Tips for Kate: which invaluable piece of new-mum advice would you pass on? Please share it here, or Tweet to #tips4kate

[HelenMumsnet]

So, the royal baby has finally arrived ? congrats, Will and Kate!

Anyone with even moderately republican leanings should probably look away now ? and, by look away, we mean from everything: internet, telly, newspapers, billboards, the works. The next few weeks are set fair to be a veritable fiesta of regality.

Which is ironic, in a way, because there are surely few experiences more levelling than that of giving birth and its immediate aftermath. No matter how much money you have, or how many attendants dancing errm attendance, at the end of the day, it's just you and your baby.

With that in mind, let's offer a helping hand to a fellow new mother ? indeed, to all the new mothers out there. What would be the single invaluable piece of advice you'd share on the early days ? and long nights ? with a newborn?

Post it on the thread, or better yet, Tweet it with the hashtag #tips4kate. We'll make up a book of our favourites, and pass it on to her ? and we'll ensure that your suggestions are given a permanent home on the site, too.

So go on, share: what helped you through?

[Secretswitch]

Please leave the royal foreskin intact.

[noblegiraffe]

9 months on, 9 months off, don't fret if you don't lose the baby weight straight away, celebs that do usually have major surgery help with diet and exercise.

Buy a swing/bouncy chair and a baby gym because at some point you will want to put the baby down.

Buy a sling if the baby won't be put down and you can get on with housework while still carrying the baby.

[aftermay]

If you offer to help at mother & baby group you don't have to pay the 50p entrance fee - and you get extra biscuits!

[saffronwblue]

Don't fret about your looks, weight, hair, anything, despite the media obsssion. All the mothers in the world will love you if you appear looking tired, drawn and with baby sick on your shoulder!

[quertas]

"there are surely few experiences more levelling than that of giving birth and its immediate aftermath. No matter how much money you have, or how many attendants dancing errm attendance, at the end of the day, it's just you and your baby"...and the option of an army of nannies

[Ipsissima]

Download a WhiteNoise app !!
Lifesaver.

[Fenton]

There is nothing, NOTHING that cannot wait a bit or a lot longer while you have a good quality cuddle with your baby.

Your hair will be brushed eventually, the dinner can wait, the visitors will wait the country will wait. Just enjoy him.

[HoneyDragon]

Except cake, Fenton. Cake can't wait, not for the breast feeding mother,

[TotallyEggFlipped]

Get on the July 2013 antenatal thread and then join us when we've all popped and go postnatal

[ScrambledSmegs]

If you're finding that visitors (relatives, friends, Prime Ministers and Presidents) are overwhelming/upsetting you and you just need some peace, don't be too polite to use the Royal Fuck Off.

[ScrambledSmegs]

I presume ^^ that piece of advice won't be passed on to HRH?!

[ScrambledSmegs]

Oops, it's being made into a book? Oh dear, sorry.

Small babies and strict routines are unlikely to be a good fit - it takes time to get to know your baby and their sleep patterns. At some point you will probably wake up and realise they've put themselves into a routine and it was actually relatively painless. Stressing over routines in the early days is pointless and detracts from the important stuff, like spending hours sniffing your scrumptious newborn's head.

[DontmindifIdo]

If you are breast feeding, in the first few days put the nipple cream on the breast pads and well as on you. (the lanisoh stuff makes great lip balm as well)

You will feel hungry all the time if you're BFing, try to have protein-y snacks like cold cooked chicken in your fridge for when you need food now , not just grabbing cakes and biscuits. Carrot sticks are also good to have to hand when you just need something to eat.

Make sure you stay hydrated. Drink pints of water/squash.

As you aren't in a small flat, make sure you have lots of available changing areas, so another changing mat, nappies and wipes in your downstairs bathroom(s), saves having to trapse up to the nursery every time you need to change your DS.

Keep the changing bag loaded up with nappies, wipes, nappy sacks, a spare babygrow and a couple of mussies, that way you can just grab it and go rather than faffing about taking an hour to leave the house.

Don't get outfits that are complex to put on a baby who can't sit up, so for the first few months, avoid things that button down the back. Not worth the hassle.

BFing burns off a lot of calories, however when you stop bfing, remember that very day you have to cut your calorie intake - I learned that one the hard way, was back in pre-baby jeans at 5 months, stopped BFing, was a heffer within a month...

Have a thing to do every day. A friend to meet, a baby group to go to, a weighing clinic, a list of things you need to get from the shops etc. You need a reason to get up and out daily. It will stop you going slightly crazy.

smile and nod with health visitors, don't expect any of them to say anything useful.

[DontmindifIdo]

another one!

Clip your DS's nails while he's asleep (far less scary)

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Take time to enjoy him. It goes so quickly.

[Kafri]

Listen to peoples advice, nod along, then make your own choice! you know your own baby.

Welcome to life as a mummy, you're gonna love it!x

[Dackyduddles]

Trust yourself.

Ignore every book written as baby will.

Get proper bf help.

Sleep when baby does.

Slow down. Life is now very different. A different pace is required from you too.

If you don't feel well for gawds sake say so. Pnd is silent and sadly can sometimes be a killer.

[MorrisZapp]

If you're not loving it, don't feel bad. Loads of us don't have lovely snuggly happy early months with newborns. In fact, some of us pretty much hate the newborn stage. Plaster a smile on for DHs family but tell your friends and the doctor the truth.

[NonnoMum]

Did I mention that it's brilliant to stare and stare at your baby for hours?

Yup - think I did...

[NonnoMum]

By the way, if you go to Baby Group, and things turn into Competitive Parent mode, just nod sweetly and admire Elsie and her smiling-at-one-week skills, and Tyler and his crawling-at-three-months skills and nod to yourself thinking "Yeah, but my baby's gonna be King, ladies..."
Then pass round the hob nobs.

[BettyStogs]

Ignore people who tell you to 'enjoy every minute'. You won't. And that's ok, as long as you enjoy most of them.

[DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved]

1. Make sure you get alone snuggly time with you, and just you. This may well be more of a problem if you're a princess, as there are probably bucket loads of people who will be mulling around trying to help. It's easy to feel pushed out of things and find yourself yearning for your baby when he's been spirited away by helpfulness. Demand baby back, get into bed, shut door!
   

1. Alone time with you, baby and HRDH (his royal dear husband!) also crucial. As above plus husband!
   

1. iPhone is the perfect shape for one handed Internet browsing whilst breast feeding
   

Enjoy and don't worry too much :)

[Zara1984]

When he starts teething - like, proper teething, tooth about to come through - paracetemol and ibuprofen suppositories are a lifesaver! They work much much faster than liquid suspensions like Calpol and are easier to administer if baby has sore gums and won't open his mouth for you.