Having a Baby: Parenting Tips We Wish We'd Known

Wish We'd Known: 19 Things No One Told Us About Having a Baby

From the the mystery of the perfect mom to the time it will take you to leave the house, here are 19 things we wish we'd known about having a baby. (20 Photos)

Gina Bazer and Holly Pevzner on Sep 19, 2012 at 9:10AM

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19 Things No One Told You About Having a Baby

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a Gina Bazer and Holly Pevzner on Jun 30, 2010 at 4:16PM

When you're pregnant, vague images of pushing strollers and changing diapers fill your mind, but it's hard to know what it will really feel like to be a mom until you're face-to-face with that tiny new little person. Here are 19 things we wish we'd known about having a baby.

Everything Around You Will Suddenly Seem Ridiculously Dangerous
The world has always been a not-so-safe place, but the moment your baby arrives, the threat level goes to DEF CON 5. You'll fear second-hand smoke, exhaust from old cars, BPA-leaching baby bottles, lead in teething toys and germs in the unsanitized wandering hands of everybody who finds your baby irresistible. How do you deal? At first, not very well. But eventually, you'll accept that you can't protect your child from everything, including chicken nuggets.