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

Original poster

When did you learn how to look after a baby?

48 replies

Leleophants · 23/05/2019 15:31

Might sound like an odd question but when do you learn all this stuff?

Like how to dress a baby, knowing how to feed it, even things like bathing a baby and exactly when and how to move it onto solids.

I've worked with kids in the past but older kids - dp hasnt. I don't actually know any specifics!

Do NCT classes help or do you literally just guess and assume someone will tell you along the way?!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

PollyShelby · 23/05/2019 16:41

I didn't go to any classes so on the job, basically.

They all seem ok so I must be a fast learner.

Hidingtonothing · 23/05/2019 16:44

Yep, when I had one for me too. I honestly don't think I'd ever held a baby before I had DD and I was 34! I'd just never been around them, soon picked it up though and she's 10 now and still in one piece so must have done ok! If I can do it anyone can OP, don't worry

Billballbaggins · 23/05/2019 16:45

I learned when I had one, you know the nhs guidelines for things like feeding (breast or formula), weaning etc. so you sort of have those in mind and just do it. Things like bathing, dressing etc you just give it a go when the baby arrives. I had never changed a nappy until I had my first, by the second month I could change one in very dim lighting in the middle of the night with one hand. You just go with the flow and learn with your baby. Mine are 5 & 3 now and I’m still learning all the time.

AwdBovril · 23/05/2019 16:47

I learnt on the go, it was a very steep learning curve! I learnt a lot from one of those pregnancy & newborn baby books (we didn't have internet until I returned to work after Mat leave), then I learned a lot from MN.

Otterses · 23/05/2019 16:51

Agree with most on here, just learned as I went and consulted mumsnet regularly with my daft questions DH taught me a lot too, he bought The Expectant Dad's Handbook and read it around at least a dozen times.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 23/05/2019 16:55

I learned a lot from helping with my little sister, who is much younger than me. I did also stay with my parents for 3 months after DS was born (we were in the process of moving house) so I had lots of support and help. I still found it overwhelming

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 23/05/2019 16:57

Forgot to add - DH was also something of an expert having raised his sons from his first marriage on his own (DSS2 was a baby when she left). We made a good team.

CFAlert · 23/05/2019 17:14

I discovered mumsnet whilst pregnant, and although I picked up tips and tricks along the way I do think it's a case of learning on the job.

I remember being worried about dressing DD when she was born as I thought I might break a bone

That soon went out the window, and I found as you bond with your baby you learn from them...as they do you as they grow.

It's by far the biggest, most challenging, exciting and rewarding learning curve you could ever experience in life. And whilst there's lots of support to learn from I truly believe it's a case of finding what's right for you and your baby and doing what makes you both happy.

PlinkPlink · 23/05/2019 17:28

Antenatal classes are more about prep for birth and baby development. It's a great opportunity to possibly meet some new people and keep in touch. I still keep in touch with the other woman I had mine with.

I was fortunate to learn bottle prep and nappy changing from my nephews a good deal of time before I had my own DS.

Everything else came in the form of BabyCentre videos, NHS videos, reading lots on the internet and making lists way ahead of time to think of what we could prepare for.

TheCraicDealer · 23/05/2019 17:49

I remember gingerly holding my friend's four day old baby back in 2012 and asking "how long before you don't feel like you're going to break them?" and her saying really deadpan, "Two days, tops."

It's mostly common sense and the rest comes with time and practice. DSis had DNeice 19 months ago, and DNephew two months ago. We're very close so I spend a lot of time with the kids and I volunteer to do feeds, nappy changes, bathtime and the occasional overnight to help my sister out- her DH travels a lot for work so she's often on her own. I'm not going to say I'm an expert but even with that limited exposure I'm way more confident than I was two years ago. You'll be fine!

agirlhasnonameX · 23/05/2019 17:53

When I was 17. Didn't go to any classes and didn't have a clue what I was doing, but you learn as you go. Asked my mum a lot.
8 years later I had another one and still ask my mum a lot 😂

kikibo · 23/05/2019 17:55

Once my eldest was born 😅.

