Little tips!

I love this thread - so many things that I would never have known or thought of! Thanks everyone!! x
 
Emamay - I am LOLing at the teenager wheeling their head in a cart thing. I read it last night in bed and burst out laughing, and I'm still laughing at it now lol!

Tapatalking from my blackberry!
 
If baby goes rigid or floppy, or has a temperature, phone 999/get to A&E now.
Other than that, whatever's wrong, no matter how much screaming's involved... Baby's okay. Instead of panicking, phone NHS helpline if you're in any way concerned. They'll set your mind at rest, and it doesn't matter how many times you call them :)
If baby has got a temperature, you'll know. There's a difference between "ooh, the baby feels warm", and "omg the baby's on fire!"

Go out now and get saline drops, a booger sucker (only the top class medical terminology), baby olbas oil, an oil burner, and some tea lights. Some olive oil or vasaline (sudacrem/bepanthen are a waste of everything). I have now got Metanium nappy cream as for the first time in 7m, Cay's got nappy rash from squiffy bum, and the Metanium has made a massive improvement. Some baby calpol and nurofen (Cay hates calpol, is quite happy with nurofen). Gripe water.
Sooooo much better to have these in the house and never look at them again, than desperately need one or the other at 3am with no possible way of getting it.
With the oil burner... Put water in the top with a couple of drops of olbas oil, put a tea light and a lighter by it, and put the lot somewhere near (not right next to) baby's night time area. When baby wakes for a early morning 2/3am feed, light the candle. The vapours will help clear baby's nose.
Also, if LO is snuffly, raise the head end of their cot/whatever by a little bit (pillow under mattress, books under cot legs) as this will help the mucus drain away.
Practise using the booger sucker on OH... It's tricky at first to click that you gotta hold the other nostril closed at the same time.

If you have breast milk... Don't just feed it, shove it everywhere.
Snuffly baby? Drop of breast milk up each nostril.
Cut on baby's skin? (They scratch themselves so much!) Wipe with breast milk on cotton wool/whatever.
Nappy rash? Smear on some breast milk.
It's an AMAZING healing aid, full of personal antibodies an stuff.

Keep an eye on local Facebook selling sites for (everything) half-used nappy packs. Get half packs of every brand you can get your hands on and figure out what works best.
Personally... Pampers stink, and look ridiculous... Fit all funny. Every other brand works pretty well. Aldis own are amazing.

Don't waste money on baby nail clippers, use your own. When baby is asleep, nip half way across each nail and tear it off.
Do one hand on nap and the other the next, if need be.

Everyone's "image" of a baby is actually of about 6m-ish. Your newborn baby for [weeks] will eat, sleep, cry, poop.
That's what they do.
That's all they do.
They want to look at you and daddy, and sleep. And eat. And poop. Lots.
Toys mean nothing to them at this time.

Sleeping bags are immeasurably better than blankets, certainly at night time.

When people give you advice, look thoughtful, tell them you're definitely gonna give it a go, and ignore them (if you wish). You'll be amazed at the crap people will come out with.

Use the carry cot part of your pram for longer than when baby out-longs it.
If you don't want to put LO in a pushchair/thing just yet, but they have good head control, sit them up in one end of the carry cot. They'll be able to see around, and absolutely love it.

For the love of dog, don't panic about "well, baby A is two days older than my LO, and A's already competing in triathlons while my LO can't even hold her head up". All babies are different, and learn at different times.
How many teenagers did you go to high school with that had to wheel their head along in a cart beside them because they never learned to do it alone?
(If anyone here says they knew someone like that... Lol).

Baby will cry.
And cry.
They can't talk, wave you over, come tug at your sleeve... They can cry.
They'll cry because they're hungry/sleepy/wet/hot/cold/just want to. That's literally their only way of getting your attention.
Just because baby is crying, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong.

Love them, cherish them, take pics of everything. They grow so damn fast.
Bugger the housework.

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS.
I'm the least maternal person in the world (well, was), and I can tell you, instinct will take over, and you will be surprised at how often what you "feel" is right, will actually be right.

OMG. Brilliant. You should write a book!! ;-)

So true tho. And pampers do stink! My sister can't smell it!!
 
If baby goes rigid or floppy, or has a temperature, phone 999/get to A&E now.
Other than that, whatever's wrong, no matter how much screaming's involved... Baby's okay. Instead of panicking, phone NHS helpline if you're in any way concerned. They'll set your mind at rest, and it doesn't matter how many times you call them :)
If baby has got a temperature, you'll know. There's a difference between "ooh, the baby feels warm", and "omg the baby's on fire!"

