Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Newborn tips

59 replies

MissBax · 11/07/2017 17:20

I'm 34 weeks now and just wondering whether anyone has any tips for me for getting home with newborn? I'm the first of my friends to have a baby and am the youngest in my family so already a little anxious at having to just know what to do once I bring her home! TIA

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LunaLunaDot · 11/07/2017 21:24

Babies are sleepy from the birth for a few days, which helpfully gives Mum a chance to recover too. But on day 3 they get hungry! The first week really is all about establishing feeding. Whether breast or bottle it takes time to get it right, and it's stressful. Day 3 is also when your hormones plummet. It's a tough day but it's totally normal, I only wish someone had warned me about day 3 in advance!

anchor9 · 11/07/2017 21:25

have your changing table set up and RTG (that's probably obvious, i hadn't done it..)

if you are breastfeeding have some lansinoh(sp?) RTG also. my milk coming in was a shock on top of all the other shocks too. not much that can be done about that though.

don't be afraid to co-sleep. my baby barely cried because within 2 days i realised how scary being born is and that he needed to stay close. and it was lovely. he's 11 weeks now and sleeps in his crib like a big boy every night.

BlahBlahBlahEtc · 11/07/2017 21:28

Rest. Fuck the housework, delegate that shit to someone else. Schedule visitors

Yes!

Also, just a piece of advice I wish I was told in the earlier days..

It's a phase and it doesn't last. It doesn't matter what it is or whether they're 2 days or 2 years old, it's just a phase.

Congrats btw!!

anchor9 · 11/07/2017 21:31

NCT breastfeeding groups are amazing

also just appreciate every second. even when it's hard and you want to cry. it's over so soon and it's the most amazing experience. you have so much to look forward to!

also take MILLIONS of pictures right from the get go. i and DP were insuch a daze we didn't take any pics til he was about 3 hours old. i've forgotten so much about the first couple of days and his first few moments are nonexistent

anchor9 · 11/07/2017 21:32

oh yes and the midwife told me on about day 5.... the frills go on the outside

anchor9 · 11/07/2017 21:35

yep I cried A LOT on day 3. when the midwives arrived o think they though by BF was up to no good or something

Fattynoms02 · 11/07/2017 21:36

Only do middle of the night nappy changes if they've pooed or it's really heavy.

troodiedoo · 11/07/2017 21:38

Get yourself a thermos mug. Will keep your tea, coffee or soup nice and hot. I used to take a latte up to bed to sip for the night shift. Be aware of safety though, it will stay as hot as it went in for a few hours so careful around baby, and make sure the lid is on correctly.

Dothbutternoparsnips · 11/07/2017 21:39

Every baby is different. Just because someone else's baby is doing one thing it doesn't mean they are doing it right or wrong.

If you can take it easy in the first few weeks.

Do your pelvic floors.

adifferentnameforthis · 11/07/2017 21:42

If you don't already shop online, start now so everything is in your favourite lists. I'm 7 months in and still have no idea how people do a big shop with a baby (people DO, I just can't seem to manage it!)

Make up a flask of tea if you drink it, otherwise drinks are always cold

Yes to sling library, I didn't get one til he was 5 months and it was too late, should have had one from the start

Netflix subscription on your smartphone, it's often the only thing you have close by at that precious moment the baby drops off

Read up on safe co sleeping now. Even if you don't intend to do it. If you have a bad sleeper there will be one night when you fall asleep with the baby in your arms. So so much easier if you already know how to safely co-sleep rather than googling it at 4am in the dark.

Babies are comforted by hushes and "shhhh" no matter how loudly it's done so if you're going crazy with exhaustion you can get your frustration out by shhhhhhh ing with all your might

Is really normal if you spend the first few weeks thinking you can't do it but you can

I make it sound awful! DS makes me the happiest ive ever been - when it's brilliant it's bloody amazing 😍

NapQueen · 11/07/2017 21:44

If you remember, shove the baby in a white sleepsuit and onto a large blanket once a month and take a picture for at least two year. A few friends have done this or simialt with their dc and the pics are amazing! I regret not being organised enough.

Pixie2015 · 11/07/2017 21:45

Buy twice as many maternity pads than you think you need. Have lots of nice biscuits in and big bars of chocolate - lots of bottles of water if breast feeding and snacks next to bed for hunger pangs. Enjoy the cuddles / good luck

MrsChopper · 11/07/2017 21:49

Be prepared for the baby blues to hit you a few days after giving birth. Your hormones will go crazy and make you feel very emotional. And it doesn't help that, especially in the first few days, everything is a little overwhelming. But it gets better!

