Im due in 4 weeks & starting to feel very overwhelmed as this is our first baby & Im panicking that I wont have a clue what the hell to do!!! Can anyone recommend any books with good advice/tips on parenting!!
Rest assure dthat if you have any worries at all the midwife will visit you for the first 10 days. And if you are worried at all then let them know. With my first i din;t know what to do and the people in hospital showed my how to bath him, feed etc. I can't suggest any books, but this website is packed full of people who can help you out! lol
plus you get given some parenting stuff when you give birth too! xxx
I feel for you, it is overwhelming at first and no book can really prepare you. However I did find "What to expect in the first year" quite useful, and still dip into it now (10 months later).
The midwives at hospital will help you get bf established and changing nappies etc. Make good use of them whilst you're there. then the midwives that visit you at home will help answer your questions and alleviate your worries in the first few days. Don't worry, rest, relax and enjoy this time. Good luck! x
PS keep coming onto BE to ask questions too - it's invaluable!!
ooh also "your baby week by week" was invaluable. It splits the info down into bite size pieces - i.e. each week up to 6 months. So I just read about the week we were on. It's also sensible, practical advice that works. I found it really useful as I didn't have time to read reams and reams in those early weeks. I probably used this more than "what to expect the first year" in the early days.
Ah bless ya, i was really worried too so know exactly how you feel. I remember saying to my mum in my last weeks of pregnancy that i was panicking because i had no idea how to look after a baby & she told me not to worry and that my instinct will take over and she was so right. it was really weird but instinct really did kick in! i did also get a few good tips from the miriam stoppard first time parents books though.
Hello Claire You're given a "Birth to 5 years" book by your HV when she visits you. You'll have your MW's on hand if you need to ask them anything. Plus i echo the others, this website is amazingly helpful! Oh and also most things that you worry about when pregnant (like bathing, feeding, changing etc) all go out the window when you look at your baby. It's asthough you just "know" what to do
I had the same 2 books as Jezzy and read them(ish) before Dylan arrived. I was the complete baby dummy, never fed, changed or dressed a baby. My first and only night in hospital i poddled to the nurses station and said he needs his nappy changing i've never done it can you supervise. You know what she just smiled said of course watched and reassured me I was a natural (I wasn't but it was what I needed to hear) that first night we both survived on our own and it made me feel like maybe I could manage and I wouldn't kill him!
No book can prepare you as all babies are different, ask the midwives, read the books but I promise you when your lo is here you will be the expert on them. You will find your own way, it will be hard but you will be great!
Oh and this site is amazing, this is where you get the real experts proper mummies not the professionals who write about textbook babies and many feel judged by, on here you can come and get proper advice and support and you wont get judged.
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy, im with Kelly best job in the whole world!
Thanks for the reassurance ladies! Its just so overwhelming thinking about feeding, changing, bathing etc!! This will be the first baby in our family for years so Ive not had much practice! I might not bother getting a book incase it makes me more anxious and as you all say hopefully the maternal instincts will kick in!!!
Hi I would recommend Jo Frost's Confident baby care (supernanny). I had my first baby in December and have referred to that book a lot. I did get The Baby whisperer and a Gina ford book from the library just to see but I wasn't that keen. To be perfectly honest, I have found that books are great for tips and for things that are you definitely need to know how to like sterlising or bathing or first aid etc.. but I really have used my instinct more than anything else. Its amazing how much you realise by instinct. Having my first baby was the biggest shock of my life (even though I'm 31 and wanted a baby so much!) so if you feel really crap in the first few weeks then I absolutely promise you that it gets better!! Don't want to put a downer on anything as it is amazing having a baby but I wish someone had really told me that it will all be ok! I'm sure you'll do a great job so good luck. xx
As others have said I think these forums are best - if you ask a question you will get lots of completely different ideas which you would think would be unhelpful but you will find you want to try different things as some will work for you and some won't!
I did however get a lot out of reading the Baby Whisperer book, esp in relation to sleeping and teaching babies to self settle (I had "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems"). I also had Gina Ford but stopped reading on about page 5! It was just too much for me.
Also for fun (and you have some time to read now that you will never have again, lol!) I highly recommend Libby Purves book "How NOT to be the perfect mother".
Replies
I can't suggest any books, but this website is packed full of people who can help you out! lol
plus you get given some parenting stuff when you give birth too!
xxx
The midwives at hospital will help you get bf established and changing nappies etc. Make good use of them whilst you're there. then the midwives that visit you at home will help answer your questions and alleviate your worries in the first few days. Don't worry, rest, relax and enjoy this time. Good luck! x
PS keep coming onto BE to ask questions too - it's invaluable!!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Baby-Week-Ultimate-Caring/dp/0091910552/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1279048060&sr=1-1
You're given a "Birth to 5 years" book by your HV when she visits you.
You'll have your MW's on hand if you need to ask them anything. Plus i echo the others, this website is amazingly helpful!
Oh and also most things that you worry about when pregnant (like bathing, feeding, changing etc) all go out the window when you look at your baby. It's asthough you just "know" what to do
Good luck, being a Mummy's the best thing ever x
No book can prepare you as all babies are different, ask the midwives, read the books but I promise you when your lo is here you will be the expert on them. You will find your own way, it will be hard but you will be great!
Oh and this site is amazing, this is where you get the real experts proper mummies not the professionals who write about textbook babies and many feel judged by, on here you can come and get proper advice and support and you wont get judged.
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy, im with Kelly best job in the whole world!
xxx
xxx
I would recommend Jo Frost's Confident baby care (supernanny). I had my first baby in December and have referred to that book a lot. I did get The Baby whisperer and a Gina ford book from the library just to see but I wasn't that keen.
To be perfectly honest, I have found that books are great for tips and for things that are you definitely need to know how to like sterlising or bathing or first aid etc.. but I really have used my instinct more than anything else. Its amazing how much you realise by instinct. Having my first baby was the biggest shock of my life (even though I'm 31 and wanted a baby so much!) so if you feel really crap in the first few weeks then I absolutely promise you that it gets better!! Don't want to put a downer on anything as it is amazing having a baby but I wish someone had really told me that it will all be ok! I'm sure you'll do a great job so good luck.
xx
The birth-5yrs book that the mw's should give you for free.
Miriam Stoppard 'Conception, Pregnancy and Birth'
What to expect...in the first year.
I think I used the Miriam Stoppard the most - there is a very good 'caring for your newborn' section in it.
xx
As others have said I think these forums are best - if you ask a question you will get lots of completely different ideas which you would think would be unhelpful but you will find you want to try different things as some will work for you and some won't!
I did however get a lot out of reading the Baby Whisperer book, esp in relation to sleeping and teaching babies to self settle (I had "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems"). I also had Gina Ford but stopped reading on about page 5! It was just too much for me.
Also for fun (and you have some time to read now that you will never have again, lol!) I highly recommend Libby Purves book "How NOT to be the perfect mother".
Good luck with everything!!
C