Is anyone preparing?

[nori]

Hi All,

Like many of you this is my first baby and tbh i am pretty clueless when it comes to babies (never had any younger sisters or brothers and only recently held a baby!!).

Everyone keeps telling me that it comes naturally etc.. but i feel i should be doing something. I bought a book from the charity shop by Gena Ford and was thinking of using what she says as a guide to see if it helps.

Theres just so much to take in and ive just had a look at a post in one of the other sections on here about sterilising.. thats confusing me too now!

Whats everyone else doing? are you reading up on it or just throwing yourself in at the deep end?

Claire x

 

[Noor~ul~Usman]

Well I haven't brought a book but I've grabbed the free boots and mothercare magazines. I'm going to book in for antinatal (sp?) classes as soon as I hit maternity leave (at roughly 7.5months)

 

[Becky]

I think the best way is to just take it as it comes. A book on basic practical babycare would probably be a good thing which covers things like clothes/sleeping/bathing/feeding etc but I'd wait until baby is here till you start worrying about routines/rules etc.

It sounds so hollow but a lot of it does come naturally and you only need the books for the things you find you can't deal with. But in general I think you should wait and see and try to tackle things as you come across them.

 

[*Star*]

have you been buying any parenting magazines?
they are pretty good, i used to buy a lot when i was pregnant with my first.

i think a general book on babycare would be good, miriam stoppard has quite a few really really good books out, some expensive and some not. they are all good.

i'd also recommend a funny book to read called the fat ladies club. there's a sequel to it too. well worth a read!

 

[maybebaby]

I had the What to Expect: The First Year book, which was really useful, but I was also lucky to have my mum & sister living close by to ask questions in I needed to. I found that most of the actual baby stuff was instinct, and the practical things like sterilisers come with instructions!

You'll be surprised how much comes naturally when your baby's here. (I'm just wondering how I'll cope with 2 under 2!)

 

[Laura_James&Amber]

I'm just going to let it all come naturally and if ever I'm not sure then I can ask my mum

 

[keelie_b]

*star* suggested the parenting magazines and i agree, im not so much looking at the parenting ones though but i am buying the pregnancy ones.
I think they are particuarly aimed at us first timers and have a lot of good cut out and keeps so far iv got great ones of step by step breast feeding and bathing. I will do research on the bigger things but everything else il just leave to my own insticts, im loking forward to the whole trial and error but i do honestly believe that it will just come naturally - at least im hoping so

 

[Daggers]

From what I recall with my first baba, some of it does come naturally and what doesn't just ask. The Health visitors are generally quite good - at least the ones I saw, and of course there is family and friend always MORE than willing to inundate you with info. In the end you'll probably end up having to sift through it all and just go with what works for you, also don't forget there is the forum - always very useful!
But for now I'd just relax and enjoy your preggers cause once the baba comes there will be very little mummy time!

 

[Bexie]

When we were expecting my daughter my mum brought us a book called the Baby Whisper by a lady called Tracy Hogg (I think that was her name) and it was really helpful. What I did find though once our daughter arrived was that we were getting conflicting (helpful??) advice thrown at us from all angles, so we decided to just go with our instints.

Probably one of the best bits of advice I had was from my partner who was also a first time parent.

He came home from work when Phoebe was a few weeks old to find me crying and her crying. I told him that she just wouldn't stop and I didn't know what to do to make her feel better.

His advice was, it's either gonna be her nappy needs changing, wind, she's hungry or tired, after that, whenever she cried I just worked through those things and it made such a difference, she became a happier little girl.

Good luck.

 

[LittleCherub]

Hiya - I was in a similar position 2 year ago with our first son. Didnt have any babies around us as I was the first of all my friends to have fallen pregnant and we have no babies in the family!! Its great that you want to learn but to be honest it does all just come naturally, well thats what I found anyway but if you feel a little reading might make you feel more prepared and confident then go for it, but dont worry yourself, you do get help along the way hun! xx

 

[chickadee1976]

The only thing wrong with baby books, is that the baby hasnt read it.

Bubs has as little idea about what its doing as most parents, i say go with your instincts.

I got Cameron home from hospital without a clue. I didnt really know how to bath him or change a nappy.
Ive almost managed to get him to age 10 so i must be doing something right.

I still read the mags and books tho, fulfills my need as nobody else i know really seems as excited about baby stuff as i am.

 

[abcd1234]

I've been reading the pregnancy magazines, but thats mainly cos i liked to know how shes developing and changes in me, and options during labout etc.

I attended the antinatel classes on caring for a new born, which implies that basically as long as they're feed, changed, warm and clean they're happy.

I'm going to just see how things go and hope it comes naturally, if not i have my mum around and everyone on here can give advice. I dont think any book or magazine can replace the advice of mums on here, you dont just get one experience you get loads, plus you can say if you feel overwhelmed, or as Bexie said you find yourself just wanting to sit and cry and you dont feel judged or that a HV will think you're an unfit mother.

I think i've got more out of reading peoples birth stories then i have from any classes or magazines, theres SO many different experiences and i really feel like i know almost every possible outcome during labour.