A letter from Bee for Colic Awareness Month + win baby goodies

Advertisement feature in association with Infacol

Did you know that September is Colic Awareness Month? No, me neither. Only I do now obviously, as do you. To celebrate, if that’s the right word, I’m hosting a giveaway in association with InfacolInfacol is Britain’s number one colic remedy and has been used by generations of parents to soothe trapped wind, colic and griping pain.* It can be used form birth onwards, it’s sugar, alcohol and colourant-free.Colic awareness month

The prize bundle includes lots of treats for a new baby, including a sleep suit, some Infacol, Izzie the elephant cuddly toy and muslin cloth – head to the end of the post for details of how to enter.

Before you do that though, Bee has written a letter to her partner about all the things she was worried about before baby Joey was born.

I was worried that I wasn’t going to be a good mother. I was worried that someone would take our baby away from me. That they would look at me and wonder how I was ever even allowed to get pregnant. My mental health deteriorated so quickly during my pregnancy until I developed the ultimate imposter syndrome. Thank you for reminding me that I’m a good mother every day. On my worst days and my best days, you’re always there to remind me that I’m doing a good job. You’re always here to support me. Even when you’re away I know I can rely on you to make me feel better, whether that’s making me laugh, making me food or looking after the baby for a couple of hours after you get home from work while I just have some time to myself. I was so worried that I wasn’t going to be able to do it, but as long as you’re around I know that I can. I know we can do it together. Thank you for believing in me.

I was really worried about going to the hospital. I was worried that something would go wrong, that you wouldn’t be able to stay with me, that I would be in so much pain or my mental health would get even worse. I hated all of our hospital appointments, I hated leaving the house, but you encouraged me to go to them all without making me feel bad when I was able to face it. I wouldn’t have got through the pregnancy without you. When the big day came and I was induced, you kept really calm and everything went smoothly. You held my hand with every contraction and somehow they weren’t as painful with you there. We ended up having to stay at the hospital for a week which had been my biggest fear for the last six months because I hate being away from home and I hate hospitals even more. The first day that you left to go home was the worst, and by the time you came back our baby was in an incubator under blue lights and I had no idea when we were going to be able to go home. So thank you for helping me communicate how I felt to the midwives, thank you for staying with me as much as you could, for bringing me a sandwich and a coffee every morning from the cafe across the road and for turning my worst nightmare into some of the best memories I have with you and our baby, doing crosswords in the blue light of his little box and watching the sunrise and set through the huge open windows over the whole city.

Thank you for letting me know that it’s okay for him to cry sometimes, that I have to put myself first in order to be able to look after him. I’ve gone from taking him to the toilet with me in case he cried to being able to go downstairs and concentrate on making his bottle while he was desperate for it, knowing he would be okay when I got back up. It can be so hard hearing your baby cry when your emotions are all over the place, and when you don’t know how to make it stop you can feel like the worst parent in the world at three in the morning, which I have done regularly over these past eleven weeks. So thank you for letting me know that it’s okay for him to cry, that it’s okay that I can’t always read his mind and stop him from crying and that it’s okay for me to have a cry myself sometimes. Looking after him and myself is all about balance.

Thank you for encouraging me to be the best person and parent I can be. And for getting me a bubble tea every now and again.  

baby joey

Win a bundle of baby goodies

To enter my Infacol giveaway, for the chance to win a bundle of baby goodies, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what your biggest worry was before your first baby was born. Was it the birth? The sleepless nights? Or maybe you were worried about your baby crying and not knowing how to soothe them?

GOOD LUCK!

Find out more about Infacol and how it helps babies with colic.

BABY COMPETITION

The competition closes at the end of Colic Awareness Month – 11.59pm on September 30th 2019. A winner will be chosen at random and contacted with seven days using the email address used in the comment. (This is private.)

*https://www.infacol.co.uk. Based on 2018 unit sales data.

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98 Comments

  1. Lucy
    1 September, 2019 / 4:07 pm

    I think it was the knowing how to do everything when you got home and away from the hospital!

