Realistic Tips an Advice sharing

[PollyDynamite]

Hello Everyone,

I am trying to writing a realistic guide to Pregancy and New babies for some friends who are expecting and trying to conceive. I am not an expert myself, having had only one little'un myself four years ago and tbh I don't have a great memory!

So I was wondering if all you Supermums out there would help by sharing your realistic tips and practical advice of pregnancy and those first months of Motherhood. I am looking for those tips and advice that all the books on the market and the Midwives don't tell you. I want to write it in the style of all the girls together sharing tips over a brew!

What are your experiences and what useful knowledge would you share with other Mums to be? Those things that perhaps you wish somebody had told you beforehand.

All help and advice will be invaluble, greatly received and put to extremely good use.

Thank you in advance for help you can provide.

PD x

My main one would be to prepare for random aches and pains which don't mean anything other than "well, you are growing a baby in you".

I've had SPD and horrible crippling groin/pelvic pain, a ripping/tearing pain in my side earlier on in the pregnancy, a stinging, stabbing pain across the top of my bump and under boobs.... and then there's labour!

You could get them the mumsnet guide to pregnancy?

Ensure you always put aside plenty of time for going to the toilet.

Why don't you recommend the MN Guide to Pregnancy? That's got loads of personal advice and covers the fact that every pregnancy/baby is different which I think is actually the best titbit!

Or just point them in this direction?

Oops x post with whos!

Welcome to mumsnet polly
second the suggestion of getting yourself them a copy of mumsnet guide to pregnancy which you can then rip off for your book

Another vote for the mumsnet guide to pregnancy, I got 6 pregnancy books out the library and it's the only one I read all the way through, brilliant

Another vote for MN pregnancy book. I thought it was especially good on when things go wrong which lots of books gloss over totally - but good too on cheery topics!

Another vote for the MN pg book. And then the Babies one (but not too early in PG as a bit unnerving in parts!). I read loads, and appreciated the MN one particularly as it laid out the facts, and then the opinions/advice from wise MNers. And I could then pick what suited me. Unlike other books which often had the tone of something written on tablets of stone.

Also, for the OH, I keep recommending The Expectant Dad's Survival guide by Rob Kemp. My OH appreciated this for similar reasons.

Things no one told me/ I just never thought about,
I would need to hold breast pads in place at night, so I would need some kind of sleep bra.
A dim/low light, such as a touch light would be really nice at 3am when changing a nappy, feeding, etc.
I never thought about the baby having no neck control for the first few months so clothes you could lay them on and dress them, e.g. sleep suits or wrap around bodies would be all I dressed them in.
A stretchy wrap is just a lovely way to carry your baby. And good for them, unlike the baby bjorn type carriers.
Took me ages to find out babies cluster feed in the evenings, just as we would have tea ready, that explained why doing anything in the evenings was more difficult

what about that despite what you read some people dont have any flipping pregnancy symptoms and its nothing to worry about, thats been my stress for the past 6 weeks :)

Also, pregnancy symptoms vary widely and may come and go, so don't panic if you feel very sick/tired/have pains. It is unlikely to last the full 9 months.

Oh, and if you are used to sleeping on your back/front, expect to struggle with adapting to sleeping on your side. I'm 26 weeks and still can't sleep more than a few hours without waking myself up every time I try to roll over.

Don't anyone to give up their seat for you on the bus/train/tube. They won't.