If you could give a new mum one piece of advice

[WelshGirl]

Start reading baby books instead of pregnancy ones! I was a pregnancy expert but knew nothing about newborns!

A very good piece of advice - I had no baby books, and really wish I'd had one to read through in the last weeks of pregnancy.........plus, if you wait until your LO is here before you buy one, you have no time to read it!!!

 

[cinnamum]

my advice is...
enjoy your baby and go out as much as possible but.. as soon as YOU feel ready.
fresh air and seeing familiar faces helps lots.
after the pregnancy where all the attention was on your bump and you, the baby now takes centre stage after the birth.
You will feel low as no one seems interested in you, so make time for you.
Get your mum/OH or the MIL to come over to look after baby while you go out or shower etc.
If you do go out try NOT to talk about the baby, i know its hard but it helps a lot!

 

[alyc86]

Mine would have to be enjoy your baby as much as you can dont worry about house work it can wait because babies grow so fast and the time fly's.
everyone told me "enjoy your baby because before you know it they will be ready to start school"
and i thought yeh yeh
and before i new it my son is 4 and starting school next year.
Another tip is get as much sleep as you can before the baby comes cause you wont get much when they are here.
Most importantly make sure you find time for you and your partner after babz arrives..

 

[Emma.Gi]

Mine would have to be enjoy your baby as much as you can dont worry about house work it can wait because babies grow so fast and the time fly's.
everyone told me "enjoy your baby because before you know it they will be ready to start school"
and i thought yeh yeh
and before i new it my son is 4 and starting school next year.
Another tip is get as much sleep as you can before the baby comes cause you wont get much when they are here.
Most importantly make sure you find time for you and your partner after babz arrives..

I wa going to say EXACTLY the same thing.

 

[Freya]

Not to be negative, but just be aware thatwhen you get baby home for some mum's it is TOTALLY normal to have mixed feelings about being a mum and this change (even if you were planning and looking forward to it)..... there's a lot of hormones flying around, your body has been through a HUGE thing. Don't be hard on yourself, cry when you need to, talk to your OH or family and HV/midwife. If this happens to you, chances are it will be a flash in the pan!

OH yes... and dont compare you and your baby to others...... other people in the same situation LIE about how easy their baby is etc to keep up appearances!! Those first few days and couple of weeks are wonderful but challenging, but it's a stage that you quickly move through.

A midwife said to me before I left, 'enjoy your baby', and that's the best piece of advice.

 

[o0oCharlieo0o]

my advice may sound strange but im saying it anyway lol not everyone gets that 'amazing rush of love' that some people talk about straight after giving birth, for me it was more fear and worry lol i didnt know what i was doing with my first son and it was scary, and then on top of that i felt awful because i hadnt got that 'rush of love' that i expected to get so much, i wanted to protect him and look after him but it wasnt over whelming love, after a few days of caring for him tho i was so smitten in love it was unbeleivable and i love both my boys more than anything, just didnt get a rush of love instantly after birth

also the more obvious advices are sleep whenever you can and dont worry about housework xx

 

[passengerrach]

mine would be dont have visitors for the first few days i could barely cope with being surrounded by people constantly when i just wanted to be cuddled up with my baby and oh not passing him from person 2 person if i have any more i will be saying no visitors for at least 2 days

 

[alexaliff]

My one piece of advice would be to have a plan for each day to get you out of the house. Probably not for the first few weeks of course but it stops you from going crazy being stuck in the house. Even if it's just going out to the shops for some milk, or walking round the block, it really mkaes a difference to your day.

 

[Mervs Mum]

It's OK to cry.

Believe in yourself.

Stick to your guns......

Thats 3 actually isnt it.......

 

[caggimedicine]

I'd definitely agree with the advice on getting out of the house. When I first had Harry, just the thought of leaving the house with him seemed overwhelming, but once you've been out you feel so much more in control and able to cope.

Another tip would be... listen to YOUR mum! After all, she brought you up didn't she?! Trust your own instincts, but don't be afraid to ask for advice. Oh the other hand... you can get too much advice from some people!

 

[Kiree]

Thankyou all so much for these bits of advice- great x

 

[ecossaise74]

This is really an amazing thread...I'm in my last trimester and reading about all this was really helpful and nice....I think you should post this thread on the third trimester forum, everybody could use it lol!!! Anyway, thanx again for all your good advises!!
xxxx

 

[june09]

This is a great thread, been great reading through this and seeing what everyone recommends.

 

[sambam]

There are many things which i would now do differently :

Don't be scared to ask for help! - I suffered PND in silence for 6 months until i was at breaking point because i could not admit to myself i had it.

House work can wait !! Don't try and do everything

Sleep when ur baby is sleeping - or if someone offers to take ur child to give u a break - let them ... it will do u the world of good.

Establish a routine - try different ways til u find one that suits YOU the best

A very important one is - communicate with your partner... help each other if you are both new to this and you both will grow stronger together.

I wish i knew about this site when i was pregnant - it would have helped me a lot

 

[MamaK]

This is a fantastic thread!!!!!!

Thank you all

xxxxx

 

[laura2412]

dont creep around a new born baby put there cot or moses basket near a telly, You wont want to creep around a baby when you need to get things done ) x x

 

[PixieKitty]

Start a routine as soon as you can, make the bathtime at the same time and a quiet unwinding time after, Jack's been sleeping 12 hours at night for a while now and he's only just about 3 months, the routine definitely helped.

 

[Blob]

Mine would be relax, dont stress about everything after your baby is born
Also as soon as your LO is sleeping make a cup of tea, sit on the couch and either watch Tv or read a magazine.

But try to be chilled out mummy and you'll get a chilled out baby

 

[spelbound]

Take each day one at a time and rest whenever you can get it.

 

[Pyrrhic]

Nice to see you posting Ian