Best piece of advice you've been given.

[JennyfromtheBlock]

After reading the thread on the worst piece of advice given, thought it'd be good to see the flip side.

The best piece advice I had was instead of using maternity pads to use tena pads. They are definitely so much more comfier than the cardboard like maternity pads. And comfort is what you want down there afterwards

Invest in hypnobirthing/natal hypnotherapy

Stay as mobile as possible in labour

Have a sports cap bottle of water / bendy straw to help you drink during labour

Don't follow any baby books. It is impossible for any baby "expert" to write a set of rules which apply your baby, who is an individual. Use your intuition! Your initial uncertainty is the platform from which you will ultimately gain the greatest insight into how to care for your little one. Also, don't compete with other mothers but rather try to find common ground. People's choices are different because their situations are.

It sounds obvious but enjoy your new arrival. When visitors come and baby is on you, don't be so quick to hand over, baby need to close to mummy ( same if baby asleep in moses basket, don't disturb them).

Likewise, if you don't feel up to visitors, cancel on them. OH was good at reading me in the early days as I wanted to please everyone as they wanted to see baby, but I was exhausted, learning to breastfeed etc, so he cancelled on them, made some excuse but I really appreciated it. We had day 3, 4 & 5 when it was just us and dd.

Eat well during the early days, helps you sleep and recover from birth.

Buy juju sundins birth skills book only book I read with practical pain relieving techniques that worked well. Hypnobirthing also good for calming down about what's happening (if you panic the pain is so much worse!)

I know no-one will ever say this to anyone, but I wish someone had said "Lot's of mothers don't really enjoy the first year. It'll get better." Now of course they're all "Oh yeah. The first year sucks, then it starts being fun, but I couldn't exactly tell you that when you were about to give birth"

Find a way to have a shower every day. You'll feel better for it.

You need very little yet we buy so much !

Keep a thermometer handy when your baby is tiny. Fly, really fly to hospital if your baby's temp tips over 38 and s/he is fussy and off colour.
Saved my baby's life.

keely Yes, yes and yes again. Quite possibly the most disturbing sight ever. Looks like their insides are falling out

Buy maternity underwear (early)

When your baby is born he/she might have a bullet shaped head but this is normal and it won't stay like that!

I still cry with laughter at the fact that DP didn't know this and was in shock for about 20 minutes post birth because no one had mentioned it