General
- It will all work out. Mother of Jason 22 months.
- How exhausting it is to have and look after a baby and to get as much rest as possible (which I stupidly didn’t do until it was too late!). Mother of Ryan 20 months
- That there is no text book that will cover bringing up a baby. Just when you think you have everything sorted- they will change! Mother of Thomas 14 months.
- About wind and Infants Friend straight away. Mother of Mia 2 months.
- That it does get easier. That the time when they’re a baby passes so quickly, don’t wish it away. Mother of Isabelle 3, Blake 20 months.
- It’s not easy, can be very challenging. Spend as much time with your partner as possible before baby & have regular dates to keep up communication & you time. Different baby cries – NEH = I’m hungry, OWH = I’m tired, EH = Burp me, EAIRH = Lower wind pain, HEH = uncomfortable/ nappy change/hot/cold. Mother of Blake 3, Chelsea 1.
- Nothing really it’s a learning experience & I think taking it 1 day at a time is the only thing I wish I could of told myself at the start, I learnt it though as we went along. Mother of Jorja 21 months.
- Patience :o) And tell myself to be a whole lot more relaxed! :o) Mother of Melayna 5y.
- How hard it would be and how little sleep I would get so I could have prepared myself mentally. Mother of Jake 15 months.
- That you really should listen when they said forget the housework and sleep. Mother of Callum 23 months.
- That babies can vomit a lot. Mother of Haleemah 6y, Muneerah 4y, Jawaad and Khaleel 3 months
Settling
- That baby can be settled without feeding but some take longer than others. That the time goes all too fast. To take things a lot slower and not be so hard on myself, and take a year off work instead of just 3 months. Mother of Amy 6, Sophie 3.
- Self settling – it’s okay to let them cry for a little bit and not always comfort them – this is after a period of time though, not when they are really little. Mother of Chase 20 months.
- Not to use the dummy, however in saying this, baby settles really well by herself. All I need to do is put her in the Bassinette and she puts herself to sleep, so long as she has the dummy. Most times she falls asleep within 10-15 minutes. Mother of Kayla 4.5months.
Sleep
- Sleep deprivation, not being able to do the things you used to with such ease, just going to visit family or friends is almost a chore, also more about breast feeding and that all babies have no routine – everyday is different and to just accept that!! Mother of Lukas 10 months.
Feeding
- Breastfeeding is not everything. And it is not for everyone. Mother of Poppy 3, Harry 21 months
- Make your own choices from the start to avoid my daughter losing weight while I was trying to breastfeed which obviously wasn’t working for each of us. My baby, my body, my choice! Mother of 3.
- Elemental formulas aid children with severe colic. Mother of Tuscany 4, Morrissey 3, Valen 6 months.
- To pump out excess milk til my breasts were soft enough for my baby to attach. AND then to KEEP and FREEZE ALL the excess milk. I actually poured bottles of this away for a week ! This stuff is liquid gold as it can be quite hard to pump out once your milk supply settles down. Mother of Rose 3y.
What do you wish you had known when you first became a parent?