Top Tips for when your first baby is on the way

[cherryhintonblue]

When we were expecting our first, a few years ago, we did that rarest of things, and wrote down useful tips we were given. If they turned out to be no use after the event, we crossed them off, but we were left with a nice list of Top Tips for when your first baby is on the way which you might find useful or enjoy. Please don't take it as prescriptive in any way - it's just what worked for us - but we know a lot of people have found odd items on the list useful and informative over the years. Our little one is now quite a big one! But do think about making a list like this yourself if you can, because so many people will look to you after you've had your first and ask for advice - and the only thing we can say for sure is that you'll have forgotten the really useful stuff. Our very best wishes to anyone expecting their first.

I agree about the introducing 1 bottle feed a day - we used a bottle feed for our DD's dreamfeed and it meant she took breast or bottle easily and without distress, and I could have a longer sleep

As for the avent expressing machine, I also had the avent electric one and found it to be fine. But since this is the only one I've ever used, I can't say it's the best - how would I know?

There are loads of "tips" websites and lists in magazines/books etc, you can just take stuff you think will be useful from it, and disregard the rest but I don't think cherryhintonblue expected this kind response I.E I think she was only trying to be helpful.

FSID say:

"A key message to keep your baby safe and healthy is that the safest place for your baby to sleep for the first six months is in a crib or cot in a room with you."

If anybody wants some proper, research based advice on reducing cot death and sleeping safely please have a look here:

www.fsid.org.uk/share-a-room.html

Can you tell that this website has got me really mad

Gemy, she probably does mean well but advice that goes against the advice of WHO & FSID and could potentially cause illness and or death is not very helpful IMO.

mum2george of course you are right - perhaps cherrybluehinton should have included what the recommendations were (and reasons!) before saying "but we did it like this" etc etc.

"they'll have to take a bottle at some time"

Hmmm ... ds is 3.8 and has never had a bottle. I am one of the "most ardent breast-feeders" to which you refer, and quite frankly am happy I stayed that way. OK, so I didn't get much sleep for the first three months or more - and since then I have done every single feed he has ever had, but I prefer it that way.

I appreciate that your tips are your own points of view, and I agree with the other posters who think you were only trying to be helpful, but if there is one thing I have learned about having a baby, that is that everyone does it differently - and that is how it should be, with people doing things the ways that suit them, their circumstances and views.

The bloggers had their daughter in 2001 so although they may be passing on the advice they received at the time re bottles, SID etc, a lot of it has been seriously updated since then.

Wonder if Cherry will be back or if it's a post-and-run?

No, DS2 was 2001 (DS1 1991), that wasn't the advice about bottle feeding then either

Message withdrawn

fio!!! I fully intend to sneak a bottle of bubbly in to the hospital, do you reckon I'll get told off?

stock up on wine [tick]
JL order arriving on Thursday containing:
a) pram
b) moses basket
c) case of red
d) case of white...

my top tips are

(oooh I bet you are all dying to know)

buy the absolute minimum before the baby arrives. Ie a FEW baby grows, a car seat and a sling. Pos a moses basket. And then SEE WHAT YOU NEED when the baby is born. Shops and the internet do still exist.

And

if you want to know stuff ask MN.

also I must take issue with

"Anyone who had a baby more than a year ago can no longer remember what having a one-week-old was like"

I think for most people their newborn pfb's first week is a rather vivid memory.

not to mention fact that poster's OWN kid born 6 years ago

My top tip for when baby is on the way is to go on a extremely nice holiday, for when baby is in the way this will not be a possibility for a looong time.

Leave Cherryblue alone, poor lamb. All well meaning stuff and a lot that's helpful. Bit cheesy - but well-intentioned. I would have found it very helpful. As she says it's not prescriptive, just what worked for them.