  2. Iain maciver
    1 September, 2019 / 4:16 pm

    lack of sleep

  3. Heather
    1 September, 2019 / 5:18 pm

    I’m currently 16 weeks pregnant with my first baby at 31 years of age. My biggest worry is something going wrong, I can’t see or feel anything yet therefore I’m not sure if everything is ok. I’m also terrified about something going wrong during labour! The pain, sleepless nights and loss of ‘freedom’ don’t worry me as we’ve been desperate for this little one

  4. Ruth Robinson
    1 September, 2019 / 8:04 pm

    everything id never been around kids or babies but the most worry was how to know when baby was hungry

  5. melanie stirling
    1 September, 2019 / 8:34 pm

    It was the birth that worried me the most, I never worried about the crying but little did I know!

  6. CLAIRE WOODS
    1 September, 2019 / 8:38 pm

    It was the birth. After that breast feeding and feeling I’d never get the hang of it, that it should come naturally and wasn’t. The teething stage wasn’t great either, not knowing what to do to ease it.

  7. Keith Hunt
    1 September, 2019 / 8:47 pm

    Sudden infant death syndrome

  8. Rebecca Nisbet
    1 September, 2019 / 8:51 pm

    my biggest fear was that i wouldn’t be good enough, that i would not know what to do, it was very scary, but it was true what everyone says, it just comes naturally.

  9. Margaret Mccaffery
    1 September, 2019 / 8:59 pm

    My main concern was , do I have to do this completely on my own?

  10. Julia Kerr
    2 September, 2019 / 2:25 am

    Sleeping, what if something happened while we were asleep and weren’t watching him

  11. Susan B
    2 September, 2019 / 3:47 am

    What a lovely post. My biggest worry was a bit bizarre: I thought my cats might scratch my baby and scar her for life, possibly damage her eyesight. Then it occured to me that the baby might hurt the cats when she was a little older, possibly cut off their ears with scissors. I knew it was irrational and of course, when she arrived, neither the cats nor my daughter ever harmed each other.

  12. 2 September, 2019 / 10:11 am

    Before my first child was born, at the age of 18, I was scared of not being able to support him, both financially and emotionally, as well as wondering if I were mature enough to have a child… I did a fantastic job, there was no need to worry!

  13. Mark Mccaffery
    2 September, 2019 / 11:41 am

    What if I suddenly fall asleep was at the top of my mind

  14. Solange
    2 September, 2019 / 1:11 pm

    My biggest worry was definitely the sleepless nights and potty training.

  15. Sarah Mccaffery
    2 September, 2019 / 1:13 pm

    My main worry was juggling looking after a child and getting back to work.

  16. Kristyn Harris
    2 September, 2019 / 2:40 pm

    I was worried that I wouldn’t bound with my baby. I needn’t have worried! I have always been very close to both my children luckily!

  17. Sue McCarthy
    3 September, 2019 / 4:07 pm

    I don’t have any children but would love to win this prize to donate to charity

  18. Rebecca Heminway
    3 September, 2019 / 4:12 pm

    Coping with lack of sleep! I get so low without sleep – think it’s quite a normal concern!

  19. Lyndsey
    3 September, 2019 / 4:42 pm

    Definately the birth!

  20. Rebecca Cusick
    3 September, 2019 / 5:00 pm

    I was most worried that I ‘d be so tired that I wouldn’t wake up when baby cried lol

  21. Jennifer Toal
    3 September, 2019 / 5:56 pm

    Not knowing how to do everything and being responsible for something so small

  22. Emma Ogilvie
    3 September, 2019 / 6:50 pm

    The lack of sleep

  23. Catherine Stewart
    3 September, 2019 / 6:56 pm

    I’m currently pregnant (due in six weeks-eek!). I’m worried about being able to juggle looking after my baby and returning to work full time, and of course the sleepless nights!

  24. Abbey Wales
    3 September, 2019 / 7:12 pm

    It has to be the breastfeeding journey for me, it’s something I want to do but am terrified it wont work and also how people will view it.

  25. Abbey Wales
    3 September, 2019 / 7:14 pm

    Definitely the breastfeeding journey, I’m so scared of doing it incorrectly or how I will be judged when out and about.

  26. Julie Jardine
    3 September, 2019 / 7:35 pm

    My biggest worry was choking I have always had a fear of choking and worry especially with children eating.

