Pregnant Vanessa Lachey Shares These Four Great Parenting Tips

Actress Vanessa Lachey is eagerly anticipating the upcoming birth of her second child with husband Nick Lachey.

Even though she is already a mother to their 2-year-old son, she openly admits in a recent interview with Parent magazine that she still has a lot to learn when it comes to pregnancy but (more importantly) parenting.

However, the 34-year-old star still had quite a few great parenting tips that all parents should at least take a moment to consider — especially those expecting parents that are eagerly waiting for their own bundles of joy to arrive.

1. Do Not Worry If An Instant Connection is Not Made

If there is not some sort of instant bond or connection that is made between the expecting mother and her unborn child, Vanessa Lachey states that there is nothing to worry about. However, she openly admitted that she struggled with listening to that advice during her first pregnancy.

“While pregnant with my son, Camden, I felt guilty because everyone told me about this love I’d feel, and I wasn’t there yet. I remember asking Nick, ‘Is something wrong with me? I’ve wanted this my whole life, and I’m forcing myself to have those feelings.'”

Vanessa Lachey further stated that everything seemed to change in that regard for her personally when she realized that she was having a boy.

“For me, the love really flowed when I found out the baby was a boy. That’s when I could finally bond, once I knew ‘it’ was a him.”

2. Do Not Worry About Being a Good Parent

Vanessa Lachey also advises for expecting parents to not worry so much at all during the pregnancy simply because the unnecessary stress is an absolute “waste of time.”

“Once Camden was born, certain fears calmed down. I no longer thought, ‘Will I be able to do this?’ My instincts really did kick in. We stumble and make mistakes, too, but that’s what learning is. That’s the beauty of it.”

3. Patience, Patience, Patience

During her interview with Parent magazine, Vanessa Lachey also advises that expecting parents should focus on being as patient as possible. Even though she admits that being patient may seem difficult at times, Lachey agrees that the effort is well worth it — especially when it comes to adapting to the baby’s learning process.

“As a baby, Camden would take about an hour to breastfeed. By the time he finished, it was almost time to feed again. A friend reminded me that infants are learning everything for the first time. So who am I to say, ‘Hurry up and eat. We have to go?’ I tried to look at that time as an opportunity to love on him.”

4. Do Not Compare Yourself to Other Parents

According to Vanessa Lachey, one of the worst things that a new parent can do is compare themselves to other parents. Parents should never feel as if what they are doing for their child is not sufficient.

“With social media, people share mostly their best moments. Don’t feel like you’re not doing enough when you see a mom posting about making applesauce after you bought it. Ha ha! It’s fine! Just for raising a little human being you should be commended.”

What do you think about Vanessa Lachey’s parenting tips? Are these tips good or bad advice?

[Image Credit: E! Online]