Parent stories and expert advice
Wrapping as a form of baby settling
They taught you how to 'wrap' your baby in hospital, but what is all the fuss really about?
Work at home and in the office
Let’s be frank, the workload is massive with the arrival of a baby. For Dad, it’s a challenge heading off to work each day slightly sleep deprived and possibly bearing unnoticed milk vomit on your shoulder.
Multitasking at its best
Abigail is like clockwork, every time I put her in the car she poops. Not only does she poo, they're explosive and I spend time disinfecting and cleaning her car seat. When I went into my work to introduce little miss Abigail, I had to change her three times before we even entered the building.
On a roll
Every day we aim for tummy time. Abigail has managed to flip from front to back and back to front, although she doesn't seem to want to explore rolling. Perhaps she thinks she's mastered it ...
Wrapped
The hospital taught us how to wrap our little girl. The first three weeks were OK and she seemed to like being wrapped.
Settling your baby
The reality is parents will have many sleepless nights with a new baby, however it does get better!
Becoming a first time grandparent
When her daughter becomes pregnant, Jane begins to question not only the chain of events to come, but her own experiences as a new parent ...
Injections
So far I've had Abigail's 2 and 4 month injections. I was a nervous wreck; I felt sick driving to the doctor’s clinic, even while waiting in the waiting room I somehow managed to spill my coffee down my leg and all over one of my shoes and white sock that immediately turned latte.
Settling
Settling a baby can be hard. We learnt this early on. It seemed that some days certain techniques would work and then the next day they wouldn’t. Were we to persist with the same techniques or try new ones? I was quite unsure.
Don't come knocking if you're coughing
We love to have family and friends come and stay with us, although I cannot believe how many people have arrived on our doorstep unwell. Firstly, this stresses me, worrying about Abigail, what will she catch and secondly, I cannot afford to get sick, especially when I'm feeding 6-8 feeds a day, cleaning the house and cooking dinner.
Give things a go
Bedtime between 6 and 9pm for the first eight weeks sometimes proved challenging to settle Penelope in a short time frame. Some nights we could spend two hours in and out of her room re-settling.
Convenience or addiction?
I really need a sign that says "Do not leave me alone on my phone/internet, especially when I'm sleep deprived" ... Online shopping is addictive.