MSE Newborn to 1 year Baby Club 1

happydays77_2

Thanks Ro.
All you ladies are so kind on here and it makes me feel like I'm not quite so alone in all this. I'd forgotten how much hard work this newborn baby lark was. Mind you, with my eldest his dad was an absolute star and really pulled his weight.
Any tips would be gratefully received
X

Bluebell1000

Happy, Dizzi, sending you lots of hugs x

Just popped on to say THANK YOU to whoever posted about vest tops coming off downwards the other day. V useful after this evening's poonami, the biggest we've ever had here!

Grouchy baby this evening, have to go and walk round bouncing him again now, only way to stop the crying

*Ro*

Things that have made my life easier with the bubba -

In no particular order just as they enter my head :rotfl:
- baby week by week book - good guidance !
- raising Moses basket and changing table to cure bad back
- huggies pure wipes and kitchen roll from b&m, easier to clean and kitchen roll good to save using zillions of wipes, use it underneath baby before changing nappy on mat and hold it over hosepipe to prevent a sprinkling action as well as drying after using wipes.
- hairdryer on luke warm setting used to help dry baby after bathing. Strangely he used to like it !
- having enough washing tabs, fairy liquid, nappies (we prefer pampers for our boy so far as huggies/boots leaked), wipes, formula, milk powder storage pots (counting scoops and a steamy scoop is annoying if doing more than one bottle), electric bottle warmer that does all bottle shapes, steam steriliser tommy tippee (haven't broken it yet but descale with vinegar, 2 avent ones broke on me), sterilising fluid/tabs, couple of flasks (water for bathing/warming bottles at night), cheap minifridge (I go against guidance and make up bottles with powder in advance with boiling water and cool quickly in cold water then refrigerate for up to 24 hours), have plenty of decent bottles and a decent electric breast pump.
- keep receipts and packaging for everything in case faulty
I have never had so much break!!
- prepared veg is a godsend and so is a slow cooker but Preferably someone else cooking or ready meals accept you will eat carp but you must drink so get a jug and have one ready upstairs as well with snacks. A sneaky yogurt is always a good addition to mini fridge.
- online shopping for food and well everything is great. Ocado website is so easy etc and I have always found rarely substitute and turn up on time!! Plus shop infrequently and you may get offers to tempt you back don't do the pass mind you, you have to treat em mean !!
- bouncy chair - nuff said
- someone else to do washing
- everything prepped for the night shift rather than realising no nappies/clothes/bottles etc where you need them.
- pram is fab for day time naps
- play mat with arch
- pram toy with music is a great distraction
- idiot proof your house remove sharp knives (finger chopping through tiredness is not a sport), beware of kettles/ovens brain does not register steam is well u know hot :eek: luckily all my scars are now healing... This is where the bottle Warmer comes as much safer
- pillows are quite frankly an essential all varying softness we are using 7 :eek: which are directly baby related (3 upstairs and down to lay baby on for feeding etc and 1 in bed for feeding propping up:o pillow protectors are a must :rotfl:) it's suVrprising how LO is contrary as to which pillow wants to lay on :rotfl: just don't leave them unattended as they ha e a tendency to roll:eek!
- you would be amazed what food you can 'make' by adding hot water to something cup of pasta sachets etc from b&m or instant food that French toast in the cracker eisle with jam goes down a treat No toasting required!
- nappy buckets 4, 1 for washing and nappies upstairs and down. A zillion bin liners.

Right enough rambling will probably correct random spelling, add new things and am not expecting any new mummies to read this As they have more important thinggs to do such as wee or put there knickers on :eek:

Now cmon ladies share your tips

- decent rubber gloves, sensitive hand wash/soap, decent hand cream as your hands get traumatised with washing bottles and hands a lot !
- extra washing up bowls of decent size for washing bottles and sterilising
- measuring jugs of decent size plastic will do for sterilisation with water. I do a mixture of steam sterlising and cold water depending on mood.

