So funny, so true. 24 hours in the life of  a mum. How many of these phrases do YOU say? (Me? Most of them!)

Anita Renfroe wrote the song, here are the lyrics:
Get up now
Get up now
Get up out of bed
Wash your face
Brush your teeth
Comb your sleepy head
Here’s your clothes
And your shoes
Hear the words I said
Get up now
Get up and make your bed
Are you hot?
Are you cold?
Are you wearing that?
Where’s your books and your lunch and your homework at?
Grab your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat
Don’t forget you gotta feed the cat
Eat your breakfast
The experts tell us it’s the most important meal of all
Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall
Please remember the orthodon’tist will be seeing you at three today?
Don’t forget your piano lesson is this afternoon
So you must play
Don’t shovel
Chew slowly
But hurry
The bus is here
Be careful
Come back here
Did you wash behind your ears?
Play outside
Don’t play rough
Would you just play fair?
Be polite
Make a friend
Don’t forget to share
Work it out
Wait your turn
Never take a dare
Get along
Don’t make me come down there
Clean your room
Fold your clothes
Put your stuff away
Make your bed
Do it now
Do we have all day?
Were you born in a barn?
Would you like some hay
Can you even hear a word I say?
Answer the phone
Get Off the phone
Don’t sit so close
Turn it down
No texting at the table
No more computer time tonight
Your iPod’s my iPod if you don’t listen up
Where you going and with whom and what time do you think you’re coming home?
Saying thank you, please, excuse me
Makes you welcome everywhere you roam
You’ll appreciate my wisdom
Someday when you’re older and you’re grown
Can’t wait ’til you have a couple little children of your own
You’ll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly
But right now
I thank you NOT to roll your eyes at me
Close your mouth when you chew
Would appreciate
Take a bite
Maybe two
Of the stuff you hate
Use your fork
Do not you burp
Or I’ll set you straight
Eat the food I put upon your plate
Get an A, Get the door
Don’t get smart with me
Get a Grip
Get in here I’ll count to 3
Get a job
Get a life
Get a PhD
Get a dose of…
I don’t care who started it
You’re grounded until your 36
Get your story straight
And tell the truth for once for heaven’s sake
And if all your friends jumped off a cliff
Would you jump too?
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said at least a thousand times before that
You’re too old to act this way
It must be your father’s DNA
Look at me when I am talking
Stand up straight when you walk
A place for everything
And everything must be in place
Stop crying or I’ll give you something real to cry about
Oh!
Brush your teeth
Wash your face
Get your PJs on
Get in bed
Get a hug
Say a prayer with Mom
Don’t forget
I love you
**KISS**
And tomorrow we will do this all again because a mom’s work never ends
You don’t need the reason why
Because
I said so
I’m the Mom
The mom

Don’t worry about being a Supermum
You don’t have to get everything right all of the time. Your baby won’t notice, and neither should you.  You won’t be an expert straight away, but you will get better. Just remember you didn’t pass your driving test without taking lessons, and you didn’t get good at swimming without lots and lots of practice. Why should your baby be any different? Babies don’t come with a manual, and you don’t have to pass an exam before you get one.

Suddenly everyone is a baby expert
Take on board what you want to, listen to advice – it can be invaluable. But, no two babies are the same, and while advice is given with the best possible intentions – something that worked for one mum or one baby might not work for you or your baby – only you knows what is best for your baby. Sometimes you have to trust your instincts.

Bonding with your new baby
After labour, many mums are exhausted, and it’s no wonder that they don’t fall in love with their baby straight away. What they want is lots of sleep! Any relationship builds and gets better with time. It could take a day, a week, or longer. You have just been though a very physically demanding labour, you need recovery time. Don’t expect things to be wonderful straight away and all of the time. Don’t put pressure on yourself to feel something you don’t. It won’t be long and you’ll look into your baby’s eyes and feel a love you never felt before.

If things are getting tough, get help.
Talk to family, friends, your Doctor. No one is going to judge you. Everyone just wants to help you. It is a sign of strength not weakness to ask for help.

Talk to other Mums.
To know how other new mums are feeling will help you. You can get advice, support, tips, and a good chat from someone who is going through the same as you. Try the internet, mother and baby groups, your post-natal clinic. Even a mum who you are chatting to in the queue at the supermarket can brighten up your day and help you feel that you are not the only one.

