Coming from a large family - there are 20 in my generation if you count my cousins from both sides and the next generation is well under way, so I have some previous experience with babies.
You know - the kind you can give back to their parents when they cry.
While it's nowhere near the same as being a parent, I already knew a few useful things about babies.
For one thing, they are nowhere near as fragile as some people seem to think and while this doesn't mean I'm rough with Abbie, I'm not so terrified of breaking her either.
I also knew how to change an nappy, that blue lips meant wind and even how to bath a baby.
The following, however are things I've learnt, about my baby at least, since becoming a parent myself:
Baby poo is probably more projectile than vomit.
Whatever lotion or potion you already have is the wrong one to treat whatever minor condition your baby has.
My local chemist's name is Steve (related to the lesson above).
Bibs are more useful for collecting sick than food.
Nighttime feeds do less damage to a good night's sleep than a snoring husband.
Babies think every problem they have can be solved by food.
Daddy is better at settling his crying bub because she can't sense a feed on him.
A baby can create an entire load of washing in one nappy change - even if she is in disposables.
Modern cloth nappies are easier to use than the old school squares, but they bump up bub's clothing size by one.
Babies born by cesarean section often have snotty noses for the first six weeks or so - adding yet another bodily fluid to deal with.
And last but not least:
There is nothing more uplifting than your baby looking up at you and smiling.