*Ro*

Happy you are definitely not alone, lots of us muddling through!
Sorry the above post was a bit long x

janninew

Great advice Ro!!

My main advice is be as prepared as possible and try and plan ahead.

I take a basket up to bed every night with all that I will need (nappy, wipes, medications, bib, spare bottom sheet for the moses basket, kitchen roll for spills!)

In the early days, really try and nap when baby does, I still have an afternoon kip on the sofa when Poppy is sleeping and I feel so much more refreshed for it!

Accept all help and don't be afraid to say if you are struggling! I've had terrible mood swings and I never told anybody how I was feeling, everybody expects you to feel so happy after having a baby and even though you are thrilled with your new addition, you can still feel depressed (pesky hormones!) I've told my Doctor and I'm getting help now, was hard to accept that I'm not Superwomen!

Play mats, bouncy chairs etc are a god send for a baby to stay safe when awake and for you to get some jobs done, get a brew, log on to mse etc!

Try and get out the house as often as you can, I find the days I don't get out I don't sleep as well and feel grumpy. A quick walk with the pram can really refresh you!

Make time for yourself if you can and have the help. I've just had a quick bath with a magazine whilst hubby looked after Poppy. If you don't have anybody, you can still have a bath. I've been known to take the moses basket and stand and put it on the landing and I have a bath with the bathroom door open.

Hope all are OK!

xx

*Ro*

Jannine - glad you are getting help, hormones are so unbelievable at times. Great advice too and getting out with pram is great when downstairs/back is better x

janninew

*Ro* wrote: »

Jannine - glad you are getting help, hormones are so unbelievable at times. Great advice too and getting out with pram is great when downstairs/back is better x

I'm a hormonal cow bag at the best of times, after having Poppy I've been a nightmare to live with! Thank god my husband is so supportive!

I think a lot of it comes with time, you get into a routine and things seem to slot into place after a few weeks.

Also what helps me is having something to look forward to, makes the long, sometimes boring days more bearable.

I also tell myself women have been doing this for a long time, they've got through these tough, early days and so will we!

Plus we've got great support on here and there is always somebody about to ask advice, or just moan (and we all understand what its really like, not what we think it should be like in a perfect world.)

Take care all, I'm off to have a cup of tea and some jaffa cakes before the little monkey wakes up for supper!

x

*Ro*

Morning ladies x

Jannine - totally agree with what you have said, hubby quite patient here too though I am loathe to admit I can occasionally have a stonk on

Scott slept through ok on mattress
Though has rejected boob as it is getting lighter and he is waking uP later. Only wants it whilst it's dark though think this morning he wanted milk quickly and sadly I am not mcdonalds....

Oh and Scott had his first phone conversation... With daddy.... It was a bit of a limited conversation but I know daddy enjoyed it

Ro xx

happydays77_2

Thanks Ro and Janine. All those tips will deffo come in handy and I'll try and put a few into practice over the next few days.
I'm finding I just don't have enough hands for everything. I sit in a chair in the corner of the room and it's like a bomb site over there. It's where I put my drinks, bottles, remotes, nappies, wipes etc. I seem to be perched there for most of the day and come down to a mess every morning.
I also don't have enough hands of an evening to take things upstairs. I am going to get a second little hub going on upstairs with duplicate things so I can stop going up and down the stairs. With my blood loss I'm still very weak and going up to the loo is an exercise in itself.
Right, I'm rambling because Tristan was a monkey last night and I've hardly had any sleep so I'd better shut up so I don't bore you all.
I'll be back later with some more nonsense.
Thanks ladies
xxx

Aimless

Happy, in the early days I spent most of my time in my room. All the nappy stuff is there, feeding laid back in bed. was more comfy when it was hard to sit, and I had the telly and computer handy . Course, noone visits me so I could get away with it! Only thing I didn't get was fed! Also, don't be afraid to ask your son to fetch and carry stuff, especially when it's all new and they're still keen. The only free time I get most days is when big bro is entertaining him.