Right, keep it quick and simple so new mums don’t have to wade through too many words to glean your invaluable knowledge. Feel free to come back and add more – there’s so much to say!
Ideally, use bold type for the tip title to make it easier to see. I’ll start:

1. Can’t take anymore crying? Put baby in a safe place, e.g. cot, and LEAVE. Obviously not too far - the front step or the garden. Don’t be afraid to let them cry on their own while you regain your sanity and patience, for both your sakes.

2. Accept offers of help. If someone was caring/stupid enough to offer, they probably meant it, so USE them.

3. Bottle warmers – don’t waste your money!! Honestly, baby will drink milk/formula, and eat mushy whatever, hot, cold or tepid – if that’s what they’re used to. They really don’t care. Even breastfed babies.

Night Feeds Whilst feeding/changing your baby during the night do not chatter or start to play with your baby. Once finished wind them and put them straight back down! This will encourage them to sleep through the night from a very young age.

:D

BE PREPARED (sorry can't do bold) Get things ready and be as organised as possible.

ACCEPT HELP. No woman is an island! If someone offers to help, let them, and if they offer to take the baby out, but for whatever reason that isn't appropriate, say "that's really kind, thanks, but what would really help is if you did some shopping, cleaned the sink, did the washing etc"

DONT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. None of us are perfect, when it all goes wrong, just chill out, take the cat out of the washing machine and the laundry out of the cat basket, smile and say "tomorrow is another day" (and if it all goes very horribly wrong send your husband for a big bottle of wine and tell him he's in charge, unless you are breastfeeding, of course!).

1. Nobody is perfect. Don't be conned into thinking you are supposed to spring into being a yummy mummy with lipstick to greet the postman.

2. Yes your baby is fine. Ignore the competative mums whos kids are apparantly already potty trained at 12 months. :rolleyes: (they lie)

3. Enjoy it, the baby days don't last very long at all.

1. Don't ignore the baby blues. I spent the first 9 months of my son's life crying too scared to go to the doctors in case they took him away! Talk to your GP.

2. Rest. Sleep when the baby sleeps. The washing up will still be there when baby is just content to scream the house down. It will also distract you from the screaming!

3. Like Fox20thc says - ENJOY! Ten years down the line - you'll realise that the first few months were the easy bit!

1. Pass the baby to a Jabberwock if she/he gets too much and go for a walk.

2. Make the most of every possible second and make sure the other half does his fair share.

3. Love the baby, love each other, and love yourself!

Don't pay too much attention to 'baby books', you know the sort, the 'how to' types. Do whatever suits you, your baby and your family.

You can't spoil a baby by cuddling it when it cries. Give in to your instinct and soothe your baby.

Try to get some time to yourself. Even if it's just to lay in the bath with a magazine for half an hour.

Enjoy - it's true, they're not babies for long. :thumbsup:

Find a Babysitter early on.

Find a Babysitter early on.

Find a Babysitter early on.

:nod:

Keep the tips coming, I'm making notes :)

take time for yourself if someone offers to look after the babe, take the offer, yes after two weeks you can walk away, even if it's only for an hour! please do this!

it takes a village to raise a child ok, i never got this for a long time, but every input from every person you meet, means something and teaches your child something new (and you!) and it's so important for them to learn how to deal with different people.

your instincts are often correct right, fuff the books, fuff your mother, if it feels wrong to you, then don't do it!! don't do what other people tell you to do, because they are the font of all wisdom, if you ain't comfortable with it, then don't do it...

(and good luck and lots of lovexx)

If baby starts screaming when you put the in the moses basket, try putting a hot water bottle in whilst you feed the baby, then when they get put back in they're still snuggly and warm.

If your baby doesn't sleep through until well over a year old, then its fine, ignore the mums who's babys slept through from 2 months (my sons almost 18 months and he doesn't sleep through!)

Allow some me time at least once a day, even for an hour whilst someone else entertains baby.

Good Luck to those expecting!

CHILL OUT - dont try to do everything by the book - there were babies before there were books.

DONT WORRY ABOUT SMALL MISTAKES - Babies are more robust that you think and really wont notice if you get things "wrong".

EQUIPMENT - dont sweat about having all the latest gadgets. Each stage passes so quickly that most gadgets are outgrown before you've even missed them.

Listen to ur heart, not everyone else!
Dont fret if ur baby isnt "doing" what it says in the books at set age.
Let ur husband have baby for hour when he gets in from work and go out!
Get Angelcare for peace of mind

I completely forgot about this until that Attached Parenting programme the other night...

Breast milk heals all wounds - no, honestly, if you're breastfeeding, and baby has gunky eyes, or a scratch, or anything like that, apply a bit of breast milk. It's a fantastic healer.

Get a bedtime routine going asap in the first few months. Bath/milk/bed.

Keep a stash of chocolate hobnob biccies by your bed if breast feeding for midnight snacks.

You can't hear a baby crying when you are in the shower.

Establish a routine and try to stick to it as soon as you can, this will help you & your baby.

And Finally... (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i159/Doppler1/938-035.jpg)