Rest whenever you can.
Babies are tiring. You won’t be able to give your best to your baby if you are shattered all of the time. Sleep when she sleeps. Take advantage of your mum coming round – let her baby-sit and take a nap.

Forget the housework.
This is my favourite tip! Your baby won’t appreciate it if her t-shirt was ironed but she will appreciate a cuddle. Do what needs to be done around the house, and no more. This time with your baby is precious and will pass so quickly – don’t waste time on the ironing or the dusting!

Accept help
If people offer help – take it. It doesn’t mean they think you are doing a bad job or are not coping – they just know your job is the toughest one in the world. They wouldn’t offer if they didn’t want to help

Start as you mean to go on
Your baby will soon learn that you are no pushover, or will run rings around you. Attending to her every whim is easy when she is little – but judge when the time is right when it is good to say “No”.

Baby-free activities

Give yourself some “me” time. You are the most important person in your baby’s world, and you need to be happy.  When she is safe in her crib, try these baby free activities. Remember , just 5 minutes can make all the difference.

• Listen to your favourite tunes or some chill-out music.
• Put your feet up with a cup of coffee and read a non baby magazine.
• Order takeaways – ok, so it’s not the healthiest option but now and again it’s nice not to have to cook.
• Write a diary, blog, or start that novel you’ve always wanted to write. You only have to do a small amount a day.
• Surf the internet – stick to non baby sites (except this one of course!)
• Make your partner a CD of his favourite tunes.

Make life easier

• Don’t hike up and down the stairs unnecessarily with your baby
• Keep a changing mat and nappy stuff upstairs and downstairs. Have a moses basket in the living room for naps, and a crib upstairs for night time.

Get out of the house.
Sometimes you can feel stir crazy. Sometimes anything seems better than sitting at home with a baby all day every day watching daytime TV. Go to the park, the shops, see friends.

Remember Dad
He is new at this too, and probably just as bewildered as you are. You are the best support for each other – but only if you both talk about what you are feeling. Don’t let him get pushed out by the new love in your life. (No matter how gorgeous your new little one is!)

Visitors
People want to come and see you and your new baby, but does it matter if they come this week or next? Visitors can be exhausting and stressful, stagger your visitors. Tell them when they can visit not the other way round. When they are in your house you don’t have to be the perfect hostess. Point to the kitchen and say “You know where the kettle is, help yourself, oh and mine’s a coffee, milk and 1 sugar please.”  Most people are happy to help! Some folk are glad to be useful.

Save your pennies, don’t waste them
Babies grow very fast. It is very tempting to try and get your youngster new clothes and toys. After all they are so precious and deserve the best. Yet, as soon as they fit something then it is too small for them. They don’t care if their clothes, toys or nursery furniture is new or second hand. As long as it is safe and clean – you can’t even tell, and it’ll save you a bundle! If a baby wears something for 2 months – it is hardly worn out!

Most important tip…..

Enjoy the cuddles while you can, and enjoy your baby. You’ll never get this time again.

However, with hindsight, did I really need the expensive changing bag that went with the pram?

In reality, no. Ok so it looks better, all matching, but at the end of the day it is a bag.

What needs to go in a baby changing bag?

These are the things I carried for my baby in his change bag:

• A change of clothes
• Nappies
• Barrier cream
• Nappy bags and wipes
• Bottle and formula (if feeding time was going to be when I was out)
• Spare dummy
• Antibacterial wipes
• A bib
• Change mat

The bag came with a small foldable changing mat. This was really useful, but they can be bought separately from as little as £2.99.
The bag also had an insulated bottle holder – which could have been useful to keep milk or food warm – but it is not something I personally had need for.
The other feature it had was lots of pockets which was useful, but many bags have this feature so was not exclusive to changing bags.
All in all, with hindsight I wouldn’t buy a changing bag. I would use a bag with pockets and big enough to carry everything. I can imagine other Mums would laugh at this. Some would think it crazy, what’s wrong with everything designed to match I can hear you saying. But for me it was money I could have spent on something else.

Other related articles
Baby bouncers swings and walkers – good for baby? A new mums experience.
Baby activities ways to keep your baby entertained.
My baby nursery – what do you really need to buy.