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From mums to Meghan

27 March 2019 

As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex prepare to welcome their first child, Charlotte Duck asks mums for the single best piece of parenting advice they’ve been given.

It can’t have escaped anyone’s notice that there’s another royal baby due this spring. While Meghan and Harry will no doubt have the support of a legion of royal helpers, we asked real mums and parenting bloggers for the best piece of advice they’d been given, to pass on to the royal couple. You never know, it might be useful for you, too.

There are some great perks that come with being born royal (a massive nursery, 24/7 staff and lots of corgis to play with) but there are downsides: from day one, this baby will be one of the most famous tots in the world, with everything it does, wears and babbles scrutinised. That’s why it’s important Meghan and Harry remember “Don’t compare your baby with other children,” says mum of two Maria Lawton. Of course, everyone’s going to be busy talking about this new baby, but Jo Coles, mum of one, says the best advice she was given was to remember to talk to your baby, too. “From when they’re born, I recommend it. About just anything, so they get used to the sound of words, how you speak and to recognise different voices and tones.”

Ask most parents and they’ll say the biggest challenge of a new baby, royal or not, is sleep deprivation. Meghan might have expert advice on hand, but surely even she isn’t averse to a bit of 3am googling? Natasha Rawdon-Rego, mum of two, says her go-to advice is: “The day you let go of the idea that you will sleep properly again is the day you will properly start to love motherhood.” When you’ve tried every trick in the book (well, the seven different parenting books), Erica Fitchie, mum of two, says she found the motto “Everything is just a phase” very useful to remember. They will not always wake up screaming four times a night… sometimes it’ll only be twice. Whether they’re born a prince or not, babies bring havoc into our carefully constructed worlds and, mum of two Gail Hilton says she was told it’s important to remember “you can’t control the baby and all the other stuff that happens around having a newborn, you can only control how you react to it all”.

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Meghan, like most new parents, is likely to be inundated with practical advice from friends and family but we asked our mums for their top tips. Hypnobirthing teacher Tahnee Knowles (bumpandmindretreats.co.uk) advises stocking up on coconut oil. “I use it for absolutely everything: stretch marks, perineal massage, as nipple cream to soothe in the early breastfeeding days, and for baby massage.” Mum and fashion journalist Dana Karlson (www.danakarlson.com) shares her words of wisdom when dressing your baby: “Buttons look cute but are terrible – stick with zippers.” Talking of clothes, mum of two Laura Head tells Meghan to remember baby vests are designed that way for a reason: “The envelope neck can be pulled down over the baby’s body and doesn’t have to be taken off over their head. Very useful for explosive occasions.” Some of the challenges Meghan and Harry face will be completely different from those of most new parents (it’s unlikely they’ll find themselves down to the last nappy), but many will be the same. Instagram educator and mum of two Kia Cannons (www.instagram.com/sticksandink) says her best piece of advice would be: “You are the centre of your child’s world from the ages of three to eight; you get five years, use them wisely.”