General

·         It will all work out. Mother of Jason 22 months.

·         How exhausting it is to have and look after a baby and to get as much rest as possible (which I stupidly didn't do until it was too late!). Mother of Ryan 20 months

·         That there is no text book that will cover bringing up a baby. Just when you think you have everything sorted- they will change! Mother of Thomas 14 months.

·         About wind and Infants Friend straight away. Mother of Mia 2 months.

·         That it does get easier. That the time when they're a baby passes so quickly, don't wish it away. Mother of Isabelle 3, Blake 20 months.

·         It's not easy, can be very challenging. Spend as much time with your partner as possible before baby & have regular dates to keep up communication & you time. Different baby cries - NEH = I'm hungry, OWH = I'm tired, EH = Burp me, EAIRH = Lower wind pain, HEH = uncomfortable/ nappy change/hot/cold. Mother of Blake 3, Chelsea 1.

·         Nothing really it’s a learning experience & I think taking it 1 day at a time is the only thing I wish I could of told myself at the start, I learnt it though as we went along. Mother of Jorja 21 months.

·         Patience :o) And tell myself to be a whole lot more relaxed! :o) Mother of Melayna 5y.

·         How hard it would be and how little sleep I would get so I could have prepared myself mentally. Mother of Jake 15 months.

·         That you really should listen when they said forget the housework and sleep. Mother of Callum 23 months.

Settling

·         That baby can be settled without feeding but some take longer than others. That the time goes all too fast. To take things a lot slower and not be so hard on myself, and take a year off work instead of just 3 months. Mother of Amy 6, Sophie 3.

·         Self settling - it’s okay to let them cry for a little bit and not always comfort them - this is after a period of time though, not when they are really little. Mother of Chase 20 months.

·         Not to use the dummy, however in saying this, baby settles really well by herself. All I need to do is put her in the Bassinette and she puts herself to sleep, so long as she has the dummy. Most times she falls asleep within 10-15 minutes. Mother of Kayla 4.5months.

Sleep

·         Sleep deprivation, not being able to do the things you used to with such ease, just going to visit family or friends is almost a chore, also more about breast feeding and that all babies have no routine - everyday is different and to just accept that!! Mother of Lukas 10 months.

Feeding

·         Breastfeeding is not everything. And it is not for everyone. Mother of Poppy 3, Harry 21 months

·         Make your own choices from the start to avoid my daughter losing weight while I was trying to breastfeed which obviously wasn't working for each of us. My baby, my body, my choice! Mother of 3.

·         Elemental formulas aid children with severe colic. Mother of Tuscany 4, Morrissey 3, Valen 6 months.

·         To pump out excess milk til my breasts were soft enough for my baby to attach. AND then to KEEP and FREEZE ALL the excess milk. I actually poured bottles of this away for a week ! This stuff is liquid gold as it can be quite hard to pump out once your milk supply settles down. Mother of Rose 3y.