When you become a mum, life is no longer simple. You need to learn tons of new skills - quickly. Yet there are a number of tricks that can make life a whole load easier - sadly you usually discover these way too late when you’re already dangerously sleep-deprived. So, for all my new mum readers, here are my top tips, tricks and hacks - don’t all thank me at once!

There’s no need to tiptoe around when baby is sleeping

It’s not necessary to be quiet while your baby is sleeping. Your baby has been in your womb, which is about as noisy as having an orchestra in your living room. Basically, your baby is well used to noises, and some particularly ugly ones at that. So, contrary to popular belief, you can watch TV as well as vacuum or blow dry your hair when they’re napping (there goes your excuse for not having done your chores). In fact, making ‘white noise’ should be actively encouraged - it will get your baby used to sleeping with noise and into a sleep routine much quicker.

Calming a crying baby

… is a nightmare. As they can’t articulate themselves, crying is a new baby’s default setting. It could be anything - from hunger, to exhaustion, to over-stimulation, to boredom. My top tip here is to work through a mental checklist for all the biggies - offer them your breast, if that doesn’t work, pop them in their Moses basket, if that doesn’t work try taking off a layer of clothing, if THAT doesn’t work add another… going through this ritual will ensure you don’t panic and ring your other half crying down the phone.

Make the most of your time whilst he/she is in bed

Once your baby makes it through the newborn stage, you’ll settle into a routine (of sorts). You’ll know when to wheel out the Petit Filous and when’s a good time to catch up on last night’s Celebrity Big Brother. Just ensure you’re de-stressing when the time presents itself. Don’t feel pressured to keep a perfect house or put on make-up - if the house looks like a bomb has hit it when hubby comes home, at least he’ll understand quickly how things will be from this point on. Basically, lower his expectation from day 1, so you look extra awesome whenever you manage to fling the vacuum cleaner around.

Don’t let baby fall asleep mid-feed

If your baby nods off while feeding, try blowing on her or stroking her cheek. She needs to be fully sated before dropping off as this will promote a longer and more restful sleep. Your baby also needs to learn how to self-soothe without a breast or bottle lest she become dependent on these for the next few years. Trust me, you don’t want that.

Use He that helped you make them. As much as is humanly possible

Involve your other half as much as you possibly can. Not only is this great for baby as she can experience new sights and smells, it’s also invaluable for your other half so he can develop a lifetime bond with baby. Too often men feel pushed out as nature didn’t provide them with the body needed to sustain baby, so give them responsibilities they can make their own, for example, the bedtime story. Resist the urge to creep in and share in the experience - in months to come you’ll appreciate that hour alone more than you’ll know.

Anther tip, if the baby cries, let dad handle the baby first. This will help your baby learn that there is someone other than mummy to tend to her needs.

Add a waterproof layer to your moses basket or crib

There’s nothing worse than waking in the middle of the night and having to strip baby’s bedding (and her) as a result of an exploded nappy. This is made all the worse when this seeps through to the mattress and needs disinfecting. Chances are, baby will then wind up in bed with you whilst her bed dries out. This will blow your baby’s mind, and in all likelihood they’ll love it so much they’ll reject their cot regularly.

So my top tip is to line your crib with a waterproof mattress protector so you can simply whip off the damp sheets when disaster strikes. To make the crib extra comfy, you can also roll up a towel and place inside a pillowcase, then place it around baby’s head to simulate the encased position they would be in the womb.

Let’s face it, a waterproof sheet is just one of hundreds of products you’ll need to buy for baby. There’s also nursery furniture, clothing, bedding, pushchairs, toys… the list goes on. In fact, you’ll find yourself regularly hitting the aisles of Mothercare and filling your trolley with essentials. To ease the financial burden of this, make full use of discount codes from site such as Deals Lands where you’ll find a variety of Mothercare Discount Codes to make parenthood more affordable.

There you go. Mummy hacks by the truckload. If you have one to add, do leave a comment below.