  27. Kim M
    3 September, 2019 / 8:11 pm

    Couldn’t think past the birth!

  28. Zahra bux
    3 September, 2019 / 9:22 pm

    My biggest worry was being a mother, would i be ok alone looking after him, would i feed, change and clothe him correctly etc.

  29. Natalie Burgess
    4 September, 2019 / 4:53 pm

    Mine was being worried that things wouldnt come naturally to me xx

  30. Clara
    4 September, 2019 / 5:10 pm

    I was worried about the baby being healthy

  31. Yasmin0147
    4 September, 2019 / 5:40 pm

    I was worried about whether I’d be a good mum

  32. Maria P
    5 September, 2019 / 11:46 am

    My biggest worry were the sleepless nights and how I will cope with them – I was lucky and my daughter loves to sleep :)

  33. Emilia Nastaly-Howard
    5 September, 2019 / 1:39 pm

    Lack of sleep…

  34. Emma-jane Dundas
    5 September, 2019 / 2:32 pm

    I worried a lot about the Labour, incase something went wrong etc. We did have quite a traumatic long labour but he’s here safe and I couldn’t have been that traumatised as I’m about to do it again for the 3rd time!

  35. 5 September, 2019 / 6:53 pm

    I was only young with my first so it was the birth and ‘how will i cope’ now im due number 8 in a few weeks and although those fears are still there at the back of my mind in a way, my fear now is something going wrong before/during/after birth

  36. mandydoherty65
    5 September, 2019 / 7:59 pm

    Worried about how I would cope when I left hospital and if I would know what to do when he cried

  37. Geri Gregg
    5 September, 2019 / 8:21 pm

    My biggest fear was that I wouldn’t know what to do. I had my son at 19 and was terrified I couldn’t change a nappy or know how to stop him crying. Those fears were silly tho as it all came naturally x

  38. Alica
    6 September, 2019 / 12:36 pm

    I had twins as my first pregnancy, twin one was bottom breach and I had pre-eclampsia, I think I was terrified of everything! lol My first grandchild is due any day now and I hope it will be much easier for my daughter.

  39. Jade Jones
    6 September, 2019 / 3:25 pm

    dealing with baby when they was crying and it made me feel helpless. As a parent you dont want to see your child in pain but its worse when youve tried everything. I end up cryign witht hem just because its so horrible to see them in pain

  40. Holly King
    6 September, 2019 / 3:56 pm

    Definitely the birth as kept being told he is a big baby

  41. Janet L Palmer
    6 September, 2019 / 6:47 pm

    God I think everything was a worry with my first! I think my biggest worry was would I be good enough, would I make a good mum!

  42. Katie Skeoch
    6 September, 2019 / 9:30 pm

    Before my first i was concerned about bonding, it happened so instantly though

  43. Rosemary
    7 September, 2019 / 1:10 am

    I only have 2 months left before my baby comes into the world, a truely much wanted and long awaited baby. My worry is now being so close to birth that something really bad could happen naturally in my body that causes baby not to be birthed alive. It would break my heart.

  44. Laura Norcop
    7 September, 2019 / 5:10 am

    I was worried I would be bored and fed up of being stuck at home…don’t get me wrong, it has its moments, but looking back now with an 18 month old and pregnant with our second I know those moments were few and far between and now I long to be bored – there’s always something that needs doing, wiping or playing with :)

  45. 7 September, 2019 / 3:32 pm

    I was worried that I would be an awful Mother and that there was no way I would be able to cope with a baby, then a 2nd baby, then a 3rd

  46. Gemma Ewer
    8 September, 2019 / 6:17 pm

    I had had alot of problems throughout both of my pregnancies so through both of them i was always worried

  47. Claire Markham
    9 September, 2019 / 9:41 pm

    To be honest I didn’t have any worries I just went with the flow. I think people put too much pressure on themselves to be perfect but you need to find your own way of doing things and not listen to too much advice off other people

  48. Lindsey Stuart
    10 September, 2019 / 11:06 am

    My biggest worry was the labour, I am expecting our third baby and still my biggest worry is the labour, I am unsure why I am obsessing over it because I know when the time comes I won’t be worrying as I will be in the moment! (If that makes sense)

