If you have recently become a new mother or you’re going to be one very soon then this is an exciting time for you but one that is also pretty scary. As a parent, you want the best for your child but if you are a first-time mother then this is a lot of pressure to put on anyone’s shoulders. You probably have many questions in your head that you cannot get answers to, even though you have surfed the Internet and you have asked all of your friends and family.
The first thing that you need to do is to be prepared not only when your baby arrives at the hospital but also when it’s time to take him or her home. You really do need to do your research when it comes to figuring out what kind of baby accessories you need, and believe me when I tell you that there are literally thousands to choose from. Talk to friends and family about the necessities that you need at the beginning and then you can pretty much figure it out for yourself after that point.
The following are just some top pieces of advice that every new Australian mother needs to know about.
- Leaving hospital is scary for everyone – This is the building in which your baby arrived in the first place and so it is a place where you feel safe and secure. The time will come for you and your baby to go home and you’re going to be feeling apprehensive at that point. It is okay to be emotional but if you are properly prepared and you have all of the baby accessories that you need when you arrive home, then this helps to improve your state of mind.
- Your baby will cry – Sometimes your baby will cry because their nappy is full or they are hungry, but you also need to be aware that sometimes babies cry for absolutely no reason other than they can. It is how they communicate and so don’t feel that you’re not meeting your baby’s needs just because they keep on crying.
- It’s okay to give a pacifier – The jury is out on this one, but the right kind of pacifier can offer a number of benefits for your baby. It helps to soothe them and it helps to calm them down. You want them to get into the habit of sucking because before long, you will want to feed them from a bottle and you want them to get all of their essential vitamins and nutrition.
- Breastfeeding can be difficult – If your baby will not latch on to your breast at the beginning, don’t despair because this is totally expected, and you should never feel under pressure. There is help there when it comes to breastfeeding, and you can ask questions at your local hospital or from your pediatrician.
The thing to remember is that it will get better over time and you will start to become the best mother ever.