Share with WaterWipes what you wish you were told before the arrival of your new born - chance to win £300! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

The team at WaterWipes would love to hear what you wish you'd been told before the arrival of your new born.

We all can recall those innocent days before the arrival of baby and the impact having a child can have on your life so please share on this thread what you wish someone had told you - or what you were told which was especially useful!

Here's what WaterWipes says: "WaterWipes contain only 2 ingredients: 99.9% Water and 0.1% grapefruit seed extract. Non-irritating to even the most sensitive of children’s or Mums’ skin, WaterWipes help prevent and alleviate nappy rash and other sensitive skin conditions. WaterWipes are the only baby wipe ever to be endorsed by Allergy UK. We think they're great for newborns and we'd love to hear what other pearls of wisdom you wish you knew before your baby arrived!"

Please share a comment on the thread: you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win £300 voucher for the store of choice (from a list). Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

I wish someone had told me that afterpains get worse with each subsequent child! I had more painkillers because of the afterpains than I did in labour with my second baby! Then the midwife told me the pains get worse with each child and she said it as if it was obvious and common knowledge!

The night sweats, what the hell was that about and why don't I now weigh 8 stone? I literally used to ring out the duvet on a daily basis
Also that the crazy hours that your first baby keeps to make life feel a lot like jet leg and watching tv at 4am can feel a bit exotic until you've had enough of the sleep deprivation

I wish someone had told me just how much my life would change - I honestly thought my life would continue as before, I would be able to do all the things I used to do - the only difference would be that I would have a peaceful sleeping baby by my side. I had notions of peaceful night feeds in the rocking chair to a backdrop of Classic FM... HAHA!! How wrong I was! My life was turned upside down & I was SO unprepared! I thought babies only cried when they were sad - I know realise they can cry for 101 reasons &, until you learn to decipher the subtle differences between each cry, it's trial & error until you get to what they actually want/need! Don't get me wrong, it's been amazing - my little man is perfect & has taught me a great deal about life, love.. & patience! :) It is hard though, everything changes & this little being is now the centre of your world - know that, embrace it & enjoy every second! :)

nothing lasts forver

That there's not always any one right way to do things - it's fine to go your own way :)

i wish someone had told me that although breastfeeding is amazing if you can't do it don't get stressed out
i tried for two days to feed my son but to no avail and the midwifes just kept saying try again whilst my son was screaming for food and it wasn't until a new midwife had a look and told me you have no milk! which was exactly what happened to my mum so she immediately gave me a bottle for my son and we both relaxed so we could enjoy each other and i felt that i hadn't failed him it was just my genes

That when you think you have a routine baby will change it and that life will change so much not stay the same with a baby attached!

That you don't have to have a routine. If your baby seems to want to go with the flow (& never sleep) stressing over the fact that she is not asleep is not going to help.

I wish I'd relaxed more. If there was no routine, there was no pressure/guilt/feelings of inadequacy if it went awry.

Of course, in the face of a lack of a strict routine, that became our routine, iyswim!

Not to believe the highly edited, happy go lucky posts and pictures on FB. No one is going to post a picture of them crying into their cold cuppa after no sleep!

You will appreciate hot food and cups of tea!

Pack something nice to come home from the hospital in. You don't need to expect to look like the Duchess of Cambridge; but a nice maternity dress or jeans etc will make you feel better. I stayed in for longer than I expected and went home in tracksuit bottoms, white socks and black pumps. Not a good look and yes your gorgeous newborn is the most important thing, but I felt very self conscious - took more care with packing my bag second time around!

I wish someone had told me not to compare my baby's development with other people's babies. I spent a lot of time worrying that she wasn't doing things quickly enough.

I wish someone had told me to just leave the house! In the early days, I went for days on end without going out and it was very isolating.

I wish that someone had told me to trust my own instincts.

It goes too fast!

That not every baby is born perfectly healthy, and that even babies born late can end up in special care receiving intensive treatment. I had considered many times possibilities but that wasn't something I was ready for in the slightest.

That no one knows it all and what works for one baby does not work for others. They are all individual and while some sleep more or less than others it doesn't reflect on how you are as a parent, some babies are just natural sleepers/don't have colic/reflux/are easily breast fed. Parents are doing the best they can and parents shouldn't compare. It is ok to ask for help!

How much I would be so tired - but not wanting to sleep as I wanted to watch them!

I wish they had told me how scary the first night at home is.

Back up your pictures regularly... I lost 3 weeks' worth of photos when my phone died on me!

Shop online for baby equipment, put it in the basket, get to the checkout and go back a week later, and see if you really need it, - you probably don't!

Just how many nappies you would use per day

wish I had been told to take videos as you really forget how little they were and the little things they did

to not worry over the small things, we wasted so much time fretting over things that looking back were unimportant.

Just trust what you think is right, don't go feeling bad because people criticise the way you do things. If it isn't dangerous to you or the baby just give it a go if you feel it's the thing to do.... feed on demand if you want, controlled feeding if you want. It's an exhausting enough time without worrying you are doing everything wrong. Enjoy your new addition

It really does go by far too fast, and it's worth making time to sit and spend time together

I wish I had known a lot more, and especially about how to try and stay calm and not worry about every little thing

Enjoy the early innocent years as they grow up so fast.