Helpful hints & shopping tips for expectant mums
I recently found out yet another friend is preggars (yay!) and offered to send her a list of items she needed to buy before bubba arrives. Writing her list I realised there's a few things I wish I'd known before munchkin arrived, so I added a few tips along with the list. After sending it to her I thought why stop there? Surely there's other mums to be who would like to know what to buy and what is an unnecessary expense? So where better to impart my (albeit novice mummy) advice but here! So if you're expecting, I hope this helps! :)
First off, here's my (own personal views so feel free to disregard, roll your eyes at or take heed as you wish!) list of helpful hints and tips!
1. Buy a pump and sterilising equipment in case you cant breast feed (like I unfortunately discovered... actually it's more munchkin can't get the hang of it but meh). A manual pump is only about £30 (I bought a MAM pump) and even if you do bf it'll come in handy for boosting your supply so you can cope with the increased demand when baby goes through a growth spurt. If you pump a lot then you can invest in an electric one later if you need it (I was luckily lent one which has been a life saver as I'm exclusively pumping and it's a dual pump... so I can express from both boobies at the same time! Cuts the time in half but you end up looking and feeling like a dairy cow!).
2. Buy a microwave steriliser. I tried milton sterilising liquid at first and it made everything smell of bleach and left a residue on the bottles. It also messed up my skin on my hands to the point where I have dermatitis and cracked sore hands! I also tried an electric steam steriliser but the microwave one is quicker.
3. Don't buy too much clothes as friends will buy you a lot. Just get newborn sleep suits, vests, scratch mits, socks and hats. Primark is great as it's cheap and there's no point spending loads when it's all going to get poo stained!
4. I'd suggest getting a crib instead of a moses basket if you can't fit a cot in your room. Baby needs to sleep with you in the same room for the first 4 months and they outgrow a moses basket fast so a crib would be better if you have limited space.
5. stock up on nappies now. I tried huggies but didn't like them as i found the absorbant crystals escaped from the nappy and went all over munchkin's bum. I bought a pack each weekly shop to stock up. 2 1/2 weeks in and I've almost run out already! You go through them FAST especially when your little monkey develops a habit of waiting until AFTER a nappy change to do a poo... and then again to wee! You can easily go through 3 nappies in 15 mins if you're not smart enough to clock the poo poo cues!
6. also stock up on maternity pads! You go through a lot after birth. I bought tescos own brand which were quite good. Also buy LOADS of breast pads! You go through those like crazy too as your boobs leak loads!
7. Buy nursing bras and tops instead of normal maternity ones. I wasted money on maternity tops and even though they fit now I can't use them as I can't access my boobs easily without hitching them right up. Nursing tops and bras have clips on them so you can access a breast at a time.
8. Buy loads of cotton wool balls. You go through those fast too. I bought 2 packs each time I did grocery shopping (as with nappies). Don't bother with wipes at the beginning, they're too harsh for their skin.
9. A nappy box is handy to have. You end up carrying nappies, mat, cotton wool etc up and down stairs twice a day and having it all in an easy carry box makes life a lot easier!
10. Buy muslins. Lots. They come in handy as burp cloths, wiping baby puke, wee, covering cold bubba feet as an extra layer in bed or in a car seat, laying across a cold changing mat... You can really never have too many.
Lastly, here's my list of things to buy in preparation for your little bubba. This is just my opinion though and you may decide some things are unnecessary or some are essential. In my personal opinion, items in green are a must! Prices are also estimates as I got a lot of second hand items and gifts, but I'd say a budget of around £1000 should be ample for everything on the list, much less if you're only buying the essentials.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AiRyRE3AErzzdFhYeUpyR3VIVWk0aWtKS0QwVXJCMUE
Feel free to leave comments on this post with your own helpful hints for expectant mummies!! :)
First off, here's my (own personal views so feel free to disregard, roll your eyes at or take heed as you wish!) list of helpful hints and tips!
1. Buy a pump and sterilising equipment in case you cant breast feed (like I unfortunately discovered... actually it's more munchkin can't get the hang of it but meh). A manual pump is only about £30 (I bought a MAM pump) and even if you do bf it'll come in handy for boosting your supply so you can cope with the increased demand when baby goes through a growth spurt. If you pump a lot then you can invest in an electric one later if you need it (I was luckily lent one which has been a life saver as I'm exclusively pumping and it's a dual pump... so I can express from both boobies at the same time! Cuts the time in half but you end up looking and feeling like a dairy cow!).
2. Buy a microwave steriliser. I tried milton sterilising liquid at first and it made everything smell of bleach and left a residue on the bottles. It also messed up my skin on my hands to the point where I have dermatitis and cracked sore hands! I also tried an electric steam steriliser but the microwave one is quicker.
3. Don't buy too much clothes as friends will buy you a lot. Just get newborn sleep suits, vests, scratch mits, socks and hats. Primark is great as it's cheap and there's no point spending loads when it's all going to get poo stained!
4. I'd suggest getting a crib instead of a moses basket if you can't fit a cot in your room. Baby needs to sleep with you in the same room for the first 4 months and they outgrow a moses basket fast so a crib would be better if you have limited space.
5. stock up on nappies now. I tried huggies but didn't like them as i found the absorbant crystals escaped from the nappy and went all over munchkin's bum. I bought a pack each weekly shop to stock up. 2 1/2 weeks in and I've almost run out already! You go through them FAST especially when your little monkey develops a habit of waiting until AFTER a nappy change to do a poo... and then again to wee! You can easily go through 3 nappies in 15 mins if you're not smart enough to clock the poo poo cues!
6. also stock up on maternity pads! You go through a lot after birth. I bought tescos own brand which were quite good. Also buy LOADS of breast pads! You go through those like crazy too as your boobs leak loads!
7. Buy nursing bras and tops instead of normal maternity ones. I wasted money on maternity tops and even though they fit now I can't use them as I can't access my boobs easily without hitching them right up. Nursing tops and bras have clips on them so you can access a breast at a time.
8. Buy loads of cotton wool balls. You go through those fast too. I bought 2 packs each time I did grocery shopping (as with nappies). Don't bother with wipes at the beginning, they're too harsh for their skin.
9. A nappy box is handy to have. You end up carrying nappies, mat, cotton wool etc up and down stairs twice a day and having it all in an easy carry box makes life a lot easier!
10. Buy muslins. Lots. They come in handy as burp cloths, wiping baby puke, wee, covering cold bubba feet as an extra layer in bed or in a car seat, laying across a cold changing mat... You can really never have too many.
Lastly, here's my list of things to buy in preparation for your little bubba. This is just my opinion though and you may decide some things are unnecessary or some are essential. In my personal opinion, items in green are a must! Prices are also estimates as I got a lot of second hand items and gifts, but I'd say a budget of around £1000 should be ample for everything on the list, much less if you're only buying the essentials.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AiRyRE3AErzzdFhYeUpyR3VIVWk0aWtKS0QwVXJCMUE
Feel free to leave comments on this post with your own helpful hints for expectant mummies!! :)
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