The beauty of blogging is that I can think of a post, and publish it on my blog whilst a story is trending;-) Meghan I hope you read this. Or anyone new to bringing up boys, or maybe those who are bringing up older boys or anyone who has just had a baby!!
I am Lynn, or Mrs Mummypenny to my readers, listeners and watchers. Yep I do the blog, a podcast/radio show and tv (I can multi-task). I mainly write about money. But I sometimes write about other stuff, occasionally being a mummy to my three beautiful boys, Dylan, Josh and Jack. Here you go, my advice to Meghan & Harry.
Do Not Listen to Any Advice, unless you 100% Trust and respect that person
The parenting world is full of the brim of advice. Breast feed/Bottle Feed. Swaddle or not. What babies should wear. How you should carry babies. Where they should sleep. What routine you should follow. OH MY GOSH.
Just go with it and do what feels right for you. You have brought this incredible human into this world, your mothering instinct will most likely kick in. And if you are struggling, turn to a friend who has been through that struggle recently and has come out the other side. DO NOT go to any online forums, I repeat do not go to online forums.
Feeding Your Baby
Did you know that babies come out looking more like their dads, so they can feel a bond. As lets be honest if you are breast-feeding, all that baby needs is their mummy for milk. My boys were the most beautiful things on earth when born. As every mum thinks their babies are!
I breastfed all three of my boys for at least eight months. I loved this and found it a chore in equal measures. There was a pressure to feed that I really felt from the media, NCT and friends. But it was a pressure I was willing to embrace. I knew its was best for my baby and me. And the baby weight fell off;-) Why a chore I felt tied to a baby and not able to leave the house/baby for more than three hours.
Do what feels right for you, try not to let the world decide for you. I exclusively fed Dylan my eldest, with no bottles for around six months. But yet by the time I had Jack he was on bottles (of expressed milk) by the end of week one. We mixed up breast-feeding and bottle feeding so hubby and I could take turns.
Routine
Again something I felt pressured into sorting out as soon as possible with the boys in varying degrees. With Dylan my first I was super strict and yes followed that awful Gina Ford routine. And by Jack there was very little routine whatsoever, I just chilled and did whatever was right for Jack and I.
The difference in routine had no impact on sleeping through the night IN THE SLIGHTEST. All my babies took around six to nine months to sleep through the night.
I did try my hardest with all boys to master a longer nap at lunchtime. And I totally used that time to sleep myself. And I kept that lunchtime nap going until they were all three. So when Josh came 23 months after Dylan they both had their lunchtime naps at the same time – winning at life.
Sleep
Sleep is going to be crap for a long time. I didn’t get a good night sleep from around June 2007 to November 2013. Six years of pregnancy, little babies, breast feeding. Just get used to three/four hour bursts of sleep. I think it is why I am such a good sleeper now, i.e I can sleep anywhere. My body knows I went through SAS style sleep deprivation for six years so takes every hour it can get. I once fell asleep on the concourse of Kings Cross station (okay there was wine involved there).
Bringing Up Boys
Boys are great. You, as mummy, will (hopefully) always be the apple of their eye. My boys have been a dream to bring up. I now have my eldest, Dylan, just about to go to secondary school in September. Josh is 9 and Jack is 6.
They are all so different, partly due to upbringing and innate personality traits.
Dylan
Dylan is the eldest and the most responsible. In many ways more than an 11 year old should be. He is amazing at helping at home, particularly with Jack. His academy football has given him early responsibility which has turned him into the most polite and grateful child. Yes, we did everything for him as a baby and worried about his every breath..but it has all came good. His focus and determination is remarkable, everyone who knows him says this. This will carry him so far in life. I know he will be a success at anything he chooses to do. Hopefully football as I am going to be his sponsorship manager. I am serious with that point.
Josh
Josh was number two and was going to be our last. His personality is very similar to mine which can cause clashes. He can charm anyone and is well loved by everyone, one of the popular boys. But also cheeky and naughty, he often comes home with a warning card. He is a natural entrepreneur, as demonstrated by his skills at the car boot sale and his many business ideas (latest being selling match attacks on eBay). But he lacks focus (oh hands up Lynn me too!) and can flit from one idea to the next. He is an incredibly talented left-footed footballer, but has recently decided that football isn’t for him, for the moment. I predict he wants to play it again within a couple of weeks.
Jack
Jack is my baby and my youngest. My third little Las Vegas (conceived) gift taking us to three boys. He still hugs me and holds my hand. His favourite task is the play Lego and will sit with me in my office colouring pictures and we love spending time reading Julia Donaldson books, going to see animals anywhere and watching Avenger films. He is the youngest, and had the most relaxed upbringing, and always got what he wanted. His personality is quiet and considered, more like his dad. He will sit back and take in a situation and then react. Sometime with extreme emotion but he doesn’t charge in like a lion. He walks in and either screams the place down or is happy and cheerful.
Just Go With It Meghan
Ignore the media, gosh I can’t bare what they are doing to you and your family. Enjoy your bubble and keep it that way for as long as possible. But also, I cant wait to see your beautiful baby, the words from Harry sharing the news made me cry. He is a good one, deffo a keeper.
