Taking baby advice from friends and family

When I met up with a friend on Wednesday, we talked about how quickly people forget what it’s like having a newborn. But funnily enough everyone still has an opinion on the topic. One of the issues is that friendly advice given to new mums is often completely irrelevant for the age group in question.

Now that I have a 14-month old I can see why we in the early days were constantly told by relatives to stop worrying about routines, and be more spontaneous when it came to jumping in the car and going out and about.

I’m pretty sure they remembered what it’s like to have a baby. But they surely didn’t remember what it was like having a newborn.

It’s completely different in the beginning. It’s not a case of bringing some rice cakes, a colouring book and an iPad to keep the little one entertained.

When establishing breastfeeding, it was important for me to have set feeding times and nap times. It helped ensure I had a good milk supply, and a baby who was steadily gaining weight. It also gave me confidence in the fact that my little one had enough milk and sleep.

I wouldn’t have done it any differently if I were to do it again. I would just have been better at explaining that I know best when it comes to my own baby – that’s what it’s like when you’re the mum.

Tags: 14 months, Advice, Friends, Grandparents, Newborn, Relatives, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6