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Parenting

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Original poster

What's the best bit of advice anyone have you for a newborn?

47 replies

Pocket1 · 15/08/2013 05:24

DD is 6 weeks old and I'm just loving being a mum - whilst discovering just how hard it all is and how little I know. I'm often googling, posting on mn or reading books and have loads of advice from my mum, friends and hv - but what was the best bit of help or advice you received for your newborn?

TIA

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LillyofWinchester · 15/08/2013 05:55

Keep an open mind and don't be too set on a certain way of doing things. For example, you may have read up on something and decide you'd like to do things that way, but then when your baby comes along it has a totally different personality or set of needs that have to be taken into account.if you keep a open mind and adapt your parenting to the baby you have you'll be less stressed and happier. Great if it works out the way you'd originally planned to do something, but not a total nightmare or disaster if not.

Oh, and if you find things tough then remember its just a passing stage & they'll be onto the next thing soon.

Congratulations on your new daughter and best of luck!

Mendi · 15/08/2013 06:22

Best bit of advice: put him in a baby along for the colicky hours between 4pm-11pm so you can get a few things done.

Worst bit of "advice": "why are you feeding him all the time? Why don't you make him wait 4 hours? You can't let him rule you like this!" (When he was less than 6 weeks old)

Tee2072 · 15/08/2013 06:25

Ignore all the advice and do what you think/feel is best.

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elvislives2012 · 15/08/2013 06:26

My mum just kept saying "it gets better"..... And it does

SuperiorCat · 15/08/2013 06:41

No matter how stressed and inadequate you feel and no matter how together and glam other new Mums look, they are feeling the same as you.

Don't swear the small stuff, you're doing grand.

BikeRunSki · 15/08/2013 06:52

No one has written a book about you and your baby.

Go out to dinner while the baby is small enough to sleep in a pram beside you! That stops after about 6 months.

No decent doctor will criticise a parent of a young child for wasting time, if they are worried about their child" s health.

fishybits · 15/08/2013 07:00

Notice the first yawn, act on the second and if dc is not down by the third then you've missed the window.

This was the only unsolicited piece of advice I was given by my best friend after she saw me struggling at 3 weeks and I am 100% certain it's the reason 19 month old DD is a good sleeper and loves her bed.

Melonbreath · 15/08/2013 07:03

Just wing it, babies haven't read the books

jennimoo · 15/08/2013 07:24

You can't have too many muslins...

Mama1980 · 15/08/2013 07:26

Ds1 was born at 26 weeks and in nicu at about 8 weeks old I was completely overwhelmed but one day felt something wasn't quite right. I apologised for calling the nurse in over for what was probably nothing and she looked at me and said 'always trust your instincts'
They ran tests and ds had a infection in his blood, she said mothers instinct is always right.
Best piece of advice ever.

stillenacht · 15/08/2013 07:29

"It's just a phase, Dd/DS will grow out of it" is very true and applies to sleeping issues, screaming, tantrums etc...

(Well it applied to my DS1 but not DS2 due to his SN)

Good luck!

FrameyMcFrame · 15/08/2013 07:34

Trust your instincts. You alone know this baby better than anyone else therefore YOU are the expert x

VinegarDrinker · 15/08/2013 07:38

Do whatever works, for as long as it works, then change it

This too shall pass

You can't spoil a newborn

SpringtimeForHitler · 15/08/2013 07:39

Agree, trust your instincts, they are there for a reason.

If you really need sleep, then do whatever you need to do to get it. Don't listen to the rod-for-your-own-back brigade. My kids mostly slept in their modes basket and then later their cot. But if they were teething they slept with me, balls to what some of my 'old school' family members were saying.

SpringtimeForHitler · 15/08/2013 07:40

And cuddle them all day long, before long you could have a toddler that won't sit still for more than 5 seconds

nancerama · 15/08/2013 07:52

Never let a baby stay awake for more than 2 hours, never wake a sleeping baby. Enjoy every second. It whizzes by too fast.

NaiceAm · 15/08/2013 07:58

Baby vests (the ones with the funny openings) are designed so that if they soil them you can pull them down over their bodies rather than up over their heads.

mummy2benji · 15/08/2013 08:15

Nappies - open out the frilly edge and make sure it isn't caught under the little elastic leg. Saved a lot of poo-down-the-leg episodes, although poo-up-the-back is still unavoidable at times.

Don't stress about routines - everyone has an opinion on them. Both my dc's made their own routine as we went along and it worked just fine. Dd2 started having an earlier (7pm) regular bedtime after she was weaned and no longer needed a late evening milk feed. Dd2 has largely had to adapt to ds1's nursery routine and swimming / football lessons etc, and has coped fine with being ported about in her buggy / carseat a lot.

The less you stress and worry that you're "not doing it right", the more content you and your baby will be!

Lookslikerain · 15/08/2013 08:26

I remember moaning to my aunt that I'd said definitely no dummies, and there was my beautiful boy with a dummy in his mouth. And she said don't worry about it, you had made up a whole set of rules for a tiny person you hadn't yet met. I hadn't issued him with a copy of 'the rules', so why get upset over it? I think that was my 1st realisation that 'picking your battles' was the way to go!

Oh, and also that anyone who says "my DD/DS sleeps through" probably has a different definition on sleeping through. (i.e. from 11pm with a dreamfeed and waking at 5. Not 7 to 7 with no intervention like I kept thinking!)

Congratulations on your DD!

stargirl1701 · 15/08/2013 08:30

Do what you have to survive.

Lorelei353 · 15/08/2013 08:33

NaiceAm

I'm 9 weeks in with my DS and did NOT know this!

num3onway · 15/08/2013 08:34

Make the most of it it's downhill from 4

wellieboots · 15/08/2013 08:34

Worst bit of advice - shell fall asleep if she's tired, don't worry about putting her to sleep! load of rubbish (from my DM) and resulting in a 9 week old baby who napped for an hour in total all day and then slept 9.30-5.30. She screamed the rest of the time and I went insane. Best piece of advice - do whatever it takes to get them to sleep, they need heaps of sleep. if that means cuddling on the sofa all day, go for it and enjoy!

num3onway · 15/08/2013 08:34

Naice I have three dc and also did not know this!

rallytog1 · 15/08/2013 08:44

That you don't need to achieve anything or go anywhere for the first six weeks - just concentrate on surviving and getting to know your new baby. There's plenty of time for getting out and about later.

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