MSE Newborn to 1 year Baby Club 1

martafdz

Nereis , as a new mum, I'd wish people would have bought me more sleepsuits and less flowers lol. For me, distilled witch hazel (check that's the only ingredient and has no alcohol, Boots has it) for the maternity pads, it relieves a lot of the soreness. I've just run out and I wish I had more. I bought infacol and dentinox, but have not usedany so far, and I hope I won't have to! I don't have Gaviscon for babies, and again I hope I won't have to buy it. I asked about it to our GP and he said he needs to see the baby first and check if it's really needed, as it has side effects. I thought it was one of those things to have "just in case" but it's not, so I'm not buying it. I love my tippitoes natural sea sponge for babies, it's so soft and flexible, my baby loves it. We were given two normal baby sponges but there's no comparison. Check it out online,it comes in a storage box. I have a dummy for newborns, but I have not used it. Arnica bath soak from Mum & me, also for mum and available at Boots. I honestly can say that the best present I got was a pack of sleepsuits with integrated mittens, my baby cannot scratch herself and I don't have to figure out at 3am where the other mitten went. Muslin cloths, I have about 20 and I don't think I have enough as they keep being washed! No bath/shower gel/ perfume for baby, the midwife didn't recommend any as yet. A sling could be a nice present too, just a stretchy one, something to have at home to soothe baby and allow you to be hands free, I'm looking into buying one of those myself, I have a carrier but I want this one just to move around, and be at home. An emergency bottle and a couple of small cartons of formula, even if she plans to breastfeed, sometimes things don't go to plan, I had that experience myself! Aptamil is the most similar one to breastmilk. Any nightie that has buttons on the front for breastfeeding. I ddon't fancy chocolate at all since labour but I'm suddenly interested in nuts!!

I'm really tempted, savage, it will have to go onto my credit card though, and not knowing if I'll work after maternity allowance is stressing me out. I know they want me back... but now I have this little treasure here, idk if I want to be back in June!!! She'll be six months, it just feels like too early. I suddenly want to be at home 24/7 with her!! But I have my own debts to pay + PhD fees, so I guess something will have to be done!! If I buy it now, it will work out at £20 per month during maternity, I guess I can try to save that money monthly... I bet we will get use of it. How are you doing?

*Nutella*

Nereis, I agree with Gilly that being there for her is the best thing you can do. Bring her food - ideally nice and nutritious stuff that can be eaten with one hand and/or cold! Hold the baby whilst she has a hot drink or a shower. Make your own tea and do the washing up afterwards. Other than that, maybe Sudocrem, maternity mats (from Boots - great for putting under your sheet to protect your matress from all sorts of bodily substances in the first couple of weeks after the birth - not glamourous, but very useful!), muslins (you really can't have too many), painkillers, multivitamins (Pregnacare New Mum are great - not cheap, but usually on 3 for 2 in Boots), a hooded towel for baby...

If money is no object, or if you want to get together with a few friends to get her something, some 'flowers' from here (or a similar company) make a nice and unusual present: www.theflowerstork.com/gbu0-catshow/baby_bouquet.htmlflowers

Someone asked a similar question on here a few months back, but I can't find it now You could try searching for it.

Will post again if I think of anything else - I think I'm having a baby brain moment!

Oh, and if you know some of the other people who will be buying her presents, discuss who's buying what - we got tons of sleep suits, vests, nappies and wipes (28 packs!), I had to run around the shops trying to exchange stuff as we couldn't use all the clothes and nappies before they got too small.

dizziblonde

Owww! Just blitzed down some beef casserole to freeze into baby portions (I don't blitz much down these days but the beef was rather chunky) and did my usual thing of half of it going flying around the kitchen instead - fresh out of the slow cooker so flipping hot to end up all over you!

jediquigley

Yes healthy snacks is a must...I have almonds and raisens by my bedside. Also 9 bars are pretty healthy, slow release sugar snack bars you can get them at holland and Barrett. The thing I found really useful was a swaddle blanket for baby http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplay0_10751_-1_151258_10001

This is the one we got and used it up to about 3 months old.

Laura

Gillyx

Swaddle blankets are fab. You will find if you have a refluxer Jedi, swaddling is a godsend! X

martafdz

Oh dizzi!!! I hate it when the tomato sauce spits all over the worktop when frying it to make pasta sauce, it must be annoying getting hot food all over the place as if there were a hurricane in the kitchen!!!

Nereis, also a room/bath thermometer. The avent one is often under £10 and it's pretty too.

