These are the posts from other bloggers that I read the most while I was pregnant. I wanted to have everything ready, sitting in the nursery, when we got home from the hospital. So I spent hours searching the internet, seeing what made life easier for other new mums and now it's my turn to share with you. These are the things I would recommend having at home before giving birth, in no particular order.
Burp Cloths
We use about 6 of these everyday. For vomit, dribble and leaking milk, it's unbelievable how useful these cloths are! They are scattered all through the house, just in case Samuel decides he can't keep his milk down. I have found that the classic towelling cloths aren't as absorbent as terry towelling, as the liquid dribbles straight down instead of in. I also recommend ones that are big enough to fit over your shoulder.
Nursing Bra
Considering that all you do in the newborn stage is feed, change nappies and sleep, it is super important to be able to nurse comfortably and quickly all the time. I bought a couple of nursing bras from Fayreform and a sleeping singlet from bonds (which is so comfortable). A few nursing singlets, for daytime use, are great so that you can layer and feed without needing to strip off completely!
Breastfeeding Cover
Feeding in public was a very daunting idea at first and whilst I can appreciate the beauty and wonder of breastfeeding, there is no way I would be able to have everything on show in public. That's why the breastfeeding cover is gold! It gave me the privacy I needed to be relaxed enough to feed Samuel in restaurants, shopping centres and even at home when we have visitors. I've been using the one that I made when I was pregnant, which you can find here, and I'm pretty happy with it. The reinforced top is great for watching Samuel and ensuring that the milk is going into his mouth and not all over me! The only thing is my little man gets quite warm under there, so in the coming weeks I'm going to make one from muslin. I know I could just use a swaddle, but it's nice to know that it's not going to fall off and great being able to watch Sam.
This is a little beauty! It's invaluable to track sleep, feedings, nappies, growth and more. I do feed on demand but it's great to help me to remember which side to start feeding from. I also track pumping. I did start out tracking nappies (because our feeding started out so slowly) but now it's clear we are making enough changes, so I've stopped using that function. The growth charts are great for seeing which percentile Sam is tracking along. I also think that the uses of the app will evolve as Sam grows and we add in solid foods, activities, potty use and others. We did start out using pen and paper, but I was far more consistent with the app. Totally worth the $2.99 I paid for it!
Breast Pump
I was a little worried when I purchased this, that I might have been wasting my money but I couldn't have been more wrong. With Sam's jaundice, I was exclusively pumping for him for several weeks and it was great not sending Mr J out on a mission to purchase one while we were in hospital. I have the Medela Swing Breast Pump. It's great. 10 minutes each side, a couple of little things to sterilise and there's a meal in a bottle! At times I wish I had the Medela Freestyle Breast Pump, which expresses both sides at the same time, but I picked mine up on special at Toys'R'Us for $99, so it was a huge bargain.
Bonds Wondersuits
I know that it is recommended to swaddle your baby for the first couple of months but Samuel was Houdini when it came to getting out of them! He would only sleep if his little arms were out and above his head! So the Bonds Wondersuits, with their little built in hand and feet covers, were great to combat this. They also have zips to make for a quick change, double zips so you don't need to completely undress bub at every nappy change and are made of cotton (nice and cool for Queensland weather). They also come in look a like sleeping bags, which are just as great. The cute factor is an added bonus. We also had a couple of Love-to-Dream Swaddles, Plum Sleeping Sacks and an ErgoPouch which we used.
Disposable Breast Pads
I took re-usable breast pads to the hospital with us and learnt the hard way that they really aren't that absorbent. A little bit of leakage and they were soaked through! So, on our way home I picked up some Pigeon brand, disposable breast pads and it's amazing how great they are. They are so much more absorbent, a little annoying to wear but better than the alternative!
Water Bottle
I know most people have this already but don't underestimate the use it will get! When breastfeeding you really need to keep your fluids up, then if you are on any type of laxative following the birth (like me), you will need more fluids again!! About 6 litres a day is what my doctor told me to aim for. I didn't buy a fancy water bottle, instead we have a collection of 8 x 500 mL bottles in the fridge, which we refill. This really helps me to keep track of how much water I've had!
Other Items which aren't Must Haves but we Love
Sound Monitor with Sensor Pads - Ours is an Angelcare Movement and Sound Monitor that was a gift but I know they are expensive. The sensor pads sound an alarm if it doesn't detect movement for 15 seconds. Samuel went through a stage where he was holding his breath and the alarm went off several times, so for obvious reason I think it's great. False alarms would be annoying though!
A dummy - it might just be the thing you need to settle bub in the middle of the night when you are exhausted. We introduced ours at 5 weeks.
Huggies Wipes Dispenser - opens with just one hand!
Playmat/Rockers - it's great to have a couple of options for putting bub down. We have a Steelcraft Rocker, a Playgro Sensory Mat and Bright Start Activity Gym!
Do you have anything that you made those first weeks easier or just made for a happier baby?
Phoebe
xo
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