My first baby is due in a month. I've never so much held a baby let alone fed, bathed and settled one. I'm overwhelmed at the thought of it all. What is your advice to a soon to be mum like me who knows nothing about babies. Is there a particular book or website I should be reading? Help! Frightened and excited mum to be.
Knowing that you are soon to hold your baby in your arms can certainly be overwhelming. You tend to focus much of your pregnancy on being healthy, doctors appointments and working out what ‘things’ you really need for your baby not to mention their development. At some point in the last month or so a lot of parents realize that it isn’t all pregnancy, labour and birth, that you will be bring your baby home and then what do you do?
Some women have been around friends or family who are having babies, sometimes you are the first to start – regardless it is best to be prepared and start to gather accurate and realistic information about managing a newborn baby, routines, sleep, feeding and settling. Thinking that you will just know what to do instinctually really isn’t getting you and your baby off to the best start. There is lots of conflicting information around for mums to be, so once you do start to read you quickly become very confused.
My recommendation after working for parents of babies and children for 15 + years to firstly read my book ‘BabyCare: Caring for your Baby 0-6 months’ which is available on www.babysmiles.com.au/shop or also as an ebook everywhere on the internet. As for website, certainly start with my website there is literally hundreds and hundreds of articles from pre-baby to 4 years + including parenting, along with current news. I also do personalized workshops with expectant parents covering everything you REALLY need to know about newborn babies and tips to avoid the cycle of crying baby and tired baby, so come in for a workshop, this too can be found on my website! I also have a DVD BabyCare, Caring for your Baby which is the workshop on DVD.
As for development and how to play with your baby, I highly recommend Dr Sally Wards book ‘BabyTalk’ which again can easily be found on the internet, this helps you to maximize your baby early years. This is everything you need for the first 6 months of caring for your baby. So become informed and then enjoy those early months with your baby.
