My Top Ten Newborn Tips that I Wish Someone Told Me Before Birth

1. A crib/moses basket/snuzpod/bassinet are pointless the first 2 weeks. In fact if your pram comes with a bassinet I wouldn't invest in the moses basket, snuzpod, or crib, just use the one your pram has. The reason being that babies hate to sleep apart from  you and it makes complete sense, they've just spent 9 glorious months inside your tummy where all of their needs we're met, they were cozy, warm, and confined to a cramped tiny space so it makes complete sense that when they come out to the big bad world full of lights, noise, and space that they panic. Placing them in their own space probably makes them frightened and lonely.

Cyril hated our snuzpod the first month because it was massive compared to his tiny little body and most likely he hated all of that space. Which brings me onto my next point ...

2. Invest in a good quality sling or baby carrier. I loved the original bjorn when he was first born because it was so easy to put on by myself. However, I prefer the moby wrap now that I'm familiar with how to use it (word of advice, get someone to show you how to put it on, I found the instructions confusing which is why I didn't use it when he was first born). The moby wrap is superior for a couple of reasons. First, there are 3 layers of fabric that go over Cyril's body which not only holds him in really close and tight but it also keeps him extra warm. Second, you just put it on over your clothes in the morning and when he needs to go in you can plop him in all by yourself and because it's just a piece of fabric it's not uncomfortable to wear. The downside to the moby wrap is that it makes you really warm so if you live in a warm climate it might not be the best choice. It was rainy and windy today and when I went inside with him in it I started sweating and it was probably only 55 degrees outside, so probably not the best choice for the summer if you don't live in England.

Babies love to be held, rocked, and cuddled just like they were in the womb, and a baby carrier will mimic this. They also like the sound of your voice, body heat, and listening to your heartbeat when their ear is against your body. So if your baby won't sleep in his bassinet initially, try wearing him. I know they say never to fall asleep with the baby but guess what, when you haven't slept in 3+ days you'll do just about anything, Josh and I used to put Cyril in the bjorn and sleep on the couch with him. We then slowly transitioned him to the bassinet in his pram, which was smaller than the snuzpod, and because it was  mobile, and babies like to feel movement, he slept better in it. Once he was sleeping chunks of time in his bassinet we slowly transitioned him to his snuzpod, and guess what, he really does sleep like a baby now!

3. Breastfeeding hurts like a bitch! I wish they would have just told me like it was in the beginning rather than sugarcoating it, I thought something was seriously wrong with me because they kept saying if you're doing it properly it shouldn't hurt, well that's a load of crap. At the end of the day someone is sucking on your nipples for a good 4-12 hours a day (depending on baby) that's like getting your nipple pinched about 100 times, how on earth is that supposed to feel good I ask?? This is a good blog article to read if you're breastfeeding and struggling: http://daniellemeaney.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/10-things-they-dont-tell-you-about.html

4. To swaddle or not to swaddle, that is the question? I've heard it works for a lot of babies, but personally it didn't work for us, in fact it made things worse. Give it a try, if the baby hates it then just let them scratch their face off, it looks worse than it actually feels.

5. Scratch mitts are a waste of money, at least they were for Cyril. If we put those things on his hands he would scream the house down. If he fell asleep with them on, then woke up and couldn't put his hands in his mouth, we'd hear about it and as a result we got less sleep because instead of self soothing he would wake us up which just led to us taking the mitts off anyway, after a couple days of attempting to use them we decided the best place for them was in the fire. Cyril's face was so scratched but he never cried about it and the midwife told me they never do any real damage.

6. Babies have their days and nights confused. As glorious as it might seem to take a 4 hour nap with your newborn during the day resist the urge. When the clock strikes 7 in the morning DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, let your newborn sleep for more than 3 hours. Wake them every 3 hours and feed them, whether or not they scream for food. Do this until 7 o'clock in the evening, after 7pm, let them go as long as they want before feeding them. Eventually, they will sort out their days and nights. Also, keep the days bright and noisy and the nights really quiet and dark. Only use what little light you need to feed them at night and make sure you have black out blinds or curtains in their bedroom. Don't speak to them at night and make minimal eye contact. When they finish eating put them right back down in their bed. During the day try to keep them awake for a little bit before or after they eat, at first this will be difficult, but once they get older it'll be easier to keep them awake with a bit of entertainment, which usually just consists of talking to them and making funny faces.

7. You don't really need baby toys, at least not for a while. Your newborn will be happiest just watching you. Cyril loves when Josh and I just look at him and make silly faces, we're his favourite toy. Enjoy it while it lasts because eventually they'll want to play with all of those brightly coloured toys.  I get the biggest smiles and giggles just by looking at him with a smile.

8. Dummies/Dodies/Binkies/Pacifers really do work! I wouldn't worry too much about nipple confusion, the last thing you want is for your newborn to use you as a pacifier, which is exactly what Cyril did to me and probably contributed to my horrendous experience with breastfeeding. Newborns have the urge to suck, don't worry it's not a sleep association for sometime. In fact, most babies will have the urge to suck for a long time, after 6 months if you're concerned about an attachment you can start weaning them off of it but until then it's not only normal it's actually good for them. Cyril sucks constantly, even when he spits his dodey out before bed you can still see his mouth making the sucking motion even though there is nothing in his mouth to suck on!

9. There is nothing wrong with giving your baby formula, sure it's not as healthy as breastmilk, but what if your diet consists solely of fast food, as I'm sure some breastfeeding mothers does, then is breastmilk really better than formula? I think not. Formula is packed full of all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrition that your baby needs to grow, so don't feel bad about it, you can feed your little one home cooked organic meals when you start to wean them and when you're out and about no one will know if you breastfed or bottle fed your baby, I promise.

10. Most importantly, when you wake up in the middle of the night like a zombie, remember that it's only temporary. It won't be long before your little one doesn't need you and you look back and wish you could bottle up all of those precious moments spent with your baby. So put down your cell phone, turn off the TV, and stop scrolling through facebook because your baby is waiting for you mama and he/she just loves your attention!

Another couple pointers that I forgot about:

1. When you've tried everything, and the baby still seems fussy, take them out for some fresh air. When we first brought Cyril home, and were having a rough night, Josh used to put the bjorn on and take him outside for a walk, even if it was midnight! The second he stepped outside he stopped screaming, it didn't matter to him that it was only 30 degrees out!

2. White noise should help them sleep better, your belly was a very noisy place. We use the sleep sheep but since it shuts off after 45 minutes we also have a fan in his room. Just make sure the fan isn't pointing at the baby or they might get cold.

3. We don't change Cyril's nappy at night, we just put a booster in his bamboo nappies and slather on some extra nappy cream. If you change their nappy at night you run the risk of waking them up completely. Of course we change it if he's had a poo but for some reason he only has a poo during the day :) If you use disposable nappies buy Pampers Babydry, we used them while travelling and found them much better than the regular pampers nappies.