Any Advice for New Mothers to be?

How do you take care of a new born baby? This would be my first child so i don鈥檛 really know a lot. Do you know of any good websites that i can have a look at? Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance.Any Advice for New Mothers to be?
Taken from various websites:











When baby naps...mommy naps. Dishes, vacuuming, laundry can all be done when baby is awake. For at least the first few months, mommy needs her rest too.





Never let the baby sleep in the bed with the parents because you can smother them.





Please don't smoke in the same room with baby because it can cause the baby breathing problems/asthma.





Keep a baby journal. Write down each new thing you baby does, and your thoughts about the baby each day. (that is something I wish I had done, its more personal than a baby book)





Use a red washcloth for boo-boos. A kid will cry less if they can't see the blood you're washing off.





http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?鈥?/a>





Rock-a-bye Baby: The best piece of advice I received, was how to get a new baby to go to sleep. It works like a charm. When you put your baby to bed, put a light cloth over his eyes (not the nose) and the cloth will work to eliminate visual stimulation. Most of the time, this is what prevents new babies from falling asleep. Once you baby falls asleep, remove the cloth. Works every time.





http://parenting.kaboose.com/age-and-sta鈥?/a>





Take breaks from taking care of the baby as and when you can. When you do so, don't feel guilty, as it is necessary for your mental and physical well being.





Have your meals regularly.





Make sure you include fresh fruits and green vegetables in your meals.





Use pre-prepared foods to reduce time and energy spent on cooking.





If friends and family are willing to take over some of your chores, allow them to do so.





Your night's sleep will be disturbed in the initial days. So learn to sleep whenever your baby sleeps.





If there is a local support group for new mothers, it would be a good idea to join it or at least attend a few meetings.





http://www.qtpiebaby.com/advice.asp





Establish a routine. Your baby needs to be able to count on certain activities occurring around the same time each day. Feeding, naps, fun and affection should be a part of every schedule.





Nobody can teach you how to be a parent. You will learn on the job. Trust your instincts. Nobody knows your baby better than you.Any Advice for New Mothers to be?
make sure you nap when they nap


try to keep the baby up from 6pm to 10 or 11pm then put the baby to bed. this will hopefully help the baby understand that it's sleeping time


make sure you have lots of diapers and baby wipes before the baby is born





babys don't need a bath everyday. just wipe them down with a clean warm cloth if needed.


be very careful when giving babys a bath, they get slippery. make sure you have a baby bath tub.





get a bouncer....my son loved it. it vibrates and plays music and it's light. you can move it around the house easily.





go to all the websites and register as a new mom. (johnson and johnson, enfamil, similac, huggies, pampers. etc.) you'll get coupons ands samples.








I don't know any specific websites, but i'm pretty sure the hospital that you will be having the baby at will have more information





have some granny pads ready for after birth.


i used TUCKS medicated pads for cleaning and healing down there.


i used HOT PADS (large) I attached it to the outside of my underwear and the warmth of the pads help heal down there faster





make sure your husband doesn't pressure you to have sex too soon. you will know when you are ready. Both of you have to TALK and express your feelings.





I wish you the best


every baby is special
here are the basics...





you are going to be in a lot of pain after the delivery...be prepared to feel like crap for at least 3 days post partum. take pain meds, it won't hurt the baby if you breast feed.





breastfeed directly after giving birth...(if you plan to) your going to feel WEIRD whipping your breast out and trying to use it for something you've never done before, especially in front of the nurse/doctor/ husband...but just start getting used to it...ask for help if you don't know what your doing...and you probably won't.





breastfeeding hurts. sometimes...a LOT...but its worth it. it takes about 2 months - YES MONTHS to get in a good swing of things/not feel pain (at least a little) everytime the baby eats...but after 2 months its easy and so worth it!





first 2 months...let the baby sleep, don't feel like your being a bad mom cuz your baby is sleeping a lot...that is what they are supposed to do! when they wake up, they are hungry...no need to wonder what the baby is crying for...he/she is hungry! change the diaper, feed the baby and he/she will probably go to sleep.





pretty much change diaper/feed/sleep...that is the whole life of the baby for the first 2 months...but don't worry...it will pick up fast, the baby will start doing more and believe it or not, you won't be changing 8 to 15 diapers a day for the rest of your life!





BURP BURP BURP too...make sure your burping all the time, or you'll get a gassy cranky baby...which magically ALWAYS seems to happen at night, when you are ready to hit the hay!





good luck.
Get your newborn on a good sleep schedule. So you can start to get yourself some sleep asap. In the beginning you will be feeding every two hours but around three months the baby will sleep a little longer. Give the baby a bath every night before bed and have a nice mellow routine to prepare. Have play time at the same time everyday. A solid schedule will really help your baby and you more than you know.





Get:


Miracle Swaddling Blanket


My Brest Friend (breast feeding pillow that snaps on)


Travel Set (stroller + carseat) carseat will unsnap with sleeping baby and snap right into your stroller for easy travel.
First thing to do is get as many books, videos and internet sites that you can get your hands on. Ask any friends or family about having kids. Next I would definately invest in a camera and scrap book...to record your baby bump and the progress. (I hate the fact that it totally didn't occur to me until after I was like 38 weeks!)





I like you had little if any experience...and since I live in China and my family is in Los Angeles there was even more reason for me to freak. But I got through it pretty well, so it should be a piece of cake for you.





www.babycenter.com has a great week by week update they email to you about your week up until the baby is 2 years old...and they have really good forums where you can ask all those 'stupid' questions floating around your head.





www.parentsweekly.com was ok but I didn't really like it. Also Answers is a great place to get some instant feed back...so long as you ignore the 'zealots'.
listen to your instincts, the best advice I got was that all babies are different and dont stress about strict routines just follow your babies cues.
Hi there :) Congrats!! Well, all I have to say is enjoy and love every minute!! They grow TOO fast!! Oh and get a boppy pillow! Best invention ever!