To ask your best baby tips?

[BroodyTroody]

A Christmas tips thread has just got me thinking...

What is your one golden nugget of genius advice for a new mum, either something specific I should do, or an invaluable item I should by?

Thank you!

[FrankelInFoal]

Thanks so much for this thread OP, and oh wise contributors!

I am currently 25 weeks with my first and haven't a friggin clue what you are supposed to do with babies . I shall bookmark this thread and print it off before I give birth in March

[Babycino81]

Not for everyone but I found that as a very paranoid first time mum (DD is 6 weeks) the angel care sensor monitor made a massive difference to me being able to sleep! HTH

[PotatoPolly]

Thank you everyone for your advice!

[LaGuardia]

Place a folded bath towel on the changing mat so, if baby piddles, the flow will be absorbed by the towel instead of vest and hair.

[silverten]

A product recommendation: LilyPadz silicone breast pads.

Not particularly because they prevent leaks (they aren't bad, but aren't perfect either) but because they are THE most comfortable thing to wear if you get sore nips (which is quite likely).

Pricey at ten to twenty quid a pop (google...) but they do last a while.

I found that BFing was suddenly so much more pleasant once I started using these.

My BF counsellor speculated that they were similar to those silicone wound pads you can get in that they aided clean healing. She might be right.

[Wishfulmakeupping]

Always have a clean teething ring to hand when they are teething they will get through them
Accept help
Don't worry about cleaning the house in the early days others can do it
Don't best yourself up too much

And the one I wish I'd listened to myself- you can say no to visitors you can tell them to come another day. I was so overwhelmed in the early days and a visit from some friends left me sobbing beforehand and afterwards I just wasn't ready I should have said no but didn't feel able to but you can and should if you don't feel up to them

[Shonajoy]

Ready made meals from. M&s. total lifesaver. And a baby swing or bouncy chair. X

[Wishfulmakeupping]

Yy to m & s ready meals I basically lived off those and chocolate digestives for the first 6 weeks

[purrtrillpadpadpad]

It's okay to read all the advice threads on Mumsnet and still not have a bloody clue what you're doing.

[silverten]

I don't think anyone really has much of a clue the first time round. But as long as you apply a bit of common sense and make a bit of an effort to read/listen to a few sources of advice, you can't really go too far wrong. Keep both ends clean and feed regularly and just try to work out why stuff might be happening.

And if you do something that subsequently turns outs to be less than ideal- oh well. You tried your best, that's all you can do really!

In desperation we swaddled DD really tightly (like a little burrito) as she was a feisty little kicker who needed to be 'shut down' to switch off and sleep. Now, of course, I'm reading that this was a bad thing, what with the possibility of hip damage.

I could feel guilty, but that would be a waste of effort. I can't do anything about it now, she seems fine so far so I just chalk it up to experience and carry on...

[harriet247]

Sky plus!!!

[MiddleAgeMiddleEngland]

Enjoy the baby. Don't get bogged down with all the guilt of trying to be a perfect mum. You will be fine. Take lots of photos and have lots of memories. Make the most of every day.

Once you've had time to blink a few times he/she will be online doing University applications and your heart will break about how they grew up so soon.

Just cuddle and enjoy.

[Walkinglikeazombie]

I'm a ftm to a 16wo dd and one advise I would give you is to sing to your lo. I have THE worst singing voice but it always does the trick when I need to calm her down.

Another thing, don't listen to everything you are told, my lovely mil told me I obviously have no milk as it's all watery when I tried to feed dd for the first time when in fact it was colostrum and luckily I didnt cave in to formula and am still ebf. Oh, and if you are bf, definitely master going it whilst lying down, absolute life saver!

[BoffinMum]

God yes, Lilypadz are excellent for soreness and leaks. And if you go swimming later on they are the only breast pads you can wear under a swimsuit.

[HappySmileyFace]

With Dc2 a trick I picked up was when bathing to put a handtowel in the bath with them and drape it over them to keep them feeling secure. Just lift when washing that area. Might help those newborns that aren't liking the bath so much. They did this at the hospital with my preemie baby.

[JanePlanet]

Thanks for your posts everyone. I have a four week old. I've found the easiest things to wear are loose fitting tops with a vest top underneath - so that when I'm breast feeding when I'm out I can pull the vest down and the top up - that way I don't have my belly hanging out. Hope this makes sense.

[Pigsmummy]

My top tip was not to let the baby cry for a feed. Midwife told me this one, watch out for all the other signs and feed. Makes for a more contented baby who doesn't learn to cry for what they want.

[silverten]

Oh yes the vest under the normal top is really good for BFing. No flapping, no draughts, no hassle,

You don't need the fancy BFing vests either. H&M do really cheap long vests for about 6quid- just pull them down, in clip your bra and fold it over to keep the vest down. It stretches the straps, but who cares for 6quid?

[meganorks]

With disposable nappies always make sure the ruffles round the legal are pulled out and the back is not folded down - this is where the poo leaks!