Getting ready for your baby to arrive is a strange time. Filled with excitement, apprehension and a long to do list!

So many of us will have a project list we want to finish before little one arrives... Tidy the house, finish that DIY project, decorate a nursery... the list goes on!

But no matter how varied everyones to do list is - there is one feature that is pretty universal: research what new things you need to buy. And blimey, does the internet have an opinion on this! So I'm not going to do a list of 10 things you need to buy. Frankly everyone is different and enough of those lists exist.

So instead here are three things I would tell my pregnant self.

1. You know your baby better than anyone. Trust your instincts.

2. We are carrying mammals. It is okay that your baby wants to be held all the time. (But it's also okay to want a break!)

3. You don't need to buy everything from the baby registry lists. Take your time to find whats right for you.

I’m very much a prepper… and the amount of stuff I had that I never used was crazy. I wanted everything from the lists in case I needed it. Even though I planned to breastfeed I still bought a pump, steriliser, bottle warmer, bottles etc… because surely I’d need that from day one? When the reality is that so much can be bought last minute as and when you need it, as your circumstances change.

Online registry lists are definitely helpful for a guide - but it can lead you down a path of buying what’s being marketed the most… rather than what you need. And any freebies given were never really worth it in my opinion.

BUT. Some things are easier to get before baby arrives. Or at least find out more about. Because thinking and comparing things when a newborn is needing your attention can be tricky.

We are carrying mammals and yet so much emphasis is on having a pram ready for our babies arrival... when in reality a carrier can be used much more in those early days, particularly around the house to make a cuppa.

So make the most of sling libraries and find out more in person about what kind of carrier might work for you (because how can you tell if you like fabric from an online listing). And don't do what I did... because that Amazon registry list carrier I was convivned I needed ended up being a fabric I hated and never fitted me properly. And booking in for the sling library 3 weeks postpartum changed my whole experience of motherhood.

What do you wish you’d known back in those days of getting ready for your little one to arrive?