What do you find to be the most difficult aspect of motherhood?
The most difficult bit, probably getting to six or seven months and not having had a full night’s sleep. I’d probably let some bad habits creep in whilst he’d been teething and by six months he was waking more, not less, at night. by seven months I was at the point it was becoming an issue for my own sense of well-being, I couldn’t remember things and was starting every day feeling shattered. I realised that I really couldn’t let it go on, so we started sleep training using the advice that had given to me by of one of my NCT friends who had had a sleep counsellor - it changed everything in two days. It was such a turnaround for the books that frankly it was a bit like a miracle! He’s eight months old now he sleeps pretty much 7am-7pm.
What do you find to be the easiest?
The enjoyment of spending time with my baby, I really enjoy his company and I didn’t expect that - I had thought the days might feel quite lonesome.
What would be your main tip to first-time mothers?
Consider following a routine. I followed a routine from day one; initially I saw a routine as being organised and allowing me to maintain some sense of control over something I knew nothing about. However, on reflection, those are things that you could choose to layer over the top of a routine: most humans follow a routine of eating and sleeping at certain times, no matter how organised or controlling you may be by nature.
What was the best piece of equipment you bought/found most useful?
A Sleepyhead. When I was busy buying everything I was struck by how many places I seemed to need for the baby to sleep - a cot, a Moses basket, a pram. Having bought all these, when I then bought a Sleepyhead I immediately felt ridiculous for having wasted money on another alternative place for my baby to sleep. It was hands-down the best thing I bought, such that I bought additional mattress covers because I couldn't face the thought of not having the Sleepyhead for him to sleep in. In many ways it’s nothing more than a giant pillow, but if you are following the advice on not letting your baby sleep alone for the first six months it allows your baby to sleep anywhere you are - on a nearby sofa, floor, table etc. My baby loved it more than the Moses basket (although I still used the Moses basket at night next to our bed) and he slept in it until six/seven months, using it to make the transition to his cot.
What do you find is the hardest situation with a young baby?
Releasing that sometimes, if your baby has colic, no matter what you do they are not going to stop crying. And that none of the anti-colic medicine really works!
What did you find was the hardest and most difficult aspect of being an expectant mother, when it came to researching and obtaining information prior to the birth e.g. necessities, products, equipment?
There is such an enormous baby market now that there is almost too much choice and it’s really difficult to differentiate between the different products. I think I spent three weeks alone researching which cot to buy.
What do you do with your young baby to keep her/him entertained as the weeks go by?
I give him a running commentary on everything I’m doing - I’m not sure how interesting he finds it, but he is starting to try to speak back to met.
What did you find was the hardest and most difficult aspect of being an expectant mother, when it came to researching and obtaining information prior to the birth e.g. necessities, products, equipment?
There is such an enormous baby market now that there is almost too much choice and it’s really difficult to differentiate between the different products. I think I spent three weeks alone researching which cot to buy.
What do you do with your young baby to keep her/him entertained as the weeks go by?
I give him a running commentary on everything I’m doing - I’m not sure how interesting he finds it, but he is starting to try to speak back to met.
What did you find was the hardest and most difficult aspect of being an expectant mother, when it came to researching and obtaining information prior to the birth e.g. necessities, products, equipment?
There is such an enormous baby market now that there is almost too much choice and it’s really difficult to differentiate between the different products. I think I spent three weeks alone researching which cot to buy.
What would you do again and what would you not do?
I would still do a lot of research into everything I bought – apart from maybe one thing, I feel as though I made the right choices. I don’t think I looked forward to the first few weeks/months enough, not because I was worried, I just didn’t know what to look forward to - I would try to look forward to it even though I didn’t know what I was looking forward to.
Would you have another child?
I’ve only ever imagined myself with a son, and I’m very happy with my boy.
What would you do again and what would you not do?
Look forward to it, you’re lucky to have such magical moments to come.