Читать книгу First-Time Parent: The honest guide to coping brilliantly and staying sane in your baby’s first year - Lucy Atkins - Страница 6

When I was pregnant for the first time, I found I had strong views on parenting that covered everything from what a wonderful, tolerant and inspired mother I would be, to how I would never, ever fill my house with all that depressing, tasteless baby gear. I am now a mother of three (aged six, four and one). Far from being inspired or in control, I generally feel I am living under the occupation of a force far, far greater than myself. I have, at various points in the past six years, been the owner of no less than eleven pushchairs. And my house looks like the inside of Toys ‘R’ Us. Parenthood for me–and I know I’m not alone here–is nothing like the books and magazines say it should be, and nothing like I thought it would be. It’s far harder. Significantly less ‘controllable’. And–thank God–infinitely more amazing.

My babies have had me sobbing with joy and despair. They’ve driven me to extremes of pleasure and boredom, anger and elation, pride and self-doubt. Nothing can really prepare you for all this first time around. But on a practical level, a few realistic pointers are certainly handy. And that’s where this book comes in.

I’m not covering pregnancy or birth here–you can learn about that more fully, and usefully, elsewhere. Instead, this book gives you all the basics that you need to know about your baby’s first year, starting with a shopping list (what do you really need, and what’s just pointless?), and moving swiftly on to the moment your baby takes his first breath. You’ll then learn about the feeds–How often? How much? How long? How on earth???–the crying, the sleeping, poos, burps, farts, common illnesses and developmental milestones of your baby’s first year.

Above all, though, this book is designed to keep you sane. Yes, you need to know what to do if your baby’s poo turns green; but you also need to know that feeling incompetent, confused or just plain crackers is an entirely normal and understandable part of parenthood. One, in my view, that’s largely ignored by baby books.

Once you have a baby, the world certainly does change. Indeed, the whole notion of ‘love’ takes on a new and extraordinary significance when you become a parent. But this does not mean you have turned into a completely different person. You don’t start wearing disgraceful leggings and enormous yellow T-shirts just because you’re a new parent. Nor do you lose all your other critical faculties. And this book reflects that. You may now be bonkers, but you’re not stupid. So trust yourself: though sleep-deprived and covered in baby sick, in your infant’s eyes at least, you’re the only expert that matters.