What i'd do differently as a second time parent

As Reuben is 13 months now id be lying if i said we hadn't though about having more children. We definitely would like more, just not quite yet but it has got me thinking about what i may do differently as a second time parent.

I have absolutely loved becoming a mum and watching my little boy grow and develop but as i'm sure most parents will tell you it hasn't all been plain sailing and it's been a huge learning curve along the way. When we brought Reuben home for the first time, we didn't have a clue, the first night he must have only slept in half hour spells and fed constantly. We quickly hit google searching for ways to help us all get more sleep...

Second time round i would put the main cot in our room from the start with a breathable nest (sleapyhead/purflo) i know these aren't recommended by the lullaby trust but Reuben really liked sleeping in his purflo and as a parent you need to look at all the information and facts and make a decision for yourself. This was one of the items that helped us all to get a little more sleep.

I would invest in some swaddle ups and use them from the word go. Reuben didn't like to be swaddled as he liked his arms up and this allows that whilst creating the secure feeling still.

I wouldn't bother with Ewan the dream sheep as i found him useless, instead i would play a constant white noise through an app on my old phone.

I would be sure to make sure its bright and noisy in the day and dark and quiet at night from the word go so baby can learn the difference between day and night and i would also have a red night light opposed to white/blue as red doesn't interfere with your circadian rhythm.

As lovely as sleepy newborn cuddles are i would make sure i put baby down to nap and give them the opportunity to self settle from 3 months onward when they say the 4th trimester ends. Reuben was a terrible sleeper until he was on three meals a day and we did a little training.

If i were lucky enough to breastfeed again i would enjoy the time to "rest" those long cluster feeds are hard work but a great excuse to put your feet up with snacks and the TV remote. I would also try to give one bottle a day so they hopefully wont refuse like Reuben has.

I wouldn't be scared to co-sleep/feed lying down. This is a great way for you both to get more rest in the early days and as long as you're doing it safely and following the guidelines there's nothing wrong with it. It is far worse to fall asleep sitting up with baby in your arms.

Most importantly i would enjoy my baby in each stage knowing how fast it goes.