What do you wish people had told you about?

'I expected to be overwhelmed with this little person as soon as I'd given birth. The reality was I didn't want to know him! I was too concerned with being stitched up. In fact, I didn't really want to know him for a couple of weeks. That was quite a shock.' wobbs

'Birth doesn't always go to plan. Emergency cesareans do happen!' Vonnie

'If you suffer a little incontinence in the first few days, that doesn't condemn you to a life of lady pads. It will get better. But keep doing those pelvic floor exercises.' zippy012006

'A midwife told me to keep a jug by the loo so that I could pour warm water on to stitches when going to the toilet. It was good advice and really helped.' lady_popster

'I didn't realise how physically and mentally shattered I would be from all the sleepless nights and trying to understand whether baby crying meant hunger, tiredness or boredom! People say it's tiring but not how much. In a good way, I also didn't realise how much better it gets when they are more settled and in a routine of feeding every 3-4 hours. You can actually feel half human again and really enjoy your baby.' kat24

'My biggest piece of advice would be to expect the unexpected and always keep your sense of humour!' ladybabylove

'Do your pelvic floors. Believe me it's worth it!' poppy_9

'Babies do not spoil. Never feel bad for holding your baby or feeding or cuddling the baby to sleep. Remember your baby has spent nine months inside you, so it is natural for them to want your presence, to be comforted by you. Babies do not cry for the sake of it. If they cry, they need something, even if it is only to feel safe and secure.' cl-phoenix1985

'The importance of tummy time; my first son got plagiocephaly (sometimes called flat head syndrome). I didn't know what it was because no one had told me about it! So he was on his back all the time. That, combined with the fact he was three weeks early and his skull was soft, made his head really flat so we had to go private to get it corrected.' hidden_talents

'The best bit of advice I was given was to take loose jogging bottoms in a hospital bag to come home in.' kate76

'I wish that I had known that I wouldn't love my baby straight away. In fact, for a few weeks I didn't even like him that much. I didn't fall in love with my boyfriend the first time I met him, feelings take time to grow. One day I woke up in the middle of the night and looked over into his crib and realised that he was the most perfect little thing ever and, better than everything else, he was all mine.' Lullabee