What do you wish you had known with your first newborn?

julie2710

Forgot to say Gripe Water worked really well with both my boys for colic and was cheaper than the drops etc.

If at any point they are unfortunate enough to get ill and are prescribed amoxcillin make a point of asking the pharmacist for a sugar free one! The one with sugar is day-glo yellow and coats little teeth and gums making it look like they are radioactive:eek: Horrible stuff!!!

GobbledyGook

My one thing I wish I'd known with my first is that the phrase "well you are making a rod for your own back" is rubbish!! Same for "well it never harmed any of mine".

You can't spoil a newborn baby so if they want to be held and you want to hold them - do it!

They are only tiny for a very short amount of time so do things the way you want to do them.

ab7167

Oh, and if breastfeeding (I've got 2 breastfed children) feed them whenever they want it, but set a 'bedtime' very early on - I think we instigated it at about 2 weeks. So 'daytime' feeds are downstairs in the light and the bright with people around, the hoover going, sibilings playing - and the 'nightime' feeds are upstairs, in the dark, quite, soothing and straight back in the cot afterwards. Even if you are up and down the stairs every hour, it will really help them sort out day and night quickly. And have a set routine for bedtime. Ours is 5pm tea, then they are allowed a small amount of television to unwind until 6pm, then bath at 6pm, stories (with a bottle for the baby), then cuddles and light out. They are both consistantly out and asleep by 6.30pm, which although makes for quite an early start (usually around 6am, sometimes a little earlier) I do really enjoy my evenings and it means if I'm going out I can get them asleep before I go. And actually the earlier starts suit me as I am an early riser and on the days I am at work, I need to have us all up, dressed and out of the house by 7am - OH is brilliant at helping, but he's not an early riser by nature and doesn't have to leave himself until about 7.50, so I don't always get a huge amount of help (He then does the laundry and washing up before he goes to work so when I come home I can just play with the kids before bedtime)

clairec79

**curlywurly** wrote: »

Try not to set standards for yourself that you may not be able to achieve, eg

I won't have pain relief during labour.

I thought this time I'd try without pain relief (dh saying are you nuts why avoid pain relief?' - figured I'd only had gas and air from 9cm last time so how much harder could it be?

Changed my mind in labour - dh points out I said I didn't want any - cue me 'I forgot how much this hurts, I've changed my mind' - admittedly I did only use it for about 20 minutes but I wanted it

onlyroz

You need to make sure you get some time each day just for you. So for at least 30 mins a day give bubs to your other-half with strict instructions not to disturb you unless there's an emergency. Then take a bath/walk etc.

Also, housework can wait - get absolutely as much sleep as you can, otherwise you'll go insane.

jacqhale

A few of my tips for what they are worth .....
Just because some labour's last for hours on end doesn't mean they all do, if I had stayed at home when told DS would have been born at home or in the car!
If you are having a c-section don't underestimate how long it will take before you are up and about normally. It feels like forever at the time but it's only a few weeks in the grand scheme of things.
You will cry for days and weeks at nothing most probably while your emotions and hormones settle down.
Babies are so cute in baby grows but they don't wear them for long. I prefer them to outfits for practical and comfort reasons.
Some babies prefer to sleep/nap on their front, despite what the books tell them they should do, how can they know this when they can't read?!
If housework not being done upsets you then do some, better that than stress about it I think, but get others to help.
Sleep when they sleep as you only get this luxury first time round!
Find a good breastfeeding support group if that is how you want to feed - invaluable advice about feeding, crying, sleeping, feeding in public and some great friends too!
Get out of the house it stops you going stir crazy and other mums are best for advice rather than the professionals I think.
If you are breastfeeding and in pain get tongue-tie and oral thrush ruled in or out first as I was in agony with this but after one treatment all better so didn't wait so long second time round!
Never have I met a baby who couldn't switch between breast and bottle, breastmilk and formula ...........
Dummies are fabulous if they will take them (DS loved his, DD won't touch one but is very content anyway) and easy to wean them off when the time is right.
I find my two sleep better at night when they get enough sleep during the day and don't get overtired.
If a baby wants a cuddle, cuddle them - they will soon be too old for such nonsense :-( I wish I hadn't felt 'bad' for cuddling DD and enjoyed it more rather than feeling I was making a rod for my own back when I clearly haven't!
And finally, worth repeating sleep, sleep, sleep at any opportunity and ENJOY!!!!!

bylromarha

clairec79 wrote: »

Don't hate me too much, but had the baby on Friday evening and am in my jeans today - still got a bit of a jelly belly though

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!:T:T:T:T:T:T

On both the jeans achievement and the baby

Took me 9 months to get back into my jeans after DS, 9 days after DD. I think being pregnant when caring for a toddler was the best pregnancy weight maintainer ever!

fernliebee

bylromarha wrote: »

Took me 9 months to get back into my jeans after DS, 9 days after DD. I think being pregnant when caring for a toddler was the best pregnancy weight maintainer ever!

I was the other way round, fitted in my jeans the whole pregnancy with DD, so straight back into them after as it was all baby, with DD2 I just craved junk as I was so tired all the time from running round with DD1, I would make DD1 a healthy lunch then while she was napping I would just eat chocolate and rubbish for 'lunch' but had to do a healthy dinner because we all eat together and I try not to eat too much junk in front of DD. Still not quite comfy in my jeans and she is 4 months (though I can get them on which is a start )

That sometimes newborns arms and legs will crack (as in like when you crack your knuckles) on occasion, the first time I heard this with DD1 I freaked out and thought I had broken her and that her bones were broken or something!:eek:

That newborn skin (esp with late babies) can resemble a lizards and can flake off all over the place

That a baby with wind can think it is hunger but feeding them more without getting the offending wind out first can result in 1) being covered in sick 2) a very unhappy baby with a balloon like, solid tum winding babies can become the main focus of your day!:mad:

All the others I thought have already been said, but just go with the flow, don't stress the small stuff and try to enjoy it as best you can- You know best for your baby and when you feel like you don't accept all advice but you don't have to follow it all. I became a pro in nodding and smiling and doing my own thing anyway Have fun with your new family member :T

gratefulforhelp_2

Smile sweetly and ignore the unsolicited advice.

Gina ford book only works if babe has read the book.

Sometimes babies just cry because they're crying.

Feeling guilty is normal, as is feeling guilty about not feeling guilty.

To relax and roll with it, it goes in the blink of an eye.

To remember one's partner doesn't have the physical connection with the baby in the same way and not to let him feel left out.

vik6525

I wish Id known that it would ALL work out just fine.



(In other words, dont sweat the small stuff, go with the flow)