How to look after your first Bebo Boomer

I've been doing this Daddy job for a week now and, so far, the social work haven't removed her and she doesn't yell too much. Apparently, though, this investment can go down as well as up (and in about 13 years' time, all over the place).

The web, specifically the blogosphere, has proven more timely and in-depth than even Spock. It's almost certainly a great place to be for the increasing number of young mothers we're seeing in our schools, if only they knew how to find this stuff (cue tenuous but very real educational link).

Here are my top Bebo Boomer websites for anyone else awaiting their first babe.

Facebook and Twitter
In preparation for B-Day (geddit?) I asked if anyone had "some last minute advice for a first baby" on Facebook, where by-and-large only my friends and close workmates can see what I'm up to. Their advice was entertaining when we were feeling like she would never come out to join us, helpful in future years, I'm sure.

As I left hospital in the wee small hours of Monday morning I broke out the T-Mobile MDA, uploaded the pic I had snapped in my theatre scrubs and updated my status on Facebook and Twitter: "Ewan is welcoming Catriona Louise McIntosh to the world".

Waking up to Facebook the next day the 12-hour old Catriona had received nearly 100 messages from all over the world. The smurf was a veritable global citizen before she even reaches her first lunch. Importantly, by doing the same on Twitter, her dad started receiving lots of tips from more 'experienced' bloggers, and managed to let most of the folk I really care about, all that extended off- and online family, know that the day had arrived. A lot cheaper than the mobile phone.

Flickr
With one aunt in Spain, the other in Kenya, one grandma in France, and various McIntoshes scattered throughout the UK, the most important thing has been photos. People want to see the weeyin as soon as possible. We want her to be 'safe' online. While posting a few photos to the general public is pretty harmful harmless, most are posted to Friends and/or Family on Flickr.com, the photo-sharing site.

I had to remember to double-check who was a friend and who was not, and do some shifting over of people who were once just random Contacts into the Friends category. Some friends had to take the jump and sign up, too, or not see anything. But by and large it's been the biggest thing for colleagues in the school to keep in touch with mum while she's been at home.

It's also nice to see the shots others grab - otherwise it looks like Catriona is from a single-parent family, with dad behind the camera all the time. Make sure you ask your relatives to tag their photos with the baby's tag: catrionamcintosh, like mum did with the one at the top of this post. It also helps if people create a wee set for the wee person.

If you're feeling altruistic you can also give some tips based on what you've learned at 2am when she's doing what babies do, all at once - a small Flickr explanation of getting your changing area prepared.

The Dirty Diaper Diaries
Andy Carvin's wife and daughter Kayleigh produce some fantastic video blogs to help you with those things that no-one ever tells you about. Taking a five-week baby to New Zealand I can't express how grateful we are for such wonders as Air Travel with Baby and Diaper Change In The Sky.

Babyworld
This isn't any old baby advice site - it's run by midwives across the UK. If you can't find the answer to your question on there then you can ask it and have it answered in double-quick time. Importantly, you have some reassurance on the quality of the advice here.

Baby Name Wizard
We knew we were having a 'she' and that it would be called Catriona, a necessary scientific intervention if you want to order plane tickets for an unborn child. If you aren't so sure though you don't get much time to decide - 21 days after the birth of your child the police and social work department will be knocking at your door with some cuffs if you haven't managed to register the birth of your child. Baby Name Wizard is an amazing app that shows you the development of certain names over time from 1880 to the current day. No-one, apparently, is called Catriona in the USA.

Bugaboo Daytrips
We're traveling a fair bit with this one over the next few months: Auckland, Christchurch, Amsterdam, London, Paris... Although you might know these cities for your average pleasant stroll, when you're with a stroller you need to think again - cobbles, narrow pavements, steep hills, they're not fun with a pram. Bugaboo give you some 3D and 2D itineraries to keep baby, stroller and parents happy. I'll be adding my own New Zealand ones there soon.

HowToCleanAnything.com
The domain name speaks for itself - run a search for baby or vomit or whatever you're looking for and they will tell you what to clean it with.

Get that domain name
Finally, thanks to Mark P. of Coffee Break Spanish and TwitterLearn fame for grabbing CatrionaMcIntosh.com and putting up something pretty. He and his family also sent over some beautiful clothes and a toy to keep bub amused during those nappy changes.

