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[Peachybanana]

If there was one tip or piece of advice that you could give a lady pregnant with their first child, something you wish someone had told you, what would it be?

I had one piece of advice from a friend of a friend who I only met for two minutes... Surrender. To enjoying the moment, to not managing to clean or whatever as much as you did and that being ok, to letting go and just rolling with it. She was right, and I've thought of it often.

I would tell myself to enjoy it more, not wish it away trying to get to the end more quickly. Being a first timer is special because it's the first time you'll experience it all.

Plus to give yourself a break, pregnancy can be hard work and watching crap tv for hours or lying in bed all day doesn't count when you're pregnant

That you're Mum and you know best, don't listen when others try to tell you what your dc likes/doesn't like or wants/doesn't want. If you and baby are happy don't question that your doing a good job

Everybody- and I mean almost everybody will give you an opinion on something. You should do this..... You shouldn't do that blah blah blah. And most advise will contradict each other anyway.
Do what's right for you and YOUR baby. You know best- your the mummy and don't for one minute feel bad or feel pressured to do what people tell you you should.

Everyone and very baby is different. Just do what fits in best with you!

Good luck and enjoy it. That first cuddle is the most special moment you will ever encounter !

Forget trying to be a lady.

It's often undignified (especially if you poo as the baby crowns) but they really have seen it all before.

Do everything you love to do to relax whilst your pregnant, enjoy those long baths and long lie ins. You will miss them.

Also take everyones advise with a pinch of salt. Just because thats what worked for them doesn't mean it will for you. You will find your own way. I always smile and say thank you but do whatever i please.

Pick the bits of all the advice you get that work for you and your baby.

Take credit for all the good bits.

The bad bits are all just a phase.

It's ok if you don't like being pregnant. Hopefully you will, but if you don't - doesn't mean a single thing about the kind of mother you're going to be.

Have a plan B, especially if it's cheap / easy to do so.
I thought I'd be water birthing and breast feeding. On reflection if I'd spent a few quid on some big pants for c section and a couple of tiny pots of formula as back up it would've saved a lot of hassle. I just assumed it would go to plan!

Clothes in 0-3 size are blinking massive

That you might not love being a mum straight away, and that's fine. I needed to grow into the role,, but for some reason I expected to know what to do on day one.

That first babies are not always late. I wish someone had told me to pack my bag sooner

Anyway that's 4 pieces of advice not 1, oops

I've enjoyed reading these - great pearls of wisdom to take away, thanks ladies - great idea for a thread OP!

Trust your instincts NOT the parenting books. Parenting books are based on an average baby within a spectrum of behaviours of thousands of babies- your baby could sit anywhere on the scale and is unlikely to be an average baby. These books create problems to solve to sell books.

DO NOT GOOGLE - ask friends, family or health professionals instead. Google is NOT your friend in the early days!

Everything is a phase, as soon as you are getting used to something or getting to the end of your tether, it will all change again!

Finally, I wish someone had told be how much I would cry in the first two weeks, every day, for no reason - it is completely normal if you do!

There's a day 2 or 3 hormonal crash after birth, and you may cry and feel very overwhelmed. But it is normal and day by day everything gets easier.

Don't lie awake gazing at your new born baby on the first night (even though they are beautiful and amazing), try and get some sleep (note to self!)

The best piece of advice I recieved was:
Listen to all the advice - then ignore it all!!

You will never have a better excuse to take things easy, look after yourself only and do the relaxing things you want to, instead of picking up after other people. Take advantage of it.

Newborn baby clothes are smaller than 0-3m clothes - I didn't know that! And vests are designed to pull down over the body in case of escaping poos.

Everyone will want to hold your baby, especially when it's still newborn. You can take advantage to relax but you do not have to if you don't want to.