Family and Friends

Family and friends can be an important part of the support network for both parents and for your little one.

Share your thoughts and feelings about the baby with loved ones. This gives you the chance to get the support you need from them. They may have had some of the same feelings and experiences and have helpful advice on how they coped.

When you are expecting a baby, it can feel like everyone has an opinion or advice on what you should or should not do. It can feel overpowering and frustrating.

How do I know if advice is correct, or works for my family?

When deciding whether a piece of advice works for you ask yourselves;

• How up to date is it? Is it safe? Advice changes quickly as experts learn new things for example safer sleep advice has changed a lot and reduced sudden infant death rates.
• Does it fit with how you want to care for your baby? Keep to what feels comfortable and right to you.
• Can you find out more about what they have suggested? Speak to your midwife or health visitor or ring Just One Number on 0300 300 0123.
• If your baby could talk what would they say about what has been suggested? For example ‘picking your baby up when he cries you will spoil him’ your baby might say ‘but Mummy and Daddy I feel scared and lonely if you don’t come to me’.

Remember this is your baby and it is for you both as parents to make decisions together about what you think is best.

I don't agree with the advice I have been given?

When people offer advice you disagree with it can be hard to know what to say. Things you could try are;

• ‘That is an interesting idea – we will give it some thought.’
• Change the subject.
• Say ‘this feels the right way for us at the moment – but thank you, it’s good to know you care about us.’
• Explain that your GP/ Midwife/ Health Visitor have said ‘new research shows that it should be done like this now’.

Some of the ‘old ways’ of doing things have been shown to be harmful to babies so keep calm and be firm about what you want to do.

Accepting help

If people offer to help now or once baby arrives say yes! It is good to have help with the practical side of having a new baby in the house.

Offers of meals, shopping, dog walking and laundry can make a massive difference. You can focus on getting to know your little one and resting when you can.

If you and / or your partner have other children sharing the news of a new baby and preparing them for the new arrival is a special time.

Lots of parents feel a bit anxious too - about how this will affect their older children and their relationship with them. This is normal and to be expected, a new baby is a big change for everyone.

When do I tell my other children about the new baby?

When to tell older children that you are having a baby is a personal decision. It is a good idea to take some time to get used to the news yourself first. Some people like to wait until the first few weeks have passed and they have more information about when baby is due and how the pregnancy is progressing.

When deciding the right time think about how old they are and how you think they will cope with the news. Things you might want to think about;

• Nine months can seem a very long time for children! Children don’t really understand time until they are around six years old.
• The idea of a baby growing in your tummy is hard for very little children to understand especially before there is much to ‘see.’
• Older children might overhear you talking about the baby and find out that way so be careful of who you tell before them.

Whatever age your child is try not to expect too much from them when you decide to tell them.

Younger Children

• May not understand what you are telling them
• Will need you to repeat the news little and often
• Need help to understand what being a big brother/sister means– try reading story books about this – your local library will be able to help.

Help prepare your little one by getting them used to any changes to come before baby arrives. For example if your partner, or other family members might be putting them to bed, or collecting them from nursery begin this before baby is born.

Keeping to routines and boundaries will help your child feel secure and cared for when the baby is born.

Older Children

• Might be excited straight away. They might be upset. Some children will need more time to get used to the idea. Be prepared to keep going back to the subject over the weeks to come.
• They might want to be very involved in the preparations or prefer to take a back seat. Be lead by them.
• Older children will need reassurance about the changes to come. They might feel worried about how you will carry on making time for them.

It can be hard for children to share how they are feeling about such big news. Keep an eye on how they are behaving they may become quiet or they may be loud – their actions may show you how they feel. Find time to spend with them to talk about what you have noticed and give them the chance to talk about their thoughts and feelings.

If they seem negative about the new baby try not to be stressed by this. Let them be honest about their worries. Knowing you value their feelings is important and likely to reassure them they are still just as important to you as ever. Feeling secure in their relationship with you will help them build a positive relationship with their brother or sister.

Whatever the age of your older child/ children take time during your pregnancy to be together. Avoid all conversations being about the baby and take time to focus on them. This is a great habit to get into now and to carry on after the birth.