  49. Donna Tomlin
    10 September, 2019 / 4:28 pm

    My main concern was not being good enough for her

  50. Ursula Hunt
    11 September, 2019 / 10:31 am

    My biggest concern was cot death and how to sleep her safely

  51. Nicola
    11 September, 2019 / 8:50 pm

    I’m 20 weeks pregnant with my first and my biggest worry is not making it full term (although i try not to think about it as I like to stay positive). I just know how grateful I will feel once I have him in my arms and know he’s healthy. Now I know what it feels like to be pregnant and have a human growing inside me I feel so deeply for anyone who loses a baby. I’ve only had him in my life for 20 weeks and without even meeting him I love him so much. Motherhood is amazing and I can’t wait for the rest of it!

  52. Adrian Bold
    12 September, 2019 / 11:03 am

    Our main concern was definitely money. Having friends who have their own young children, we knew that it was going to be a struggle on our income.

  53. cheryl price
    12 September, 2019 / 4:21 pm

    I was really worried about the birth it absolutely scared me to death!

  54. sam macaree
    12 September, 2019 / 5:56 pm

    keeping them growing well

  55. 13 September, 2019 / 9:45 am

    Sleepless nights are always a worry

  56. Claire V
    13 September, 2019 / 10:56 am

    I was worried most about the birth as I’m scard of needles and have low pain thresh hold. Having already helped bring up my step children I was confident I could cope after the birth.

  57. Pam Smith
    14 September, 2019 / 8:18 am

    I was worried that I would be a useless mother and that I wouldn’t be able to cope with the responsibility of looking after a tiny, helpless human when I could barely look after myself.

  58. 14 September, 2019 / 5:35 pm

    i was worried about the birth and the pain!!

  59. Julie Ward
    15 September, 2019 / 12:01 am

    Being a useless mum, I’m not maternal, I’m not doing to bad though

  60. Rebecca Banks
    15 September, 2019 / 10:30 pm

    I was scared about not knowing how to be a mum to a newborn. I have never been around babies so was so anxious!

  61. Lucy Catherine Barrell
    17 September, 2019 / 11:35 am

    My worry was failing as a mother struggling with all aspects of parenting.

  62. Yvonne Pearson
    18 September, 2019 / 9:28 am

    I was mostly worried about what temperature we should keep the house (“Baby must be kept warm”) because the hospital was sweltering and I was worried that if I didn’t keep the same temperature he would suffer and if I did keep the same temperature I would pass out! Luckily my health visitor was very reassuring!

  63. Gizem Y
    18 September, 2019 / 12:56 pm

    Normal spontaneous vaginal delivery..

  64. Natasha Gandy
    20 September, 2019 / 12:47 pm

    The early days of the pregnancy were a worry as you really were just left to hope it all went well and then the early days of the baby being born were also a worry. It is all worth it in the end though :) x

  65. Rona Williams
    21 September, 2019 / 8:06 pm

    My biggest fear was that I wouldn’t hear my baby at night!

  66. Adrian Price
    22 September, 2019 / 12:09 pm

    the sleepless nights

  67. Hayley Marshall
    24 September, 2019 / 12:55 pm

    My biggest worry was what if something bad happened, in fact I was so anxious I bought a sats monitor just to put my mind at rest, which turned out to be the best thing I ever did as it detected a rare lung disease that she had.

  68. Jamie Butt
    24 September, 2019 / 6:51 pm

    I was worried in case my baby was hurting when crying and I wouldn’t understand what was wrong to make her better

  69. Nikki Campbell
    24 September, 2019 / 11:45 pm

    My biggest worry was having to leave them to go back to work.

  70. kerri-marie Davidson
    25 September, 2019 / 9:26 am

    Im currently pregnant with our first child and nervous about everything!! From the actual birth to coming home and having to figure everything out on our own, but at the same time we can’t wait!!

  71. Laura Bryant
    25 September, 2019 / 3:05 pm

    I’m due my first baby in November and I’m worried that I won’t be ready in time as baby’s dad was 8 weeks early

  72. 26 September, 2019 / 10:15 am

    When I had my 1st, I’d read so many magazines about pregnancy and birth but when I was handed my daughter and left alone, I panicked. I had no idea what to do with her. I’d prepared myself for everything apart from how to actually look after a baby – it was a shock but we got there in the end, I guess we just have to x

  73. Danielle Spencer
    27 September, 2019 / 2:54 am

    My sister is due a baby and the end of the year / beginning of next, I’m worried that I won’t know why the baby is crying or if she won’t bond with me.

