9 weeks!

[ossie85]

Give or take a few...

Expecting my first child (a boy) in 9 weeks, and must admit mild panic is starting to set in!

Any advise from parents out there?

Or any advise for a first time uncle (Purple 77)?

Oz

[LF]

Wow that went quick although your wife probably doesn't think so.
A bottle of formula before bed at night(if breast feeding) helps them sleep longer.
A dummy is a parents best friend and make sure you have spares because they are like socks once they go missing they are gone forever.
Make sure you have sometime for just you and your wife.

[Noz]

Well done Os

Cant exactly give you any advice as i don't even have any children but good luck and i hope you and your wife have a healthy baby boy.

Also as soon as your wife pops him out chuck a footy in his hands. Probably the only advice i can give.

[j959]

Good stuff Mr & Mrs Oss!

Advice: just go with the flow ...
Lots of people will try to tell you lots of things - take what you like, disregard/pinch of salt what you don't
Each individual kid is different, different issues, development rates, etc, etc

when your child is born - cannot relate or describe to you the feeling (is just not the same as living it) but it will be awesome!  ;D    ;)

all the best to you and the missus,
jas

[Ziplock]

Wow that went quick although your wife probably doesn't think so.
A bottle of formula before bed at night(if breast feeding) helps them sleep longer.
A dummy is a parents best friend and make sure you have spares because they are like socks once they go missing they are gone forever.
Make sure you have sometime for just you and your wife.

I thought dummies were bad for a kids teeth or something...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacifier#Drawbacks

[LF]

Wow that went quick although your wife probably doesn't think so.
A bottle of formula before bed at night(if breast feeding) helps them sleep longer.
A dummy is a parents best friend and make sure you have spares because they are like socks once they go missing they are gone forever.
Make sure you have sometime for just you and your wife.

I thought dummies were bad for a kids teeth or something...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacifier#Drawbacks

You obviously don't have kids Ziplock lol
Believe me it's easier to get rid of a dummy than it is to stop a kid from sucking their thumb.
Ossie may luck out and his little man might not like a dummy anyway.

[Grazz]

That has gone quick mate.

1) Wouldn't listen to the 4 hourly feeds rubbish mate, feed them when their hungry they'll let you know and makes it a lot easier to  get them into good a sleeping routine and a lot easier on Mum and Dad as well. Kazz and i did this with all 3 of ours and i highly recommend it. All our kids put on weight above the average consistently and were very calm happy baby's.

2) What LF said above we also did with the bottle before bed, very good idea and worked a treat, they love full tummies at bed time and you know for certain how much they've had and can relax that they've had a good feed before bed and should sleep quite happily for a decent length of time which allows mum and you to do the same. Believe me if you can get a decent amount of sleep at night you can handle anything the following day throws up at you with relative ease.

3) 3rd tip would be for you and mum to be as relaxed as possible about coming home with Bubs and take it all as it comes mate.
Baby's are good at picking up on any tension and nerves so the best advice i can give once he's born is just relax and enjoy it all for better or worse. Your not going to do anything terribly wrong mate with whatever technique you choose to use or how you and mum go about it so don't stress about any of it and Bubs will certainly benefit from it i promise you.

4) You and Mum have two great sources of knowledge in your own Mum's and they will be a great benefit to you both. Listen to what they have to say then decide what you think is best for your family and how you guys would like to go about it. The important thing is that you and Mum are comfortable with your choices and not worrying if your doing the right thing or not. same goes for what advice you get here, some of this and what ive got to say may not be for you or Bubs, he mayl decide this or that isnt for him for they are all different in some way and so are the circumstances.

5) Don't tip toe around the house trying to be a quiet as possible, go about life as normal within reason. Don't be afraid to flush the toilet because Bubs is sleeping, he'll soon get used to the general noise that goes on in a household and wont be bothered by it at all and sleep as happy as a bug in a rug.

6) Be confident that the love you hold for your boy will lead you down the right path and trust that you wont do anything wrong. As little as they are baby's are quite resilient mate and the love you have for them will ensure you are successful at raising him have no fear about that. I was rather nervous with our first but when i saw how relaxed Karen was with him i realised very quickly that everything was going to be ok and i have no doubt your wife will be the same. It's magic how this all happens and Mums are just amazing at how they take to motherhood and dealing with the issues as they arise.

