Hints and Tips for an 18 yo mum to be.

Shannon - posted on 02/26/2011

Use ful tips I have learned.
1. During and after pregnancy drink plenty of fluids
2. Never feel ashamed to ask for help and take any help ppl are willing to give
3. When it comes time to teething, the teething rings i find are hard for baby to fit into mouth. I used frozen washclothes. I would cut the baby washclothes into fours, wet fold them in half then half again and put in a zip loc baggy.
4. Go with your gut
5. I had a baby that spit up a lot so receiving blankets were my friend!!! lol and baby wash clothes you can never have enough of them!
6. enjoy your time with the little one b/c they grow up too fast!!!

Hope this is useful and helpful

Congrats and good luck

Victoria - posted on 02/25/2011

i was 18 when i was pregnant with my son, i now have a little girl aswell and im only 21. so age doesnt matter. do what you think is best and dont be afraid to ask peoples help if your stuck. i breast fed both of mine for 2-3 months then bottle, i fed them when they were hungry not every 4 hours on the dot! i started them on solids when i felt that they no longer were satisfied by their milk. i know that all you want to do is cuddle and kiss them ALL the time but if you constantly hold them when it comes that you need to do something else and you cant they are going to want to be held. get as much sleep as you can!! if you have people around you that will take baby off your hands for a few hours so you can have you time!! Do it!! and i agree with the others, my little boy hated sleeping on his back so i put him on his side, i was much happier with this to incase he was sick in his sleep or something. both my babies were in their own room at 3 months and they sleep BRILLIANTLY!! dont be afraid to let your baby cry now and then, you wont be classed as a bad mum, they need to exercie their lungs and aslong as they are fed changed and nothing is wrong ith them they are fine! and Good luck!!!!

Randi - posted on 02/25/2011

for your pregnancy you might be finding that you have a hard time eating a meal, so instead of eating 3 meals a day, you should try eating 5-6 small meals a day. and when the baby is a bit older, dont always listen to everyone else about feeding. every baby is different, and therefor develops different and starts eating different foods at different ages.

Kristen - posted on 02/22/2011

I agree with Heather! Don't stress out I have a 9 month old and I am pregnant with my second baby...Its gonna get difficult to sleep and I think it really doesn't matter what you eat just eat smaller portions and not 3 big full meals

Heather - posted on 02/20/2011

Don't stress out and take everything day by day. The biggest shock is when you get home and realize that having a baby means you might never sleep again. :) The best advice that I got was from my midwife, the hospital had us all confused over feeding and measuring and stuff, so my midwife told us simply feed him till he explodes. Then he falls asleep happy, so far I have the best baby on the planet. He never cries, likes to laugh, and is a big smile happy guy :) But I think my kid is einstein because I am his mom and allowed to be biased :)

Jan - posted on 02/19/2011

Listen to the advice that works for you. Every baby is different and even good advice doesn't work for every baby.
And doctor don't always know the answers even when it comes to your babies health, don't be affraid to question them.

Amanda - posted on 02/17/2011

Thanks Misty and I know what you mean my daughter slept on her side from 1 week old as she wouldn't sleep on her back either. Now she sleeps on her stomach and so long as she's asleep I am NOT going to wake her just to turn her over.

Misty - posted on 02/17/2011

okay first I agree with the previous post but I would like to add is doctors and experts half of them never having children of their own will tell you tolei baby on its back to sleep but I have 2 children and neither of them would lay on their back to sleep even if they were swaddled baby name very uncomfortable and would only sleep for a couple of minutes before waking up we even tried the way doctor said by placing a wedge even that did not work doctor say that laying them on their back help prevent
SIDS but then they say it's not actually be proven so I guess what I'm saying is that the decision should the yours being the mother you know your baby better than anyone n you should do what is best for YOUR child

Amanda - posted on 02/13/2011

Thanks for your help Erica, I myself have a 9 month old but thought it would be nice to see what others would say given half a chance to someone who is just starting out.

Erica - posted on 02/13/2011

For pregnancy;

take the time to research this recommended but make your own decisions- i for one threw out most the stuff about eating only certain foods because it seemed ridicluas to me but if you thinks its plausible go ahead- its your baby and your body!



Rest as much as possible in the last couple of months because it will be a long time before you get unbroken sleep again!



Try to get everything ready for the baby before its born because you DO NOT want the stress of shopping for essentials with a newborn, trust me...



For after the baby is born;

for the first couple of weeks- even months if you need it- sleep when the baby sleeps! the baby will need a well rested mummy!



eat small meals frequently- its nearly impossible to sit down to a proper dinner with a newborn so i found it easier to eat small meals about 5-6 times a day instead of huge meals 3 times a day.



Dont stress over the house work- anyone shallow and tactless enough to whinge at a bit of mess when you're a new mum isnt worth your time or energy- just do a lil bit when you can or ask for help- its doesnt make you a bad mom/gf/wife for needing a hand every now and again.



Ignore all the dottery old grumps who comment that its so wrong for young'uns to be parents- i guarentee they were probably MARRIED with children by our age in most cases- i used to tell them if they had a problem with me they didnt have to pay attention



...same goes for anyone who has a problem with Breast feeding in public actually, Australia (or at least my state) has actually passed an act that prevents anyone from telling where you can and cannot breast feed and tell anyone that if it bothers them dont look!



Dont be afraid to ask someone to leave if you're tired, or they're annoying you- if they whinge they, once again, arent worth your time and you dont need negative feelings around you and your baby.



Take the time at least once a week to get out of the house- even if its a walk around the block- 'cabin fever' sets in quicker then you would think! And it will only leave you felling depressed and isolated if you stay at home all the time



Last and not least ENJOY IT its not long before they're running around pulling stuff of shelves or even graduating high school- cherish the moment