Baby Ada James
Meet baby Ada James. Born December 2017 at 7 lbs, 5oz in Chicago.
New mom Laura Garland is a preschool director, so she spends a lot of time with advice-offering moms. Her favorite nugget of wisdom was to not overdo it with the baby books, trust her instincts, and only take in the advice that resonated with her.
As for the rest of it? Toss it out.
What were you most excited for?
To see my husband Dre hold Ada for the first time. We’ve known each other for over 10 years and have walked through so many milestones together, but this was by far the most beautiful.
What surprised you about her birth?
That it was pretty peaceful. In between pushes, it was so quiet I actually told my labor team to feel free to talk and had my husband play music to keep my energy up.
What is your greatest wish for Ada?
That she finds her tribe. I’m so lucky to have women in my life that have been positive, supportive and inspiring to me. I hope she finds the same.
What was the best baby-related advice you received before your baby was born?
Don’t overdo it with the baby books, don’t over research, trust your instincts and only take in the advice that resonates with you. We live in a world of overwhelming information and I had to give myself permission to just relax and resist the constant need to google! That allowed me to make decisions about my pregnancy, labor, and breastfeeding based on what felt right to me, not what might have worked for someone else.
What has surprised you most about motherhood?
What surprises me most is that prior to being a mom, my favorite moment after a long day was crawling into bed, and now my favorite moment of the day is seeing her sweet face, knowing we get to spend the entire day together.
