Eilish Saba is the founder of The Baby Care Company, which runs the very popular 2nd baby preparation classes helping parents get ready for all the practicalities of life with 2. She also runs corporate seminars, practical private classes for those having their first baby, sleep sessions and newborn baby care parenting 101 sessions as well as surrogate classes. For more details you can visit her website www.thebabycarecompany.co.uk or contact her directly at info@thebabycarecompany.co.uk.
1) Life as you know it changes instantly and those first few days and weeks go by in a blur so scrap the to-do list and just enjoy time getting to know your baby.
2) Everyone will have an opinion about how to parent your newborn baby. Try to not be swayed by others and make your own mind up as to what works for you.
3) You will have lochia (the post-partum period) after you’ve given birth, even if you’ve had a c-section. This is like a heavy period.
4) Babies have to be given the opportunity to learn to settle themselves to sleep and some babies cry a little when they are trying to get to sleep to create their own white noise.
5) An overtired baby can be very hard to settle, so try to ensure your baby sleeps in the daytime to encourage them to sleep better at night.
6) Breastfeeding can be tough and mums can have very different experiences. If you’re having a difficult time, don’t suffer in silence. Seek help sooner rather than later.
7) You spend a lot of time feeding in the early days, in fact you wonder how you managed to get so much done before you had a baby. So make sure to have a a good supply of comfy and supportive nursing bras and tops to help you along.
8) When you’re changing boys and to a lesser extend girls, exposure to air, i.e opening the nappy, can trigger a wee (more dramatic in boys!) And on a similar note, if your baby has recently done a poo, there may be another one on the way.
9) Other mums don’t always tell the truth about how amazing they’re feeling and how wonderfully their babies are sleeping.
10) Getting out of the house in the early days will be harder than you’d ever believe. Don’t worry, you’re not alone and you’ll soon become a pro.
Shop the maternity clothes featured in this post at Seraphine.