How to Channel Your Mamá's Essence While Taking Care of Your Newborn

If there's one thing that's certain, it's that we Latinas learn pretty much everything from our mamás and our abuelas. Whether it's cooking a traditional family recipe or taking care of our children, the essence of our mamás is ever present, even if they're not around. These days, however, being a mami looks different than it did for our own mothers. So while we may take a page out of our mamás' books on how to raise our bebés, we have to know how to adapt their approach to our current everyday needs.

Mexican-American mamá Dalila Muro is the mami of a 23-month-old baby boy and is now busy juggling working full time and being a full-time mamá. On top of that, Dalila is trying to squeeze in FaceTiming with friends, cooking, keeping up with workouts — you name it, it's probably on her list. But through it all, the one thing Dalila keeps front of mind is how her mamá, as she puts it, was a superhero.

"My mom had three children in her early 20s, while working full time and going to school to get her GED," she said. "When I think about how she was able to juggle that, I get inspired and push through the hard days reminding myself that I'm the child of a superhero, so I can get through this." Dalila said one of the most important lessons she learned from her Mexican mamá is that everything is temporary, and it's helped her to get through the tougher times. "Everything is temporary, nothing lasts, this too shall pass," she said.

And to help her juggle all the demands of motherhood with the same grace as her mamá, Dalila leans on familiar stores like Target to have her back no matter what comes her way.

Our mamás are hardly ever wrong when it comes to knowing how to respond to their grandbebés' cues. Dalila said there have been times when her son was fussy or would cry and she couldn't figure out what was wrong. She said her mamá would often say, "'If he's crying, dale de comer.' He's probably hungry. That lesson seems to hold truth most of the time." Especially for fussy little ones, there are tons of products out there that can make feeding time a total breeze, no matter how you choose to feed your bebé.

While our mamás might have their own answer, remember that you now have your own maternal instincts to lean on. So, when your baby is crying out, trust your own instincts as well, because they are usually right — and abuela will always be your number one cheerleader in helping you tap into that skill.

Compared to when our mamás became new mamis, these days, there are so many options of products out there, from diaper creams and ointments to car seats to baby monitors, it's sometimes hard to know what to choose. "In my culture, we love recommendations, but some of the recommendations from my mom and older mothers, in terms of products, don't hold up anymore because there seems to always be a newer and better option," Dalila said. "It's hard to keep up and choose what is right for your child [with all the new technology]." So while most of our mamis had a group of tias and comadres to share tips with, product reviews from other mamás are almost as good and definitely just as honest. "Target does a great job providing reviews and categorizing everything so it's easy for me to find and order when I need something for my baby," she said.

Life for us mamás these days constantly feels like go, go, go. Dalila said one of the best things we can do for ourselves, and something that her mamá has always told her, is to take a break whenever life calls for it. "If you need a mama break, Target has all the toys to entertain your baby for a breather," she said. One of our favorite options is the Baby Einstein Neighborhood Symphony Jumper — just plop your little one in it and take a break while your bebé is entertained.