Can I have an idiots guide please on bringing home the baby

[wiltshire]

Please can all of you mums help. I am 34 & DH is 50. We have no kids at all and not a terrible amount of experience. What I want is an idiots guide from the moment of pulling up outside the house, putting key in lock etc. Any tips & advice would be fab from temperatures to how often to do the washing. I have gained such huge knowledge from you lot already so I know anything else will be invaluable (beg & plead). If I sound like a loony, it's because I am but none of the baby books I have read are terribly practical, they bang on about you will feel tearful tired etc but nothing else. Baby is coming on 26th so not much time.

uh oh. Is he related to my dh????

If your baby is wearing socks make sure you take them off when changing the nappy. You may think you've got a firm hold on those little feet but its amazing how they escape and how they know just where to put them. You'd think I'd have learned that one by now!

I can only doubly, triply & quadruply agree with those who have said try to keep the number of visitors down when you first get home.

DH was born in the early hours of Friday morning, I was desparate to leave hospital that day so arrived home with our new baby at about lunchtime. 6pm the crowds started arriving and didn't bugger off until after midnight - only after I had made a gazillion cups of tea and ordered a chinese take away for 6 (& walked up & down 2 flights of stairs to pay for it when it arrived). My most abiding memory of DS' first day at home is of washing dishes at 11pm at night...

Upshot of this story was a very tired, emotional and unhappy mummy. When we have our next baby I will definitely stay in hospital a few days and make sure that once home we have at least 3-4 days of no-visitors.

Good luck for your impending arrival - lucky you, it's a wonderful time!

oops , I wasn't actually around when DH was born... my brain is a bit fuzzy forgive me... DS was born in the early hours of Friday morning...

Dejags, that must have been an awful experience. I deffo will not be making anyone tea, they can make it themselves or bring cans of coke. I will say though, that I am quite happy even now if we have guests, to say that I am tired and going to bed, so I guess I won't be too bad with all of that bit. I just leave DH with everyone and sod off.