Having a baby Old Style???

daska

babies don't need bathing every day, they just don't get that dirty! neither do they need to have their hair washed, in fact my eldest, now 12, thanked me recently for never having used shampoo - his stepsister has to wash her hair every other day but he just rinses his when he showers or bathes. It might need a bit more when he hits puberty but 12 years of not having to wash your hair can't be a bad thing. before tummy tubs were invented I used to use a bucket (support baby's head at first) then the kitchen sink with a flannel wrapped around the taps and held on with a postman's elastic band.

I used an old crib mattress and a bin liner until I got a changing mat, personally I wouldn't rely on towels, a real flood will go through them and to be honest you'll have enough on your plate! but, I agree, they can be cold and nasty, a folded muslin on top will make it more comfortable, absorb any accidents while the nappy's off and you can flap over the top if changing a boy ;-)

muslins are good for bibs (they cover more) mopping up, wiping down, emergency sheets and well, pretty much everything, I obtained about 3 dozen from friends/freecycle etc and they are in daily use and, whilst I wouldn't advocate buying loads of everything, if you have enough muslins that you can wait and do one large hot wash then it's more economical than having to do several smaller washes.

fleece (the artiificial stuff not cotton) makes excellent nappy liners, wipes and small mats for keeping baby warm if you have to put him down on something cold.

whilst not 'necessary' a small tube of bepanthen (get a free sample) is great for if baby does get a spot of nappy rash.

lansinoh is available on prescription and if you're planning on breast feeding ask your midwife or health visitor for some sample sachets the moment you have a problem if not before!

baby led weaning, what can I say other than I found it fabulous compared to the 'traditional' weaning, Go for it, so much simpler than pureeing everything and much better than jars of baby food.

toys? don't bother, the baby won't care, you are the best toy available...

hospital bag - disposables, disposables, disposables, especially if you might have to stay in for a few days cos they won't do your washing for you...

thermos - when you get home from hospital - so you can have tea/coffee whenever you want without having to boil the kettle.

and finally - you need to rest much more than you need to do the housework. If anyone thinks it isn't up to scratch then invite them to do it for you...!

best of luck

2cats1kid

Seconding the thick socks - I think your body goes into slight shock when it's all over and my feet were freezing.

Also, not on the subject, but following on from that train of thought. When you go for a shower after the birth make sure someone is with you. I suddenly got very faint and would have been found passed out in the shower pan if DH hadn't been with me.

Not all babies like the slings - mine never did. She hated swaddling, baby slings and baby bouncers (anything where she felt constricted) and even now age 11 will still strip off at the drop of a hat (sitting here next to me wearing knickers, sweatshirt, and socks, but no trousers!

Bella79

I gave brith feb 2007 and i could have been slightly ott ! lol what i would def do again is have 7 vests 7 babygrows and thats it in newborn size cos they grow so quick u really do waste your money on anyhting else

Also dont pack pjs in your hostpital bag your better of with nighties trying to get pj bottoms on is a nightmare your swollen uncomfy etc especially if youe nd up with stiches :@(

Dont waste money on bottle warmer ( i brought the best of the best) and used it twice it just takes too long to warm the bottle in te middle of the ngiht i used to microwave it for 30 secs and shake like hell lol midwife said this was ok as long as u shake well to get rid of hot spots

on the other hand i wouldnt have been wtihout my changing table and mat as im quite tall and it saved my back

I would never ever ever buy a brandnew pram again mine cost over £500 but when i saw the same ones for sale 2nd hand for £100 i was shocked some are in perfect cond

Dont bother with a moses basket i jst used pram in living room (it did lay flat)

i did use wipes convenice but always made sure i stocked up when on offer tbh i diddnt need to buy any for about 5 months cos i had so many already brought

i would say for the sizes 0-3 3-6 6-12 basicly the fist year of clothes buy second hand honestly dont do what i did and brought all new everytime they go up a size it costs you soooooo much money and there not in them 2 mins needless to say i had some very happy freescyclers lol

at first i started with the "johnsons" bath range but it was so expensive i moved onto tescos own brand or boots (used my advantage tpts) and never looked back

also when u get onto weaning or before if i went into town i always had my dinner at bhs as u get a free jar of baby food if i went with my mum and nan we would get one each lol

just dont be pressured into buying anything honestly i wasted sooooooo much money it makes me cringe now

ahh one more thing what u gonna do with all those stinky poos ?? i got a nappy wrapper as i diddnt want to be trawling to the dustbin every 2 mins at frst i thought it was brill but after i discoverd the cost of the cassettes that go in ouch ! so i jst put a cheap little bin out side kitchen door waited till it was fill then emptyed into dustbin

hope these little tips help x

carriebradshaw

join boots parenting club and you will get vouchers sent through the post towards some baby things you can even get a free changing bag :j


http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10052&categoryId=29957&catalogId=10552

Skintmama

Wishing you all the best Weezl and hope it all goes well.