Oh and this is technically not a newborn tip, but nobody mentioned this to me and I got a shock: After a few weeks my hair was falling out like crazy. Your body starts shedding all that extra hair. I cried about this all the time, esoecially as I ended up with bald patches. I asked the GP for help but they couldn't do anyrhing. DS is nearly 11 months and I can confirm my hair is growing back!

MrsChopper · 11/07/2017 21:51

And I do the photo idea napqueen mentions. I use different outfits and backgrounds but they always feature DS' first teddy!

Sweet211 · 12/07/2017 10:22

Mrs chopper my hairs proper falling out my baby is 9 weeks I'm so scared don't wanna go bald

owltrousers · 12/07/2017 11:59

This thread is so good, but so scary placemarking now!

lilyborderterrier · 12/07/2017 12:13

Aw great lovely tips, I'm marking my place, due my 2nd in a few weeks and it's nearly 5 years since I had my daughter so refreshing myself.

A tip I didn't find out until quite a few weeks in was the yellow strip on pampers nappies that turn blue when baby has done a wee, it's such a tiny amount I think I wasted loads thinking she'd wee'd when perhaps she hadn't.

I ridiculously changed her into different baby grows to sleep in at bedtime? And messed about changing her nappy waking a tiny baby up. If they're clean and dry and comfortable keep them in the same babygrow, !

I swore by white noise from her being teeny, and she still has it now at nearly 4.7 years🙄 but the hairdryer noise definitely calms her to sleep.

Good luck I'm 33 weeks with my 2nd a baby boy. X

troodiedoo · 12/07/2017 13:12

Thought of another tip - have a think now about how you want to manage visitors in the couple of weeks after birth, and discuss this with your partner if you have one. He/she needs to be your spokesperson and it's good to be prepared.

Lelly0503 · 12/07/2017 13:17

These are great tips and ideas I am 33 weeks with first baby so reading when interest x

babysurprise14 · 12/07/2017 13:41

Great thread thanks! Only 8 weeks to go 😬

MagicMoneyTree · 12/07/2017 15:21

I would disagree with the poster above and say tuck IN all the ruffly bits on nappies.

NOOOOOOO!!! Definitely ruffles out!! (Especially if you have a boy - or their wee goes all down their back and leaks over all their clothes!)

Totally agree about the soup. I did the same and regretted it!! If you batch cook chilli or anything that goes with rice, get some of those microwave quick rices in too - you won't want to faff around boiling rice on the hob. I was SOOO glad I batch cooked - thought I'd over-done it but soon realised that isn't actually possible (assuming you have the freezer space).

Nipple shields. Some midwives/HVs think they are the work of the devil, but they were the only way my DC could feed. Used them for 6 months and bf for 18 months in total.

Yes to snacks and easy food. Someone bought me a massive tin of biscuits - good for snacking but also good for offering to guests.

Yes to scheduled visitors only (my DH had a spreadsheet )

Yes to the changing kit downstairs. We had one in our bedroom and one in the lounge. Changing mat in baby's room has never been used (is now a spare at inlaws).

Yes to hair falling out. DH went out and bought one of those plug mesh things for the shower, he was so repulsed at all the excess hair! It has grown back but I had ages where there were just random wisps of hair all over the place.

Take LOTS of photos in the hospital. Make sure your OH takes lots of you and baby too (even if you don't feel like it). I really wish I had more of those. Also if you don't particularly like the hospital pics of you and baby, try making them black and white!

ifigoup · 15/07/2017 18:05

I do have a boy, and I do tuck the ruffles in, and the wee goes neither up his back nor out of the legs. Maybe it's a myth that it matters one way or the other.

Starfish83 · 15/07/2017 23:06

Place marking - what a great thread! 😊 x

troodiedoo · 16/07/2017 06:57

Thought of another one! Do a practice run with car seat before you go into hospital. Put a bag of sugar in it or something. We forgot the head support pillow so I was anxiously holding her head the whole way home, and we didn't have the straps right.

HopeAndJoy16 · 16/07/2017 07:29

Yes to giving the car seat a test run!

Breastfed babies especially cluster feed- you will feel like you're feeding constantly- this is NORMAL and your babies way of building your supply. Signs your baby is getting enough are plenty of wet and dirty nappies. In the early weeks babies have at least one growth spurt a week. Knowing that really helped!

Also I just kept repeating to myself "this doesn't last forever" and "it will get better". Those first two weeks were HARD but by the third week it felt ok. Me and DH survived by going on little trips with baby every day, even if it was just to the end of the road and back.

Flip

1 2 3