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 I'd known that breastfeeding doesn't always fall into place naturally and it doesn't make you a bad mother if you have to resort to bottle feeding.

NEVER to change a boys nappy in even the slightest draft.

Wear your baby in a sling, it's much easier.

As the grow up, at least 50% of time as a mother is spent moving 'stuff' from one place to another (packing bags, clothes, losing art work whilst they're not looking, school paperwork....)

Birth: Passing the placenta is painful. I had an epidural and couldn't feel a thing with DC1 but passing the placenta with DC2 with no pain relief was painful

Baby Days: It does pass quickly, they will sleep eventually and it is OK to leave the house a mess for a while.

And when changing a boy put a wet wipe over the willy as soon as the nappy comes off or he will pee in your face, on your clothes, changing mat, bed ... you get the idea

I wish I would have known that newborn babies may shed their skin, my first son was literally peeling like a little snake, scared me majorly!

How messy babies can be.

On my third and still learning! Best advice? Only listen to advice when it suits you and your child. Smile and nod at unsolicited stuff (and then do what's right for you anyway)
awaits vacant smiles and nods

That babies sometimes do nothing but feed feed feed feed feed feed.

To not try to get into routines too soon.

That for a few weeks at least you will look like an unholy, sleep deprived, weepy mess, and thats ok. Also that being depressed doesn't make you a failure and you shouldn't have to feel ashamed.

I wish someone had told me I could use Water Wipes from birth! Trying to clean up meconium with cotton wool and water just made a tricky job even more difficult. I think we ended up with a change of clothes at every nappy change to begin with! Oh and on the nappy changing theme - if you have a boy cover him with a muslin or something while his nappy is off otherwise you can end up with a fountain and a baby who managed to pee in his own eye!!

About baby periods - was terrified by blood in dd's happy!

Nappy, not happy. Definitely not happy.

I wish I'd known never to dress a child in white and then give it a banana: who knew that banana stains were ineradicable? Same goes for sun lotion.

I wish I'd listened to all those well meaning people who told me with DS to make the most of his baby years as they just flew by. I was much better at living in the moment and appreciating the now with DD.

I wish I'd gone to the cinema more before the children arrived! I only see Disney and Pixar film star on the big screen at the moment.

I wish someone had told me to just use waterwipes rather than messing around with water and disintegrating bits of cotton wool!

I wish someone had told me that I didn't have to do everything myself,that asking someone to help is ok.

That around 3 months my hair would start coming out! Fortunately I'm not bald - but I had no idea what was going on at the time and was terrified.

That they do sleep better eventually....

The sleep thing? It'll seem like a distant memory sooner than you think.

that they really don't stay small for very long and enjoying every second is more important then the state of your house!

Thanks for all the comments: am pleased to say the winners of the £300 voucher is feefeegabor - I will email you!