No one can deny that looking after a baby is hard work - sleepless nights, learning to understand what each cry means and constantly keeping an eye on them. For any new parents, these hacks can help to make each day a little easier.

Your baby learns an incredible amount during the first year of their life, simply through observation. Thanks to day-to-day interaction, it’s easy to stimulate your baby’s brain without the use of expensive or fancy toys.

Becoming a big brother or sister is a huge responsibility for a child, especially if it’s just been them and you for a good few years. Give them the encouragement and confidence to be excited about the addition, their new best friend.

Your baby may not remember their first year, but don’t let that stop you from doing lots of fun and special things with them. Introduce your baby to new experiences and take plenty of photos to look back on and share with your child when they’re all grown up.

It can be difficult to decide what gift to buy for a baby shower. You’re worried about getting something the new parents already have or would rather choose themselves, or doubling up with someone else, so you end up wandering around the baby aisles picking up items and changing your mind until you drive yourself mad.

Your body nurtures your baby for 9 months before you get to meet them. You feel all of the moves, bumps and kicks before bringing them into the world.

You only have a few weeks before you welcome your new baby into the world and your focus has been on making sure you have everything your baby needs. The crib has been built, the car seat has been fitted, you’ve signed up to a pediatrician and you now have enough babygrows to last a month.

The first year of your baby’s life can really fly by. They may not seem to be doing much at all, and then suddenly they’re laughing, sitting, clapping, crawling and feeding themselves - all before their first birthday.