  74. Niki Marie Wardle
    28 September, 2019 / 4:09 pm

    Worrying my other children would feel left out

  75. Allan Fullarton
    28 September, 2019 / 4:30 pm

    Cot death is/was a real fear for me. Such an awful thing.

  76. Kerry K
    29 September, 2019 / 11:04 am

    EVERYTHING!! I was 36 when I had my first, and had never even held a baby before! Super scary to be responsible for another little human being! X

  77. Laura Pritchard
    29 September, 2019 / 1:47 pm

    My biggest worry was the birth but that ended up being very quick & positive!

  78. Dionne Harford
    29 September, 2019 / 2:35 pm

    That my milk wouldn’t be enough for my baby

  79. sharon martin
    29 September, 2019 / 3:26 pm

    my biggest fear was what if i fell asleep and didn’t hear my baby wake up

  80. Karen R
    29 September, 2019 / 4:48 pm

    Before I was pregnant I was most worried about the fact that people would know I was pregnant! And as for parenthood, I’ve always been most stressed by the birthday parties each year – urgh I hate them!

  81. Angela Dowling
    29 September, 2019 / 9:24 pm

    Giving birth was the worse worry

  82. Claire Hennighan
    29 September, 2019 / 10:41 pm

    The birth

  83. jackierushton103
    30 September, 2019 / 6:11 am

    I worried about not knowing how to look after my little one properly!

  84. Miss Samantha J Butler
    30 September, 2019 / 10:21 am

    My biggest fear was not able to be a proper mum. Make sure i was feeding the right amount changing everything was a fear if I’m honest but I taught myself and my eldest is 16 now proud mummy right hear and I just kept learning from their

  85. Samantha buntain
    30 September, 2019 / 10:34 am

    Mines was the worry of maybe I would know what they are wanting when they are wanting it… it genuinely came naturally

  86. Jennifer cairns
    30 September, 2019 / 1:01 pm

    Just panicked about how I was going to cope with a newbaby

  87. paula cheadle
    30 September, 2019 / 1:04 pm

    The labour has I hate pain

  88. Danielle Graves
    30 September, 2019 / 1:55 pm

    I was genuinely worried about if I’d be a good mum. Could I make them happy and feel loved and provide them with everything they need.

  89. Lindsey Stuart
    30 September, 2019 / 3:21 pm

    I was absolutely petrified of labour 8 years ago when i was expecting my daughter, Now I am expecting a baby due in 8 weeks time and am again absolutely petrified. I wasn’t anxious at the beginning of pregnancy it’s just as the time of arrival almost approaches I over think and panic all the time!
    I remember when my daughter was born 8 years ago I was scared of cot death.

  90. sarah Morris
    30 September, 2019 / 6:40 pm

    It was the though of giving birth and the pain, but once they are in your arms u forget about it til next time

  91. Theresa Thomas
    30 September, 2019 / 8:04 pm

    I was worried I wouldn’t wake up in the night (I am a very heavy sleeper)

  92. Leanne Perrett
    30 September, 2019 / 8:21 pm

    my biggest worry was bath times it seemed so hard to start with but i soon got used to it

  93. Christina Towers
    30 September, 2019 / 8:33 pm

    I was worried I couldn’t be a good mum, that I’d get everything wrong

  94. Tammy Neal
    30 September, 2019 / 9:36 pm

    Keeping my baby safe x

  95. Monika Bascombe
    30 September, 2019 / 10:47 pm

    With both my children my biggest fear was that they would vomit milk and night and choke , and I would find dead baby in the cot in the morning…

  96. Catherine Thomas
    30 September, 2019 / 11:21 pm

    Wow so many worries it’s hard to choose but I guess it’s maybe breast feeding as I’m unsure wether it we will both take to it or not.

  97. Summer Rowley
    30 September, 2019 / 11:55 pm

    The biggest worry would be whether I would cope with feeding her on my own through the night!

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