Share your advice for first time parents to help build their confidence with Nurofen for Children - £300 voucher prize draw! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Research by Nurofen for Children shows that, on average, it takes a first time mum an average of six months to feel confident as a parent(i). With that in mind, they'd like to know what words of wisdom you'd pass down to a first time mum to boost their confidence.

Here's what Nurofen for Children says, "Becoming a mum is a wonderful life changing experience, and a huge learning curve. Nurofen for Children understands seeking advice from other mums is an important part of feeling confident in the decisions you make for your new baby, so we’d love to know your best advice for other first-time mums".

Maybe you'd share something your own parents told you that helped when you were embarking on parenthood. Or something you wish you'd been told when you were a new parent. You might have a nugget of advice that you think would really make a difference, and we're eager to hear it.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one mumsnetter will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher!

Thanks

MNHQ

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Nurofen for Children 3 months to 9 years Orange / Strawberry. Nurofen for Children Orange / Strawberry 3 months to 12 years (weighing over 5kg). Contains Ibuprofen. For relief of fever. Always read the label.

(i) Survey of 2,000 mums by One Poll, commissioned by Nurofen for Children (October 2013)

Don't try to be the perfect parent. Everyone makes mistakes, you'll learn from them. Just trust your instincts and don't compare yourself to those other mums who seem to manage to bring up three kids, run their own business, look amazing all the time and still find the time to hand knit all their Christmas presents.

Follow your instinct. Don't get caught up in all the marketing - all kids really need is love, food and warmth (not baby wipe warmers)

trust your instincts it always goes well for me also if your child has a fever as well as pains alternate between paracetamol and ibuprofen. helps them both

The best advice I can give for those new parents on the receiving end of unwanted advice is to smile sweetly, nod politely and go and do things exactly how you want to. Mum knows best. It will all come together, don't stress.

Trust your own instincts as you know your child better than anyone else.
You will probably have to put up with listening to a lot of well meaning advice from family and friends, but a lot won't actually be very useful! Someone told me when listening to others have as much sense as an old cow - eat the hay and spit out the sticks! Which I found very good advice! Take on board good ideas that might work, but reject the junk! Do things the way that works for you and your child as no child comes with a manual - I have 9 and they are all very different, what works for one may not work for another so you may need to be flexible.
Always carry a spare set of clothes, especially in the early weeks as you may find your little one has a lot of explosive poop-fests - newborn poo is very liquid and gets everywhere & if you do get an explosion leak all up the baby's back... slide baby's arms out upwards and then pull the body suit off downwards - not over the head! When your infant can stand unaided, showers are very good for rinsing off exploded nappies. It doesn't work for every child as I've had some that are terrified of the shower, but if you keep the water waist high and not at their head, they can usually tolerate it. At the moment my 1.5 year old frequently needs washing from explosive nappies and we stand her in the base of the shower and wash it all away and make her smell nice and clean again very quickly.

Also don't compare your parenting style or your childs progress with others or it could make you lose confidence. Every child and parent is different and children will progress at different paces - some will seem slower, but it's not a race and most children will get there in the end and most parents behind the scenes will admit that they are just muddling through and doing their best anyway!

The best advice I think I can give any new parent is to listen to your instincts. You know your baby better than a friend who's child did x, y and z by a certain date... or health visitor (that works to guidelines)

Every child is different.

Don't be too hard on yourself! You don't have to be perfect, just doing the best you can. Get support if you're finding it difficult - I wish I had admitted to somebody that I was really struggling with things in the first year with my first baby.

Steam does wonders for blocked up babies :)

go with your instincts

Don't worry about the cleaning, tidying etc in the early days. It's more important to try and rest when the baby is resting.

My advice would be don't sweat the small stuff - children will get dirty, do a poo as you are ready to go out the door, refuse to eat a home cooked meal you slaved over, sleep when they should be awake and vice versa, etc. but almost all of this passes. And it makes great memories/talking points when they get older!

My advice would be to always go with your own instincts. And try to enjoy each and every minute because before you know it your lovely newborn is in Primary school!

Bear in mind that you will always make a mistake and don't take it to heart. Try not to listen to too many people as it will only muddy the water. And enjoy the experience!

make a little you time! you're body has gone through more than you thought was humanly possible, you're hormones are all over the place and you've probably has about 4 hours sleep in as many days. Nobody will think bad of you for taking a couple of hours to enjoy a long bath, a HOT cuppa and 2 minutes to brush your hair! Don't be afraid to ask for a little help to give yourself a break, you're doing a great job and you deserve it! xx

trust your own judgement, we all made mistakes ! no parent is perfect no matter what they say,

Trust your instincts

Don't try to do everything

There will be some days (& nights) that your baby will just need you to hold them. The vacuuming can wait.

If you're going back to work, consider phased return. It's much more gentle

Always go with your gut instinct - it's usually right!

My advice is regarding changing tables. I would advise against using them. The safest place to change a baby is on a changing mat on the floor or in the cot with the side slightly raised. There will be a first time your baby rolls over by himself and this could be from the changing table. It all can happen so quickly. Obviously if you have dogs or cats in the house you need to shut the door to keep them out whilst you are changing baby on the floor.

Trust your gut instinct, you know your child better than anyone else, so if something doesn't seem right, get it checked, better to be safe than sorry!

The best advice was to enjoy the experience because your kids grow up so quickly!

It's never bad to ask for help - nobody is perfect and life gets on top of everybody at times. You don't need to be Superwoman!

Listen to yourself, if something is not right- seek medical advice- mum knows best

No matter how people look at you, or what they say, always remember you are doing a brilliant job

The phrase "All this will pass" applies to everything from the 4am unstoppable crying, (You or baby :O !) to those precious moments you'll cherish forever. Enjoy that which is special and grit your teeth through the other!