Tips on being a supportive auntie

[Sazzahera]

Hiya! Ill try to keep this short, I'm not a mum but my older sister recently told us she was pregnant (2nd trimester right now) I want to be as supportive as possible without being overbearing since her boyfriend is currently a few hours away in his final year of uni. Im trying to focus on buying her essentials that shes added to her wish list since shes currently saving up for a home for her family once her bf finishes uni and in my mind she should be able to just point out what she likes and focus on saving for the house. Currently ive got her some baby clothes, baby books, baby bathing essentials, bath&room thermometer, etc. She seems really happy with everything so far and has asked if i can babysit when she has to go back to work since ill be working part-time, as im doing an apprenticeship, which i said yes to.
My main questions for you guys are: what sizes for nappies would you reccomend?(dad is 6'6 and mom is 5'3 so currently we're thinking itll be a big baby), what did you love and hate your relatives doing when you were pregnant? And is there anything you wish people would have done for you?

Thanks for reading! Just wanna make sure this is a good experience for her :]

How lovely of you, your sister sounds very lucky to have you 😊 I would definitely get some size 1 nappies to start off with. If you look at the weight on the packs, the Aldi ones for example go from 4-11lbs so even a bigger baby would likely use these to begin with. Highly recommend the Aldi nappies by the way, no need to splash out on some of the more expensive brands.
It’s nice that you’re there for her, I know some people can feel a bit isolated during pregnancy so just make sure to still spend time with her - go out for walks/coffee/baby shopping/whatever you’d usually do.

Baby will very likely still need first size but also buying size 2 is fab as everyone buys you things for the first few months and then you're stuck buying a whole new wardrobe, nappies etc yourself when they grow!

Help with the baby but also sometimes mums just want to care for their baby themselves without the stress of thinking of all the chores they have to do. So often be more hands on around the house/with mum than you are with the baby. Everyone wants to hold the baby, especially at first and you feel Ike they're just being taken away from you all the time

Thanks for your advice! And wow i was looking at ordering a jumbo pack of pampers, assuming they were just the standard price since thats always just been a synonym for nappies for me and omg the price difference between the same amount of nappies in the pampers and aldi ones is insane! Definitely something ill be keeping in mind and passing on to my sister :]

What a lovely sister you are. 😊
My perspective is that (unless money is big issue) I was happy to buy things myself in preparation.
What counts massively for me is someone taking time after the baby's arrived to do things like provide a cooked meal or go round and order a takeaway for you and parent(s).
Offering to do practical tasks like take a load of washing and get it back to her fresh and dry.
Above all listen to your sister. Everyone reacts differently especially in the early weeks /months.

Some feel anxious going out and about so would welcome company doing little trips with the baby. Some want a change of scene so might welcome an invitation to your house. Some need bits of time "being themelves" so if the dp has the baby night like to go out for a treat like nails etc. Or a combination of the above.
It's such a massive change and there were times where I felt that others thought they knew what I needed /wanted and I found that frustrating. I liked being with people who supported me as I found my own path.

I think for me, especially with the first one, was to have someone there to do something as simple as take a shower without worrying that they were crying. Someone to have a relaxed chat with and spend time with, without needing to change clothes and tidy first (even though I was covered in baby sick and hair was a mess), and to be there if suddenly exhausted and fall asleep on the sofa to not mind keeping an eye on the baby. These things were priceless.