You may know more than you think you do

I get a million prego emails a day but thought this one was really interesting and SO true about most common mistakes you can try to avoid

Mistakes 1 Believing Everything You Hear

During the first weeks with your newborn, you'll seek advice from everyone who's been there, done that. Even if you don't, they'll offer suggestions anyway. One acquaintance advocates sleeping with the baby. Your best friend warns against it. Your sister-in-law says it's okay to let the baby suck her thumb. Your pediatrician prefers a pacifier.

"The only opinion that matters is yours," says Alvin Rosenfeld, M.D., a child psychiatrist and author of Hyper-Parenting (St. Martin's). "If you follow everyone else's advice, you give up the most creative role in your life." Friends and relatives can offer useful parent-tested information. But remember: Your and your spouse's intuition are the best guides. As Dr. Spock once wrote, "You know more than you think you do."