?

You are a good mother - a great mother! You'll hold your baby at times, encourage the baby to reach out, to learn, to walk, to be independent and to show love.

Above all, your baby will feel your love. That's what is most important.

Hope this helped.