what would you - did you do different?!

[Amy_J]

ive been thinking about this for a while. as a first time mum (not planned) i feel that i am getting on really great with things and im loving every minute. however i definately know that next time round i will do some things differently!!!

weaning: i started my lo early-ish because he "was ready". looking back i dont know if he actually was ready or not. i was staying with my mum at the time who convinced me he was definately ready to start weaning... so we started and i felt quite pressured into doing so. next time round i definately want to wait until i know lo will be reallyyyy ready, ideally i want to wait till 6 months and try the BLW route. i think i will be more confident in myself as a mum to do that.

breasfeading: i did this for 8 weeks until an abcess made me stop. (doctors advice) next time round i would like to carry on for a lot longer, as i did get the hang of it and barely knew i was feeding!!!

and i think thats it. i deffo want another one soon but OH wont let me yet heheh. he wants to wait a few years and i respect his decision! (sort of lol)

so what did you ladies do diferently second time round 8third time etc), or what will you do diferently next time?!

 

[MrsR]

The only real thing i've done differently is let him stay with others asap I'm a lot more relaxed this time round. Also I've made sure I've spent loads of time with him! Sounds so simple but with DD I would clean and tidy and iron etc because I felt it was expected but this time I spend all my time with the kids (and clean and tidy when they're sleeping)!

I would still bottlefeed tbh!

Great to hear with regards to BLW D) and breastfeeding next time x x

Come join me in wtt!!!!

 

[Amy_J]

thanks helen. i think id be wtt a long time!!! heheh. i deffo need to get my LO used to other people. OH family are all in italy and mine in Manchester, so he is getting quite clingy, and cries around new faces or people he doesnt know very well! eek. x

 

[MrsR]

I'm really lucky-one of our couple friends who we're close to have 5 children so they're always willing to have him and he goes into Sunday school at church it's helped a lot as we went through a phase of him screaming blue murder if it was anyone but me putting him to sleep or when he was tired

 

[Zazu]

I would start a routine earlier, and make sure I put him down for naps awake instead of rocking him to sleep. That's it I think, I would breastfeed again and see how it goes next time xx

 

[charliebear]

I've thought about this loads.

I would try to breastfeed. I didn't with AJ as I had a terrible labour and birth and couldn't physically hold him for hours never mind feed him Something I still feel guilty about.

I'd try BLW and wait until baby is really ready for food. AJ has never been interested in food and isn't a good eater. Although I thought he was ready, we weaned at 5 months and did seem ready.

I'd have baby in babygrow's etc for at least the first 3 months. Saves on time, money, laundry and baby is a baby when in them

I'm going to relax and enjoy and not worry about when baby will do this that and the other.

 

[Annie050408]

I honestly don't think I'd do anything differently except start a routine after a couple of weeks rather than a couple of months. I will definitely bottle feed again next time too as I feel Ella is doing great on it and I have no inner urge to breast feed.

I will probably worry less about every little thing next time too! I am chilled with Ella now and see her as my little pal rather than a delicate little baby as she seemed at the beginning.

 

[LilyMac]

Oooh good thread!!!
I think I'd definitely be less panicky next time cos with Aiden ididnt want ANYONE to touch him, not even Lee
He's stayed with my parents and my sil for a few hours while I've had some me time but I will never leave him with mil and that will NOT change next time for sure!
I'd make sure there was a nursery ready before I gave birth, that I was more prepared for labour. I know I'd still choose to bottle feed. I can't really think of anything else as he's a bit too young to have done things with so I don't know how I'll do it this time round yet!!! I that made any sense lol

 

[Lacey's Mummy]

IF I was to have anymore, I wouldn't find out what I'm having! I didn't know with Lacey but did with charley but wish I didn't!
There's not alot I would change as to what I do now. Maybe be more prepared for PND again. I got told I'm a higher risk of getting it because I had it with Lacey. Well I had it alot worse with Charley so god knows what it would be like next time

 

[tinkerbell86]

next time i will NOT be a silly cow and break my ankle at 38 wks pregnant!!!