These are things I took in the second time and wished I had had the first time!

Milk collection shells (Google them)......my breasts fired on both cylinders and these were fantastic to relieve the pressure in the non feeding breast, whilst stopping me hitting passers by with the milk:eek: You can pour the milk away or save it as wished and you will also use fewer breast pads.

Flannels......used as compresses for the above balloons.....I am minute normally but not when the milk comes in and compresses help with the pain. ( If you are engorged then nothing beats sitting forward in the bath and leaning the breasts down into the hot water which the milk will flow out into but this is not always practical)

Muslin squares.......cannot have too many and myself and the baby were swathed in them for months.

Some anti-bacterial cleaner and a sponge. I am not obsessive but did clean out the bath or shower before and after I used it as they are not otherwise cleaned in between patients........not where I was anyway!

Don't be too minimalist with what you take in......it is better to take too much than not enough.

Penelope_Penguin

Good luck to weezl and Acetate Monkey



I'll add this to the exisitng OS baby thread to keep ideas together.

Penny. x

juliebookworm

Chocolate, biscuits - plain incase you feel sick, books - lots but forget war and peace you won't be able to concentrate. Lansinoh is great and also cold cabbage leaves!
happy mummy = happy baby!

weezl74

awww guys this is fab, thanks so much!

What a lot of great ideas.

I will look at those other threads too, thanks pink

watters01

All the best and good luck on your upcoming birth - You asked for suggestions to put in your hospital bag and this may sound obvious but a hat for baby and some scratch mittens as some newborns can have quite long nails and love to rub at their eyes.
Dont know about the other mums on here but at my hospital i got to take a bath after the birth ( as oppose to a shower) a much more relaxing way of getting clean and coming to terms with what had just happened - so i would find out whether your hospital has a bath or shower -could save you money if you were going to buy flip flops as someone suggested.

Good luck again x

blueberrypie

You need remarkably little equipment for a baby. The minimum of clothes, as others have said - you'll almost certainly be given loads, and if not, you can always ask partner to grab a multi-pack of sleepers or whatever (even Tesco has them!) I wouldn't bother buying a pram anymore - a good wrap-style carrier is far easier, cheaper, more portable, more easily-washed, and babies are happier in them! Take the baby in the bath with you (get someone to hand the naked baby over once you're in the bath) - no need for a baby-bath. All of my babies have slept in with me - we do have a cot, but it's beside my bed with one side off it, and is usually used by the next-youngest (keeps them off the baby LOL). If you're not happy with a towel on the floor, buy a changing-table *mat*, and use that on the floor - or just change the baby on your lap. You don't need baby shampoo or soap or any of the rest of it - plain water is as good as anything (better, really, because it won't irritate the baby's skin!) Cloth nappies and wipes are far cheaper, especially if you're planning to have another baby because you can use them again - and sell them on when you're done with them!

So my "necessaries" list reads: very few clothes for baby, a good wrap-carrier, a couple of cosy blankets, a car-seat for the baby if you're ever going to be in a car (if you've your own car, I wouldn't bother with an infant-type of seat - just get a convertible that will do for the first three years or so - IME babies are happier in those anyway) and somewhere comfy for mum to sit and feed the baby.

Things that are nice to have - think about your comfort. The baby won't care if he has a change-table, but you'll care if you've nowhere comfy to sit while feeding him. If you don't have a cordless phone, get one, so that you can sit in your comfy spot and chat while you feed or cuddle. Have easy but healthy foods available - your baby doesn't need much equipment, but you'll be astonished at how much time taking care of an infant takes.

If at all possible, have someone around who's willing to take care of you while you take care of the baby :-)

And realise that it doesn't matter if the house isn't spotless or the laundry isn't done or you didn't get up to answer the door to the postman. None of this is important. You and your family are what matters. Your baby will be tiny for such a short time - make the most of it. Nobody ever looks back and wishes they'd spent less time cuddling their baby :-)