Go out now and get saline drops, a booger sucker (only the top class medical terminology), baby olbas oil, an oil burner, and some tea lights. Some olive oil or vasaline (sudacrem/bepanthen are a waste of everything). I have now got Metanium nappy cream as for the first time in 7m, Cay's got nappy rash from squiffy bum, and the Metanium has made a massive improvement. Some baby calpol and nurofen (Cay hates calpol, is quite happy with nurofen). Gripe water.
Sooooo much better to have these in the house and never look at them again, than desperately need one or the other at 3am with no possible way of getting it.
With the oil burner... Put water in the top with a couple of drops of olbas oil, put a tea light and a lighter by it, and put the lot somewhere near (not right next to) baby's night time area. When baby wakes for a early morning 2/3am feed, light the candle. The vapours will help clear baby's nose.
Also, if LO is snuffly, raise the head end of their cot/whatever by a little bit (pillow under mattress, books under cot legs) as this will help the mucus drain away.
Practise using the booger sucker on OH... It's tricky at first to click that you gotta hold the other nostril closed at the same time.

If you have breast milk... Don't just feed it, shove it everywhere.
Snuffly baby? Drop of breast milk up each nostril.
Cut on baby's skin? (They scratch themselves so much!) Wipe with breast milk on cotton wool/whatever.
Nappy rash? Smear on some breast milk.
It's an AMAZING healing aid, full of personal antibodies an stuff.

Keep an eye on local Facebook selling sites for (everything) half-used nappy packs. Get half packs of every brand you can get your hands on and figure out what works best.
Personally... Pampers stink, and look ridiculous... Fit all funny. Every other brand works pretty well. Aldis own are amazing.

Don't waste money on baby nail clippers, use your own. When baby is asleep, nip half way across each nail and tear it off.
Do one hand on nap and the other the next, if need be.

Everyone's "image" of a baby is actually of about 6m-ish. Your newborn baby for [weeks] will eat, sleep, cry, poop.
That's what they do.
That's all they do.
They want to look at you and daddy, and sleep. And eat. And poop. Lots.
Toys mean nothing to them at this time.

Sleeping bags are immeasurably better than blankets, certainly at night time.

When people give you advice, look thoughtful, tell them you're definitely gonna give it a go, and ignore them (if you wish). You'll be amazed at the crap people will come out with.

Use the carry cot part of your pram for longer than when baby out-longs it.
If you don't want to put LO in a pushchair/thing just yet, but they have good head control, sit them up in one end of the carry cot. They'll be able to see around, and absolutely love it.

For the love of dog, don't panic about "well, baby A is two days older than my LO, and A's already competing in triathlons while my LO can't even hold her head up". All babies are different, and learn at different times.
How many teenagers did you go to high school with that had to wheel their head along in a cart beside them because they never learned to do it alone?
(If anyone here says they knew someone like that... Lol).

Baby will cry.
And cry.
They can't talk, wave you over, come tug at your sleeve... They can cry.
They'll cry because they're hungry/sleepy/wet/hot/cold/just want to. That's literally their only way of getting your attention.
Just because baby is crying, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong.

Love them, cherish them, take pics of everything. They grow so damn fast.
Bugger the housework.

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS.
I'm the least maternal person in the world (well, was), and I can tell you, instinct will take over, and you will be surprised at how often what you "feel" is right, will actually be right.

This is just amazing!! Especially the comparison stuff..

Although I disagree with Sudocrem!! I use it for everything.

Also baby nail clippers are useful to me, I do it when bub is asleep

So this leads me nicely to my next bit of advice:

Everyone will have a different opinion so you go with what works and feels right for you
and your baby

xxxxx
 
If you want to buy a seat buy a mamas and papas snug over a bumbo. The leg holes in bumbo are quite small and if ur lo has chunky monkey legs they will get stuck lol. Ours wasnt worth the miney even second hand! X

Ella Faith 8/2/13 8lb 13.5 oz x
 
Carnat is absolutely right.

Ultimately, pick and choose your tips and do what you feel best. Xx
 
Carnat is absolutely right.

Ultimately, pick and choose your tips and do what you feel best. Xx

Amen!!