 

[Rayoflight]

Firstly I am soooooooo grateful to this forum for the way I raise my baby. I truly believe that without it, I would've been very lonely and felt stressed a lot. It's lovely having this place to share tips. There was a similar thread when I was due and it really helped.

Things I'm glad I did:

Had visitors for the first week but then banned everyone in week 2 so we bonded just the three of us.

Breastfed - this place and the weekly group I go to kept me going in those early weeks. The advice of a Boppy pillow and fenugreek proved invaluable.

Stopped stressing about the cleaning - someone on here put it like when you're on your deathbed will you look back and be thankful for all those hours in the office or hoovering or would you look back on all the precious moments you shared with your kids?!

Baby sign language - I'm loving learning all about it and he is recognising signs.

Things I will do next time:

When I go into labour I will SLEEP! I will not stay up timing what are actually little niggly contractions that I could've slept through.

I will try and go away just me and hubby for a week somewhere preferably warm. Having adult time together is something I have missed terribly.

I will not waste money on fancy baby outfits. Tesco front button vests and sainsburies baby grows are brill, wash well and he looks like a baby. I spent weeks putting him in proper shirts and jeans. He's got his whole life to dress like that. Babygrows are so much comfier.

I won't bother bathing the baby in johnsons stuff. It's really not agreed with blake at all.

I will teach baby the difference between day and night from day one. This was only established when he was about a month old and I should have done it sooner.

I would work right up to dropping if I could. I am dreading going back to work and if I'd stuck it out longer I'd have an extra month with blake.

Think that's it?! If I think of any more I will add.

 

[xxbeckyxx]

When I go into labour I will SLEEP! I will not stay up timing what are actually little niggly contractions that I could've slept through.

Hear hear!! I think the reason my labour was so long was because I didn't sleep the first night and my body was just too knackered to do anything productive!

In terms of looking after Lizzie, I don't think I'd do anything differently. I think I got quite stressed with her sleeping on me at the beginning (or not sleeping as the case was!), but that was purely because I honestly couldn't see an end to it or imagine a time where I'd be able to put her down and she'd just sleep. Now I know that happens once you settle into a good routine etc, so I think I'd be able to enjoy having a baby sleeping on my chest without thinking 'is this how it will be for months?' iykwim!

I can't wait to try for my next one, but it's gotta be at least 2 years

 

[inky]

There isn't much i would do differently really, cahal is a very happy chappy with how things are so I'd probably do the same next time. Actually there is a couple of things 1. Start pelvic floor exercises earlier and 2. Buy a rear facing pushchair - he really doesn't like forward facing after looking at and chatting to me for so long

 

[xxbeckyxx]

Ah yeah...pelvic floor exercises...nearly had an accident today

 

[Yodabo]

Anything i wanted to do different with Drake i did. My 2nd boy was stupidly clingy, slept in bed with me and was a fussy feeder (weaned him early for this reason!) so I didn't want Drake being too clingy and i got him used to visitors straight away. I put him down as soon as he was sleepy so he got used to falling asleep on his own, got him used to his bed from day one and weaned him when HE was ready. It's been hard work but so worth it.

 

[pinkymum]

Really enjoying reading this thread girls! It's good to have some of these things to think about since I'm just about due

X

 

[Squeakz]

the thing i would do is trust my instincts as a mother more, and as some of you know we've had a shoddy time with doctors and so i would make sure my opinion was heard and not take no for an ansswer - i know my baby better than doctors! x

 

[Minchin]

good thread.
v hard to answer though.
Not sure really. I'd do same stuff with bfing and blw. Maybe try not to stress so much about napping, feeding, night time sleeping.
Def start the night routine early like we did and also an ish sorta day routine like we did. May get a forward facing pram (find it hard not to see him when we're walking along but he doesn't mind!!!)

Oh and yes of course, habe a lovely natural birth that's what I'm planning for next one!!

Oh and finally, next time not gonna find out the sex.