1st time parents- Hints & Tips please!

[MrsPoll]

Just as the title suggests, please give us your advice, hints, tips or suggestions - all things parenting, baby related. Baby is due in 12 weeks.

Ordinarily I would have said buy as much as you can second hand but you might want to see how CV19 plays out first.
Get a snhuggle bath, they're great.
Don't feel pressured to do anything by anyone else. If you want to stay in all day with no visitors, that's ok, if you want to have a massive party welcoming your baby that's ok too.
Always remember that you're doing everything you can, and you know your baby best.
Congratulations.

What works one day might not work the next, and visa versa.
Read about the Wonder Weeks.
Cuddling is not spoiling or rewarding bad behaviour.
Learn how to hand express (if breastfeeding), babies do not automatically know how to latch on and you need to learn how to do it together.
Make sure you try different winding techniques.

Following
@AlphaIndigo I have got the shnuggle bath as I read great reviews and says it's suitable for newborns but it looks really steep? X

The world and his wife will have opinions on how you're doing everything. Learn to smile and nod and carry on how you want to. Remember that almost everything is a phase. You can't spoil a baby or child with cuddles. Don't make false promises or empty threats. If breastfeeding - yes they can be hungry again, if in doubt feed. And breastfed babies do need winding. Don't compare your baby to other peoples baby, that way madness lies.

I agree with above except ignore the wonder weeks app and just go with the flow. I got a shnuggle bath for my second and it was amazing. Your only supposed to put in 10cm of water but I put in enough to come up to her arm pits. Some babies loves the bath and others hate them.

Get a sling. Normally I would say sling library but perhaps buy a close caboo.

Always have one packet of nappies in the next size up so your not guessing if you need to buy the current or next size.

Take it one day at a time.
It's perfectly normal to cry, both you and the baby
Have something to hand to mop up the inevitable wees & poos when you take their nappy off.
Post birth is brutal, be kind to yourself.
It is not just your responsibility, split as much as you can with your partner and keep communicating with them
Talk to everyone at baby groups & classes
Best buys - shnuggle bath, perfect prep for FF and a video monitor.

@mrssunshinexxx I think we started using it at 3 weeks or so. Its a little while until they start having baths so we just washed her down before that.

Listen to all the advice you're offered, then sift through and choose the bits you want to listen to, and let the rest just wash over you.

A good thermometer will be reassuring, but you can tell if a baby has a temperature, just give them a kiss on the head. You'll learn the difference between normal and fever quite quickly.

Cuddle cuddle cuddle. For the first few months that is the main thing your baby needs from you, you can never cuddle them too much. But if it's getting too much for you, pass them over to dad if you can, you're allowed to look after your own needs too.

Everything will now take twice as long. You will feel better about things if you adjust your expectations and accept the slower pace of life for a while.

Pack at least one full outfit change for baby in the changing bag. If you can, pop in a spare top for you too.

If you feel very down, very anxious, overwhelmed, or like you just can't cope, talk to someone. Its one of the hardest conversations you might have, but after the first time it gets easier to discuss it. Pnd affects thousands of mums, and is manageable and treatable. You don't have to suffer it. Even in the current medical situation, pnd is something that must be treated. For me it felt like being trapped at the bottom of a black well, or like everything I was doing was wrong, or that I couldn't stop my mind racing. It's different for others. But dont let it go untreated. If you need help, ask for it.

There were paragraphs in there I swear!

May not be relevant especially at the moment.. but if you have a partner then get them to take a batch of shared parental leave with you at the start if at all possible. We had 8 weeks together at the start ... the thought of having to do that first month alone is nuts.

Remember EVERYTHING will end. A labour pain, a rough night, the baby screaming: remember through all the tough stuff it will stop, its not forever.

Nappy caddies are saviours, one downstairs with supplies so you dont have to traipse upstairs when you need to change baby.

Try and have a shower every day. Even if its just to put clean jammies on.

Trust your instincts - theyre usually right.

Start to differentiate between night and day as soon as you can.

And look after you!

If you end up having a c section you must rest!! I found the progress of healing made me feel much better each day, then I had a false sense of security to do too much too soon

Cuddle them and take photos of them constantly as a newborn, you will blink and they will have grown so much and my baby is only a month old 🙈

Your baby won’t be scarred for life if it does a bit of crying. I was so terrified that if DS had any cortisol in his system I was a terrible mother and he would become a maladjusted adult. I now realise that this is nonsense and occasionally babies will have to cry for whatever reason.