Doll to practice with??

[DollDilemma]

Feel free to mock me.

I'm due in a couple of months. Neither DP nor I have ever held/bathed/changed/fed a baby. We are doing NCT but with the current situation it's all via zoom with no hands on practice, so we were thinking of getting a life-like doll to practice on.

Firstly - do you think this is a good idea?

Secondly - any idea where to but such a doll? I've obviously googled but everything seems to cost £60+ which seems like a lot.

Thanks

I also forgot to add, if you're still nervous once baby is here, ask one of the midwives to show you /your partner. My husband was so nervous about changing a nappy, the midwife showed him how to put one on and clean her etc when putting on her first nappy and dressing her for the first time.

Also practice putting the doll in a sling, a car seat, lowering it into the cot - all useful skills!

@firstimemamma

We practised how to put on the sling by using a teddy

I was just coming on to say we did this

You will soon learn as people have said above

Also if you have to stay in hospital for any length of time just be really clear about what you want help with, I was in for a week and I remember insisting that I wanted the midwife to help me change the first nappy and she was like "you'll be fine" but I really needed the moral support! After that I was probably really demanding but got lovely help with breastfeeding, swaddling and finding where they keep the secret cheese and sandwiches on the ward! (Latter night strictly parenting but very important!)

And if you're not in, make a list for when the midwives/HV come to visit?

Do you have an NCT group? Mine were invaluable for midnight questions.

@firstimemamma

We practised how to put on the sling by using a teddy

We also did this 😂 and tried putting nappy on teddy but I don't think it will help much for the real thing !

I don't see the point. For me it was different as I knew everything and had done it with my brother and my sister (my brother is 10 years younger and my sister is 20 years younger than I am). I helped my mum do everything and learnt how to do everything because I wanted to. So when it came to me having a baby it felt like I'd already done it because in some respects I had twice.
My husband had no experience with a baby at all but when I explained and showed him he picked it up really quickly.