10 Tips, Tricks and Bits of Advice for New Mums

Becoming a Mum for the first time can be quite an overwhelming time in your life -  there's so much to learn and though you may have read parenting book after parenting book the books just don't tell you everything that you've yet to learn. Here is a list of 10 tips, tricks and bits of advice for new Mums to hopefully help you along the utterly magical yet totally challenging journey that is motherhood..

1. Muslin cloth's / squares are a new Mums best friend.. they really do have so many uses.. you can use them as burp cloths or for mopping up reflux, sick or for general goo and dribble or for when baby starts weaning or they can act as sun shades when baby is in his/her pram or as a swaddle (if you have big enough muslins) or as a blanket. You can even use them on public changing mats to lay baby down on (just make sure you wash them after of course!).

2. Ensure that you get in the photo too.. You might feel a little (or a lot) rough after giving birth and you might not feel up to having your photo taken too often, but do try and make a point of getting in a few photos with your new baby (both you and Daddy). Trust me, you'll be glad that you did when you look back in time to come at baby's first few weeks of life.

3. Try white noise apps.. If baby is struggling to settle when you go to put him or her down, try searching for white noise apps on your phone. Honestly, they can work wonders!

4. Don't try and do too much after the birth.. Let yourself recover before allowing visitors to turn up at the house, (unless you want them there of course). They may be excited to see the baby but you have to think about yourself too and give yourself a little time to recover. The last thing you should be doing after giving birth is scurrying around the house trying to clear up and prepare for the arrival of guests.

5. Always trust your instincts.. People will probably want to offer you all sorts of advice when it comes to looking after your baby, but at the end of the day - you are Mum and Mums (tend to) know best. Be polite about the advice you're offered, but go with your gut and don't feel guilty for not taking someones advice above your own.

6. Housework can wait...  Regular night feeds and those tough days when baby just doesn't want to be put down will be difficult. When you do finally get a minute or so to yourself, focus on you and don't feel pressured or overwhelmed by things like the housework. If you're totally honest with yourself -  you know that the chores can wait. Your sanity and rest is far more important!

7. Don't let people pressure you into breastfeeding if you don't want to do it.. It's your choice and you're not a bad Mum because you choose not to breastfeed. You go through a hell of a lot growing and having your baby and if you don't want to breastfeed afterwards then that's up to you. Personally, I bottle fed Ethan from day one and he is no different health or size wise to a breast fed child. Do your own research, listen to your own instincts and feelings and make your own decision. It's a personal choice that only you can make.

8. The first few weeks are tough.. And it doesn't matter how much you prepare for it - the first few weeks, even months will be tough as you and your partner adjust to having a new member of your family. Don't put pressure on yourself to be up and dressed before midday, and don't compare yourself to other Mums. Everyone finds it tough in the beginning. You and your partner may even have a few disagreements on how best you should best look after your new baby - this is perfectly normal and won't be helped by the fact that you'll both be knackered from the night feeds and the general adjustments to becoming parents for the very first time. Give yourselves time to find a routine that works for you all. It will take time but it will come.

9. Stock up on stain remover for what is likely to be the beginning of many stained baby clothes (as well as your own).. Baby dribble and baby sick gets everywhere! And if you have a baby that suffers with reflux, it's likely that you'll be constantly changing their clothes (and probably your own too!), stock up on pre-wash and in-wash stain remover, to give baby's and your own clothes the best chance of survival from the dreaded stains when they go into the washing machine! The stain remover will also come in handy for when baby has one of those dreaded nappy explosions, they often make their way out of the nappy and into the vest and baby grow (sadly, those times are a lot more common than you'd think!). (Tip brought to you in association with Beko Washing machines).

10. Your best is good enough! From the minute you give birth you will have a little one relying on you. That little one will grow older and become more and more independent and less and less reliant on you, but they'll always come to you first as their 'Mum'. It's a big responsibility - being someone's Mum and it's a responsibility that you'll have for life. There will be times when you feel like you've mastered motherhood and there will be times when you feel like it's all going wrong. Mummy-guilt is  something we all go through.. far more often than you'd even think. But in reality, when it all comes down to it.. we, as Mums can only do our best and that really is enough. Try not to be too harsh on yourself, when you're having a rough day - the rough days will pass quicker than you think. One of the things about being a parent is that the journey is full off the greatest, most magical days you'll ever had but also the hardest, most challenging days too. Just always try to remember that your best is all you can do and your best is good enough.

 

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