Wanted, welcome and suitable advice is a Godsend. Unwanted advice is a pain in the ass.

xxxxxxx
 
One tip --- At some point in your babie first few month you may find a day when the baby, cries, and cries, and cries and you may feel yourself wanting to shout and cry yourself. Put the baby in its bed, walk away, have a coffee or a cig if you smoke or just spend a few minutes doing something else. calm down and then go back. I know everyone thinks it isn't that bad and wont affect them but if it does (it did me) its better for baby to cry to itself a few minutes and have a calm mum than one stressed out. most of the time Alice would fall asleep while I did this because she actually wanted to be put down.
 
One tip --- At some point in your babie first few month you may find a day when the baby, cries, and cries, and cries and you may feel yourself wanting to shout and cry yourself. Put the baby in its bed, walk away, have a coffee or a cig if you smoke or just spend a few minutes doing something else. calm down and then go back. I know everyone thinks it isn't that bad and wont affect them but if it does (it did me) its better for baby to cry to itself a few minutes and have a calm mum than one stressed out. most of the time Alice would fall asleep while I did this because she actually wanted to be put down.

This is golden, I can't believe I missed it out!

Definitely. If baby's on your last nerve (it will happen. They'll cry and cry for no known reason, and you'll get yourself in a state over why you can't calm them), put them down somewhere super safe (in their cot/wherever), and go away. Even outside (don't lock yourself out).
Even just stand there, eyes closed, head down, count slowly to 10.

Go back to baby.

You getting in a panic will upset baby more, and you'll end up in a mess on the floor. Xx
 
Exactly what RedBear & Emamay have said, it's the most valuable advice you will get imho. I wish someone had told me to do this when DS was born, instead it took me a long time to realize it was ok x
 
Babies cannot get down the gym so sometimes they need to exercise - they may do this by crying. If you have checked all the obvious then it won't kill them to do it for a bit.

Cuddle them lots - they are squidgy and they smell nice and before long they'll be biting you like my 16 month old does and then you won't get cuddles.

Metanium for nappy rash rocks.

Buy a baby bath with a slope built in for hands free bathing - we had the tippietoes newborn and it was awesome. We then bought a bigger baby bath and bathed our girlie on the kitchen island til she was 14 months old! So much easier on your back than bending over the big bath.

They aren't that interested in toys for quite a while, but at about 4 months buy a jumperoo - this is the toy of the Gods and buys you time to do lots of stuff!!

Have a changing basket/mat upstairs and down.

Have blackout blinds and curtains in baby's room.

Buy second hand or Ikea furniture. In fact buy whatever you can second hand or cheap - the way I saw it was that every penny I saved buying 'stuff' bought me 'time' with my daughter as I didn't have to go back to work so soon to pay for it all!

Don't listen to anybody else's advice, including mine. You will find your own way... xxx
 
WSS^^^^

we had that bath too and LOVED it! X

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
 
I just bought the Tippitoes bath on these recommendations! It got great reviews on amazon too,and only £14 with free delivery. Thanks ladies,keep the tips coming!!
 
baby events at supermarkets are brill Nd we always stock up on plenty of nappies and especially wipes as we use wipes for everything! even ourselves now! also our best investment was probably a baby bath seat. it was crippling bending over a full bath and he got too big for a baby bath quickly. we got a 14.99 one from mothercare and was so nice. he could lie in it and we could sit on the floor next to the bath (as in right next to it) to five our backs a break when we needed to and he could still enjoy the warm water x
 
I just bought the Tippitoes bath on these recommendations! It got great reviews on amazon too,and only £14 with free delivery. Thanks ladies,keep the tips coming!!

yay! It really is fab....we have just got our lo into the big bath a couple of weeks ago and shes 7months now....honestly couldnt bear to part with the tippitoes bath! X

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
 
When you get home from hospital the midwives don't make appointments! After our first night at home the midwife rocked on up at 9 in the morning, well it certainly took me by surprise. From then on I made sure I was up and dressed before 9 but I wish I had been able to relax a bit more in that first week and not worry that I was in the shower or having breakfast when she arrived! Remember they are visitors in your house!

We never used a nappy bin, I've seen so many advertised that have hardly been used.

We've got ikea furniture, just the standard size, looks just as good and definately loads cheaper.

Fancy muslins look lovely but they all end up covered in puke!

Dont cake baby's bum in sudocrem and the likes unless there's a need to. My mil insisted on a good splattering of it as a preventative but I felt it didn't let his skin breathe!
 

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