Any advice for a new mommy to be?

I am having my little girl on 10/08 (or earlier if she decides!) And I was just curious as to what advice any of you might have :) My mom is staying with me for a week to help, but my husband will have work almost the entire week. I never had siblings or other relative babies to watch and learn from when growing up, so I'm relying on my mom and my instincts!





Thanks everyone!Any advice for a new mommy to be?
you dont need to clean her umbilical cord with alcohol at every diaper change. studies have shown that it actually takes longer for the cord to fall off if you use alcohol. my friend is using this alcohol method and her son is over two weeks old and the cord is still hanging on!


the nurses told me to just keep my sons cord nice and dry, and swab it with water if it gets dirty. his cord fell off in exactly one week.








dont forget to bring good scratch mittens to the hospital! i brought cheap mittens with crappy elastic.. my son came home with scratches on his face.





dont be afraid to say no to ppl who want to come over to visit the baby during those first days home. you will be tired. i promise.





your daughter will be queen of the house.


my son is the king in my house... i dont sleep until he lets me.. i dont eat until he lets me.. i cant even use the bathroom until he lets me.





sleep while you still can!! man.. i miss sleeping....





edit::: take as many pics as you can during your stay in the hospital. no matter how unglamorous you feel.Any advice for a new mommy to be?
Yes, relying on your instincts is good. Just keep in mind that you will make mistakes, one day your baby might roll off the couch and it's okay, there are great days and some days you just want a break and that's okay too. You will receive tons of ';unwanted'; advice from strangers and it's sometimes just easier to say ';thank you'; than explain why you won't do what they are suggesting. Also, even the good advice might not be what works for you so don't be afraid to try your own thing. One last thing, as busy as you'll be, try to enjoy it and relax and savor those special moments with your newborn. It really does go by so fast. By the way, my mom's birthday is October 8th. Good luck!
I absolutely love my diaper caddy. It's just a little hand-held thing that holds the diapers, wipes, and there's a drawer at the bottom that I put q-tips and alcohol in for cleaning the cord. That's very helpful.





Don't expect to know everything...part of the joy is figuring things out on your own. And before you know it, you'll be a pro. If you have friends with children, go to them for advice also. Your mom is a good resource, but younger moms know the newer tricks of the trade. Program the pediatrician's number into your phone, just in case you need professional assistance. I couldn't sleep when the baby sleeps. I just cannot shut down very quickly. So if this happens to you, get your mother, friends, or relatives to watch the baby while you take a nap. Cherish the moments and take lots of pictures! When you upload the pics, date them so you can remember how old she was.
sleep as much as possible up until the baby is born, believe me, if you dont, you'll regret it!! and listen when people tell you to sleep when the baby sleeps!! i didn't, because i had tons of house work to get done, and i realized i couldn't even function with the tiny bit of sleep i was getting, (remember a bf baby wakes up every 2-3 hours to eat and a ff baby wakes up every 3-4) so that leaves you with very little sleep!! housework can wait, sleep is more important!! you will know exactly what to do once your baby is here, due to maternal instinct so dont fear for that!! take advice from others, but if it seems absurd to you, follow your own Instinct, and do what you feel is right, you will know your baby better than anyone!!! good luck, baby's are sooo much fun!!!
sleep whenever they sleep. have bottles already made, like in the fridge so you can just warm them up.


have PATIENCE because at first its so confusing because they cry over everything...you have to figure out whats wrong and eventually youll learn what each cry means.





dont worry about the housework because your newborn wont be that small forever!


make sure to bathe and clothe them often (as newborns its not as often as when they get to be three months or so).


try singing to them and rocking them so keep them calm.





good luck and congrats!
read as much as you can on newborn care and development......be patient bc you will be more tired than u prob ever have in your life; and remember that this little person is in a strange new world that is big, bright and scary and the only person he knows is mommy; and the only way he can communicate is crying....so have a lot of empathy and u will be fine...
U can never b totally prepared for a new baby and dont expect to know exactly wat 2 do or know all the right answers! Its grt that u will hav ur mum on hand in that first wk and take advantage of that,thats what shes there for,to take the pressure of u.


Sleep whn the baby does,forget about housework n everythn else,none of it matters,if ur bottle feedin prepare ur bottles in advance n everythn else u may need.Dont listen 2 everythn the midwives tell u honestly,go on ur own gut instincts,ur the mum new or not! Listen 2 ur mum as well but most importantly dont expect 2 get everythn right or 2b the perfect mum,not many of us are! But it doesnt mean our kids love us any less for it! Good luck nd enjoy it.
breastfeeding is hard the first few weeks. its not as easy as everyone makes it out to be.. i had cracked and blistered nipples.. i was engorged all the time and it was painful esp when the baby is still learning to latch


my bub is 7 weeks now and its so easy, im glad i didn't give up.. it took a good 3 weeks to feel ok have it not be painful... but nobody warned me this is what often happens..
Sleep while baby sleeps. Do not try to feed on a schedule baby will let u know when she is hungary. I have four kids and I never fed every 2 or 3 hours like they tell u to. I always feed them when they woke up which was usually 4 hours. Just dont wake baby to feed her.
Sleep whenever your baby sleeps.


Forget about housework.


Accept any and all offers of help.


Did I mention sleep whenever your baby sleeps?!!


Take lots of photos because the first few weeks are actually a blur.