JOHNSON’S Baby has asked me to write a note to self explaining what I wish I had known as a first time mum- so here it is!
Oh Emma as a mother for the first time you knew absolutely zilch about motherhood, it's not like it was on your curriculum at school. You were taught how babies were made and the process but not actually how to look after one once you had given birth. You had to self teach on the spot and it was something that you learnt about as you experienced it for yourself. I thought all those years of babysitting would prepare me for my future as mother but boy was I wrong. It didn't exactly give you a experience of sleepless nights or a idea of actually how many nappies a baby can go through in a day.
What I wish you would of known was that the one person that did know best, was you. You shouldn't of listened to all that silly advice that was being chucked you left, right and centre. You should have trusted your own instincts, especially as every baby is different and the one person that knew your baby the best was you. Why did you spend all that time worrying about that conflicting advice especially when you were told you were weaning your son too early? It didn't do any harm as you can see for yourself now. You felt the time was right for both you and Oli to introduce food so you did but then when you told people you were greeted by cries of 'you should wait'. I know now that the second time round, you've not batted a single eyelid at what anyone else has said. After all mum knows best.
Johnsons have launched a new campaign to coincide with the announcement of some results of some groundbreaking new research, carried out by the University of Manchester. The research has found that JOHNSON'S Baby Extra Sensitive Wipes and Top-To-Toe Bath are just as safe as using cotton wool and water or just water to cleanse delicate newborn skin. Based on groundbreaking new (independent) evidence, mums can now confidently make a choice when it comes to cleansing their newborn baby, right from the very first day.
Keeping baby’s skin clean and hydrated is important for their general wellbeing and happiness. Mums-to-be and new mums are currently advised by the majority of midwives and health visitors to use simply water alone when cleansing their newborns. Yet for many mums, instinct and the desire for both convenience and effective cleansing, leaves them facing a tough choice that can be at odds with this professional advice.
Endorsed by family health expert and mum of two young children, Dr Ellie Cannon says: “I know from experience there isn’t a mum out there that doesn’t worry about every action they take when it comes to their babies. There are plenty of occasions when there’s a mental tug of war over whether to follow professional advice or to trust your instincts and make a decision that just feels right for you, regardless of professional opinion. The findings of this clinical trial now give new mums one less decision to worry about, and actually provide them with reassurance and confidence to make an informed choice that’s safe for their baby – fantastic!”
The campaign that JOHNSON'S have launched is called Mums Know Best and this aims to empower new mums and women in the last stage of pregnancy to trust their instincts and have confidence in theor own convictions as they experience motherhood and learn to navigate the minefield of conflicting advice and opinion.
As you can see from my own note to myself I'm 100% behind the new JOHNSON'S Baby campaign and you will find no bigger believe then me in the fact that Mums do indeed know best. I'm also secretly relieved to hear first hand about this research as when we were in hospital that first week with Dylan, I was too tired to bother with cotton wool and water so took to JOHNSON'S Baby wipes instead.
Guess I was somehow convinced by others that I was doing wrong by my son to taking to him with a wipe instead of cotton wool and water, I think I’m afraid of getting told off. No mother should ever feel like that. At least I know next time instead of trying to hunt down someone for a bowl to pour some water into that I can just take straight to baby's bottom with a wipe instead.
“I have been asked to work with JOHNSON’S® Baby to write a “note to self” to coincide with their Mums Know Best campaign which aims to empower new mums and women in the last stage of pregnancy to trust their instincts and have confidence in their own convictions, supported by the groundbreaking new independent evidence proving that JOHNSON’S® Baby Extra Sensitive Wipes & Top-To-Toe® Bath are as safe to use as water alone on newborn skin. They have paid me to write this post”