Not many friends to learn from either. From my midwife and just on-the-job training.

I'd never changed a nappy or bathed a baby or been shown how to before I had to do it.
You're safe though, because the baby won't tell and it doesn't know any better anyway 😁.

MrsDilligaf · 23/05/2019 18:24

DD is three...

TBH, DH & I read the books, we did the classes, we've been around kids for years, but basically we've winged it!

(nothing's gone wrong so far...only another 15 years to go!)

bearface45 · 23/05/2019 22:39

I gave birth and winged it! When daughter was born we asked midwife to show us how to put a nappy on her and took it from there. It will be fine

Surfingtheweb · 23/05/2019 23:06

Loved playing with dolls, then a neighbor had twins when I was about 7 & always had me feeding & holding them, then babysat a newborn at 15, became an Aunty & best friend had a baby, only thing I'd not done when I had my first was bath & breastfeed 😂

cranstonmanor · 23/05/2019 23:18

Like how to dress a baby, knowing how to feed it, even things like bathing a baby and exactly when and how to move it onto solids.

Since abou the age of 10 my mum took me along with her when visiting family babies and told me how to hold them. She liked babysitting for a few hours so taught me some more. Family also visited us and had sleepovers so saw how to bathe etc. i bathed my nephew and changed nappies alone ( nobody present) in my twenties.

I don't have a baby, but I do know how to take care of one or two. It's three kids at the same time where I struggle. Now that I'm 40 and have less energy to run after them I flat out refuse to babysit 3 kids at the same time.

madcatladyforever · 23/05/2019 23:23

I was 21 and nobody taught me anything. I read a couple of books and the rest just came naturally. I trusted my own instincts as a mother.

lovebeingmum9 · 24/05/2019 06:58

I remember after having our 1st baby the midwife left me and husband in the room alone with our baby and we just looked at each other so daunted like "what do we do now" we had never held a new born,dressed,changed,fed or anything and we had to call the midwife back in to show us how to change a nappy and how to wipe her! we were novices back then haha quite scary at the time But our daughter is 7 now and we have gone on to have 2 sons aged 5 and 2 and pregnant with our 4th and guess what.....we're still learning as we go! good luck x

Pinkvoid · 24/05/2019 12:14

When I had one?

Honestly, I had barely even held another baby before DS was born. I couldn’t tell you how I learnt to do everything, I just cracked on with it and it was all fine.

PeacefulInTheDeep · 24/05/2019 12:45

I'm the same as everyone else, just kind of picked it up as we've gone along.

In addition to the sources of information and advice already mentioned, I'd also say I've learned so much from other mums I've made friends with or just observed when we've been out.

But I'm still learning! DS is 10 months and I've only just figured out that I can put his dungarees on like a pair of trousers rather than pulling the whole lot over his head

ScreamScreamIceCream · 24/05/2019 13:41

NCT class gave us tips on how to bath and dress a newborn. However in case I have siblings up to 18 years older than me so from a teenager I had nieces and nephews to practice on.

I then have family, close friends and neighbours who work with babies and young children who I can ask questions but I've just directed other parents I know to them.

Finally other parents - I know some same sex couples - are a good source of up to date information over things like feeding.

One issue with my family, close friends and neighbours is they are only allowed to promote the NHS way of doing things and when you know people from other developed countries you get an interesting perspective on why things are done a particular way. In the UK parents are automatically presumed to be thick and unhygienic.

DizzySue · 24/05/2019 15:08

I'd never held or looked after a baby until
I had my own.

I read a lot about childcare and learnt from my mum, DH (who had more experience), and friends along the way. Mostly it was instinct I think.

TheLetterOfTheLawTheLetter · 24/05/2019 17:37

As you go along! I always remember thinking, how will I know how much to feed a child?! How much to dress them in?! Then the other night feeding toddler ds, I smiled to myself thinking I was just....doing it!

Flip

1 2