WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF BEING A PARENT?

• Being a child again, having a children makes it okay for you to climb jungle gyms, make forts in the lounge and dress up.
• The feeling of this little person, when they put their head on your shoulder and fall asleep, complete trust in you.
• The smile on their face when you come home, so happy that you are home.

Helen, mum of sons  4 ½ and nearly 2

A dream come true for us. Seeing what our love and marriage produced. And now experiencing every day the different developmental changes of our beautiful little boy.

Jen mum of son 5 months

Watching our little boy discover the world and seeing his absolute delight as he learns new things! Special times for Mom are: evening breastfeeds and cuddles as I put him to sleep, singing songs with him and seeing him learn new words and actions everyday, and stroking his soft skin as he sleeps on my chest.

Claire:Mum of son 18 months

seeing him happy and discovering ways to make him happy, physical play and horsing around together.

Matt: Dad to son 19 months

The joy experienced every day, in all the little things. Love getting hugs and kisses, and watching him laugh!

Mum to 18 month old

Best part: getting to know your baby and gaining confidence as a mom! It’s so rewarding to see them grow and respond to you and it’s surroundings

Janine writes: son of 5 months

It’s a privilege and a joy to comfort our crying son

Justin  dad to son 6 months

Chatting to him through sounds, giggles and look.

The intimacy of breast feeding, especially when he looks up & smiles at his Mama, with milk dribbling down his cheek; or he understands and responds to my kissing his hand

Maria mum of 6 month son

 

WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF BEING A NEW PARENT?

The two first months of colic. And lack of time to do everything.

Jen mum of son 5 months

 

Setting boundaries and being consistent with what is acceptable behaviour and what is not, as they get older.

Helen, mum of sons  4 ½ and nearly 2

Feeling tired and struggling to find capacity to be patient, kind and good humoured towards our baby and each other. Feeling overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for another person and feeling uncertain of what exactly this little person needed to meet his needs and make him comfortable. Feeling unsure of what advice to trust and follow regarding caring for our new baby – there seem to be so many, often contradictory views on everything relating to babies!

Claire:Mum of son 18 months

Everything is unknown and there are so many mixed opinions out there. Plus of course lack of sleep 😉

Mum to 18 month old

Most challenging: Getting to know your baby!! And figuring out what he needs. That was really challenging for me. There are so many possible reasons he’s crying..figuring out which one it is! And learning to trust your mommy instinct – whilst so many (good meaning) people have opinions.

Janine writes: son of 5 months

Crying in the car when it’s just the two of you and you remain clueless of what’s causing it!

Maria mum of 6 month son

Can you believe we are 15 weeks down the line:-). And our lives have changed forever, for the better!

The previous few weeks have been extremely challenging- wow no-one can prepare you for this! For a few weeks which seemed like years we had to deal with both reflux and colic at the same time, a non-stop crying baby sometimes from 3am till 11pm. This mommy almost didnt make it, but we pulled through with the grace of God and we ended up with a little angel who now sleeps 8 hours a night straight through! No sleep-training or methods, just the grace of God, never-ending prayers, and daily stability:-)

Mum to daughter 15 weeks

 

WERE YOU ABLE TO BREASTFEED? IF SO WHAT HELPED? 

Yes, breastfed both boys until they were twenty months.

Learning how to breastfeed while lying down, so you can catch some shut-eye with the baby.

Knowing only to give one breast at a feed.

To know in the beginning that a newborn needs to feed every two hours.

To know that babies have growth spurts and that it is normal to cluster-feed during this time.

At birth, to let the baby-led, that the baby knows how to latch.

Helen, mum of sons  4 ½ and nearly 2

The different positions to feed in.

Jen

Yes! (and still going strong at 15 monthsJ) I struggled a little in the first week with nipple pain and blisters, but I have a wonderful breastfeeding consultant visit me at home a few times in the first 2 weeks, helping me with positioning and latching as well as doing some laser for me which really helped my nipples to heal quickly and allow breastfeeding to continue. I also had a few amazing breastfeeding friends who were a huge source of encouragement and advice. Plus I loved reading ‘The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding’ and found it hugely helpful on my breastfeeding journey.

Claire:Mum of son 18 months

Yes. Mostly not giving up, and my husband not letting me give up either. It was a real struggle to get my milk going and to get a good latch. We tried a lot of people and methods, refusing to give up until we succeeded. We eventually called in a lactation consultant as well who was very clinical (and so the doctors and nurses liked her) but was there to achieve the same goals as us (and so we liked her). The rest was down to great support and help from my husband.

Mum to 18 month old

Yes I was able to breastfeed, although it wasn’t always easy for me. I think what really helped was making sure my baby was latching properly and being equipped with the knowledge of what is a wrong latch and what is a right one. What sounds and movements to look out for etc. And even to get information around how long one should feed on one side? And tips around preventing the baby from falling asleep etc; and how to prevent snack feeding. These were all questions I didn’t have the answer to initially and it really helped once I got them.

Janine writes: son of 5 months

Maria writes: Yes. Jill ensuring latching from the very start. I’m unsure I’d have been focused enough to ensure it happened. Jill enabling me to relax about my own expectations of myself when the honeymoon ended after 2 weeks.