A freelance friend is putting together a piece for The Guardian Family section gathering together the sorts of practical and emotional pearls of wisdom for first time mums the sort of nuggets that you can’t find in books and you only discover when you’ve had a child.  The inside track if you like, the amazingly useful insider bits of advice that can really help, and also the stuff that makes you laugh and other mums nod knowingly as well! 

These pearls could include:

  • The anecdotal no-holds barred things that only mums know (even those that fly against conventional advice)
  • The thing you wish you’d known before you gave birth/became a mum
  • The thing “they don’t tell you”, or that are glossed over in books etc/conversely the things that are exaggerated?
  • The answers to questions that perhaps you felt you should be asking (there are a few listed below….)
  • The handiest, most invaulable thing that someone told you
  • Best practical tip
  • The most surprising thing about becoming a mum

If you have thoughts, answers or have written a post or posts touching on any or all of these elements (I’m not sure I write about much else!) please comment and include any relevant links in the comments below – serious, humorous, wry, any flavour is good!  If you’d rather contact her directly drop me an email at claire@dandelionlounge.co.uk and I will send you her email address with pleasure.

Names can be changed and even just a one liner or a tweet is useful.  You may have something that leaps to mind – but if you need inspiration then here are some questions from my friend that may spark an ‘oh *yes*, I remember wondering about that…” moment….., she is yet to have kids 😉 

  • How painful IS birth. No *really*.
  • What do you DO with your newborn baby all day?
  • What’s the best way to avoid losing your marbles with lack of sleep/adult company etc?
  • Can you breastfeed while technically asleep? Like a cowboy sleeping upright with his eyes open etc?
  • And on that vein, is there any way to have a drink while breastfeeding?
  • What will seem like a good idea initially – and what I will quickly realise is a total nightmare?
  • Am I really going to be forgetting my name and putting the loo roll in the fridge for a few months after birth?
  • Does a gulf open up between you and your child-free friends? How does it change your relationships?
  • Am I going to surprise myself – and if so, how? (my capacity to not sleep, the depth of emotion, the complete absorption with my baby, my ability to puree things, my time management skills etc?)
  • What won’t I care about half as much, after I’ve given birth/am a mum?