Dizzi, were you the "queen of slings"? Lol. I went to the Victoria Sling Lady website, but most of the items I liked were out of stock. Can you recommend any other? Just as a reminder I'm looking for something easy to put on without help, suitable for newborns, that can be washed in the washing machine and not very expensive. I already have a carrier to go out, this one would be more of a "at home" thing for when I nneed to soothe her or do stuff around.

mlbarrett

jenjade wrote: »

congratulations hun Joel is a lovely name. :T How did it all go? how are you feeling?

Thank you!

Despite fully dilating in 15 mins (I was just about to be sent home at 1cm) and then not being able to have painkillers (G&A didn't touch the pain), it didn't go too badly.
Quite tired at the moment and still emotional, I'm not feeling too bad, thanks. Bf is going pretty well so I'm starting to feel like we're getting settled.

Mlb x

dizziblonde

martafdz wrote: »

Oh dizzi!!! I hate it when the tomato sauce spits all over the worktop when frying it to make pasta sauce, it must be annoying getting hot food all over the place as if there were a hurricane in the kitchen!!!

Nereis, also a room/bath thermometer. The avent one is often under £10 and it's pretty too.

Dizzi, were you the "queen of slings"? Lol. I went to the Victoria Sling Lady website, but most of the items I liked were out of stock. Can you recommend any other? Just as a reminder I'm looking for something easy to put on without help, suitable for newborns, that can be washed in the washing machine and not very expensive. I already have a carrier to go out, this one would be more of a "at home" thing for when I nneed to soothe her or do stuff around.

I don't wear mine anymore at the moment since my SPD's gone bad again - but I used a Moby wrap to start with as it's nice and stretchy and moulds around a newborn - but they've got a limited lifespan (imagine carrying a bowling ball in a stretchy shopping bag) when babys get heavier and whatever the instructions say - aren't suitable for back carries really, then I swapped and I used either a mei-tai (MNS designs on ebay are meant to be decent there) or a connecta carrier - both of which you can gather in at the bottom for smaller babies to get them the right width for knee-to-knee carries (I just used a ribbon to tie in the mei-tai a bit, connectas come with their own accessory strap to do this)... I failed totally at back carries though - I know HOW to do them, but I've got an old (beer-related) injury to my shoulder from student days (involving me taking a nose dive down concrete steps and ramming my arm down the hand rail to save a fractured skull or god knows what) that means I've got an awful range of movement in my shoulder and can't furtle about with the baby on my back at all!

There's a FB sling selling group - I forget the exact name of it but it's something like FSOT slings and things - or naturalmamas have a for sale forum that you'd probably find something suitable for a newborn in fairly cheaply because people move onto different things as their babies grow - think Mobys tend to go for about the £20 mark second-hand, I paid about £45 for mine new I think as I recall. Just be careful particularly with Ergos from non-official stockists - they've got a real problem with fakes going around.

If you've got one locally a slingmeet's a good idea for trying out lots of things as some are eyewateringly expensive and different things suit different shaped people and different babies.

mlbarrett

jenjade wrote: »

crying is completely normal hun. i cried loads for no reason that i could think of just emotions. Hope the dogs trust are able to help and advice about the dog i havea springer and Ellie wont leave him alone so i have a room divider so i know they are both safe

We've just purchased a taller gate as our naughty terrier has managed to jump over the gate we have. He's desperate to investigate Joel and has tried to get close a couple of times. He's been treated badly in the past so thinks anything is out to get him.
The dog has got used to the lad that we provide respite care for so hopefully he'll get used to Joel.

jenjade

Nereis wrote: »

Hi there ladies and gents, not a mum myself but looking for some advice from you all if possible. My close friend is expecting a baby in May, she's the first of our 'group' to have a baby so really want to show our support for her but don't really have the knowledge to do so atm!!

Want to put together a sort of 'go-to' kit of things that other mums have found helpful when baby is up all night, got a sore bum etc. I know that every babys is different but thinking there must be some tips and tricks I can pass onto her? Want to make up a little box and put everything in there for her!

So far have been advised:
Dentinox or infacol
Ashton & Parsons powder for teething
Gaviscon for reflux
Big pack of maternity pads for first few days after birth

Will have a read through as much of this thread as poss to get other ideas, but just wondering what you mums and dads have found invaluable or you wish you would have had at 3am at some point? Would be so so grateful for your help, really want to help her out.

muslim cloths and lashion (sp) nipple cream amazing stuff x