Lies we tell our doctors
While pediatricians may have years of medical school under their belts, no one knows your child as well as you do. One New York City mom couldn't agree more: "At my baby's 12-month checkup, I agreed to give up the bottle at my pediatrician's urging. But does the doctor really think I'm going to put up with an hour of crying when I'm exhausted and a nice warm bottle means I can get a little time with my older, neglected child? Still, it's easier to tell the doctor what she wants to hear."

A Fair Oaks, Pennsylvania, mom echoes that logic: "My pediatrician asked at every well-baby visit if my daughter was sleeping in her crib. I knew his view on co-sleeping, and I didn't want to hear the lecture about how hard the habit is to break, so I said yes. Meanwhile, she slept with us until she was two. It's just something that worked for our family."

Some of you have exaggerated to your doctor about your child's first words (one of you told your pediatrician it was "mama" when it was really "no"), first steps, and temperament -- just so your infant would seem higher up on those percentage charts. After all, your baby is incredibly special -- and ten minutes in a fluorescent-lit exam room isn't always enough time for your doctor to see it.

If you consistently mask your real feelings, of course, you may be preventing yourself from getting the support you need. "People always asked how I was doing after I had both of my kids," says a mom from New Paltz, New York. "I always told them I was fine when I wasn't. I really needed help but didn't know how to say yes when it was offered. I realize now that I might have been suffering from postpartum depression." The lesson? Find someone you feel comfortable talking to honestly, whether it's your husband, a friend, a relative, or a therapist.

In most cases, though, a few lies here and there may help you ease the transition into parenthood. In those first few sleepless months, when you feel more like a soldier at battle than a new parent, "it's easier to lie than to fight," one mom told us. "When the whole world wants to tell you how to raise your child, lying can feel like your only defense mechanism."

Rest assured, however, that as you become more at ease with being a mommy, the truth will gain ground.

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