Anything I've missed? Any top tips from other mums and dads out there? Here's my contribution, but this may be the last baby post on this blog, so take your chances now!

Comments

[John]

Nice observation, thanks. I don’t visit your blog every day, but when I
visit your blog I enjoy browsing through your old posts and try to catch up
what I have missed since my last visit.

[Katy MacDougall (from Enquire)]

I like the idea that young parents could find support from online communities. A group of young mothers I met a couple of years ago got support from a dedicated member of education authority staff to stay in school education during pregnancy and after giving birth. But often young parents don't know that their education authority should identify whether they have additional support needs and, if they do, should give them support in their education. I think the group I met also found it really helpful to be able to meet up with each other - they knew they were not alone. Some young parents feel stigmatised, and online information, advice and places to chat could really help with this.

P.S. Ewan - thanks for blogging about safety considerations with the photos. When you say "While posting a few photos to the general public is pretty harmful", do you mean harmful, or harmless? Thanks.

[Erica]

Congratulations! I have to agree with flickr, I've been adding photos since Erin was born and we have over 300, so nice to look back on, and a godsend when I haven't had time to scrapbook 'real' photos.

[andy carvin]

Thanks for mentioning Dirty Diaper Diaries, Ewan. We've been having a lot of fun with it over the last few months. We've also created a social network for the site called the Dirty Diaper Brigade. The idea is to encourage other new parents to share their own tips or upload videos they've made. So far it hasn't caught on as much as the blog itself, but we're still hopeful parents will want to use it.

[John]

With this start Catriona will end up a luddite in a tipi with no electricity or internet access;-)
Seriously: good advice for the connected parent.

[Anne Fox]

Generally I think travelling with a very young child is quite easy. My older girl went with us on a trip to Strasbourg when she was 3 months old and ended up in the EU Parliamentary chamber at one point and our younger daughter came with us to a wedding in the UK when she was six weeks old (after starting life with a lung infection). The worst part of travelling is not being able to hold the baby for various safety and legal reasons. Babies are much calmer when they're held.

Congratulations and wishes for all kinds of wonderful things for Catriona and Mom and Dad. I've been blogging lately about how our own nest has become empty this week, so I've been remembering our own first days of parenthood. As an older dad, here's one bit of advice: (1) Get Solve your child's sleep problems by Ferber. Now. It restored our sanity!
Many blessings on all of you!

[tom]

The post about the sleep book was mine. My apologies for not completing the personal data. Again, all the best! Tom

[Jon Husband]

Congratulations, Ewan and Mrs. Ewan, on your beautiful new daughter !

[Alan Dawson]

Congratulations to you both, Catriona looks like a fine baby.

I have a one year old and a 26 and 25 year old. One baby girl and two strapping sons.

My advice is to take all advice advisedly. That is look for advice when you need it but look at your daughter too and do what is right for her.

All the good advice out there is based on individual experience and even the the experts are writing from a perspective. Don't get worked up if she isn't doing what the book says she should be doing or ESPECIALLY what the little community of babies who were born at the same time and who you or mummy know can do, and Catriona isn't yet. There is plenty of time don't rush her!

Enjoy her company and be human with her, that is, make oodles of time with no pressures from other things (computers etc). This time is the best and it isn't going to last, it is so precious.

Yes take photos etc but embed her into your heart through your senses; your eyes, your ears, your nose, your touch.

Enjoy your new bundle of life, you are so privileged to have her.

Alan

[Darika]

Congratulations! She is absolutely beautiful. Loving the phrase "Bebo Boomer" - did you coin that?

[Ewan McIntosh]

It's a wee coinage from one of my blog posts a couple of months back. No TM yet ;-)

[Brenda Frisk]

Congratulations Ewan to you and your wife! Before you know it you will be landing in NZ with new baby in tow!

If you are flying Air New Zealand they have great little baby bassinets that attach to the front of the wall in bulkhead. Wish they had them for adults as well :)

Safe flying.

[Rax Lakhani]

Hi Ewan - Congratulations! She'll be stuck with the name "Bebo Boomer" for life now... ;)

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