7) Try to have some time for yourselves as often as you feel you need it, hopefully you have some Grandparents nearby and can let them baby sit (sure they'll want to). While your out or taking time for yourselves dont worry or feel any guilt about it as baby will be just fine i assure you Grandma and Grandpa love them as much as you do and would never let any harm come to them just as they never let any harm come to you or your wife. Enjoy your time away from Bubs its important for you both to have time for each other and its a great recharge for you both.

As i said above buddy the best piece of advice i can give is scrap the four hourly feed rubbish as its ridiculous to wake a sleeping baby to feed them when they are not necessarily hungry, they will wake when their hungry and in need of a feed have no fear haha and the sooner you can get them sleeping through the night for a decent length of time the easier it will be for all of you. In hospital they nurses will probably advise you on four hourly feeds but to Karen and i it seemed so unnecessary if Bubs is happily sleeping then let him sleep. I guarantee he'll put on weight just fine i promise you, absolutely the best advice Kazz and i can give you.

All the best mate and rest assured you will both be fantastic parents and you have all the tools to do this even if you question yourself from time to time about it leading up to Bubs being born, there is no doubt you have all that is necessary inside of you to raise a happy family this i promise you.

[LF]

Yeah I forgot about that Grazz
Point 5
Don't worry about noise my kids all slept though their dads loud music all the time lol

And the 4 hourly feed thing is BS feed them when they are hungry and feed them until they are full they'll let you know when they don't want more.

[Capper]

First of all Ossie, congrats top you and the misses. All the best.

Tape all the footy you can or DL it. Footy late at night whilst a bit of father/son whilst your misses catches some ZZZZs, but also agree with luv, make some time for you and your misses

Get a footy in his hands asap and dress him in the mighty red and white  :D

All that Purple has to do is buy noisy/annoying toys and fill him full of sugar when he is older when he is baby sitting

[nostradamus]

Congratulations Ossie,

Having a baby will redfine your priorities in life and change things for the better forever more. The unconditional love you recieve from children is the most amazing feeling in the world, but can't adequately be explained to anyone who isnt a parent ....... you'll know what l mean soon enough mate.

The best piece of advice l can give you is to trust your instincts. One more thing l think is worth mentioning is......everyday is precious, don't waste time or energy wishing they were a different age or at a different stage of development, they'll never be that age again......enjoy each and every day, time just passes so quickly

[Ringo]

Congrats Oss and all the best and hope everything goes smoothly.

Can not add much more to what Grazz has said.

Everyone will try and give you advices but you have to sift through it and work what is best for you and your child.

Each baby is different and each one will have different sets of needs. I know our 2 boys were chalk and cheese but we love them for it.

One really strong piece of advice I will give that is not yet aired do not fall into the trap of allowing them to sleep in your bed,  Too hard to break the habbit. (My son knows all about that).

Above all the most important thing to remember he will be your child and one of the most precious things in your lives so make sure you really enjoy the moments good and bad as he grows up as he will not be with you forever.

[T Dog]

Well done Os.....

Best advice i got was...
...Just do what you both feel is best..and don't be led by your mother or mother in law... 8)

[Capper]

oh yeh and agree with what ever your misses says.......

[McRooster]

Every parent wants their child to make a difference but also wants their arrival to be normal. Read to your son, now, and then give him the courage to turn the pages of life.

*btw, don't give him an iPod, iPad, Wii, X-box, etc. - give him a footy as his first present, and watch closely what he does with it.

Encourage, believe, support.

Remember Mum is Uluru and you don't get to climb the rock for a while  ;)

[Grazz]

Every parent wants their child to make a difference but also wants their arrival to be normal. Read to your son, now, and then give him the courage to turn the pages of life.

*btw, don't give him an iPod, iPad, Wii, X-box, etc. - give him a footy as his first present, and watch closely what he does with it.

Encourage, believe, support.

Remember Mum is Uluru and you don't get to climb the rock for a while  ;)

So wise and so funny. ;D
After watching your child be born your in no hurry to get back in the water, has the same affect as a shark attack i found.