Baby essentials part 2
I've previously blogged about the must haves when you have a new baby... but since then I've discovered even more essentials which I figured I'd share with all the FTMs out there (that's first time mums for those of you not up on mummy lingo. Yeah... get me using mummy abbreviations... seriously I may do a whole new blog post on mummy discussion forum abbreviations. You need a key to decipher most conversations! Took me ages to work out what all the threads entitled DTD were all about! HAHA!).
Essential buys for new mummies
Clothes
- Front fastening vests. These are a life saver if you've never handled a baby before. In hospital, they hand over this rather fragile bundle and expect you to dress them and trust me, trying to pull a vest over a newborn's head is SCARY. All you can think about is "soft spot soft spot". Buy front fastening vests for the first few weeks until you can expertly whip a poo smothered vest and babygrow on and off a thrashing child.
- Trousers with feet. Once you've graduated from the "bung on a baby grow" days, and want to dress your little one in something a bit nicer, you'll quickly find out that although those tiny jeans look fab, being footless equals socks, and socks do NOT stay on little kicky feet. Bottoms with feet are a life saver. I wish I'd bought more.
Feeding
- formula dispenser pots. This is a must have that I have JUST discovered and saves a lot of wasted milk. The number of times I've counted the scoops of milk powder into the bottle, only to get distracted or loose count thanks to sleep deprivation and had to chuck the whole lot and start again... lack of sleep has a lot to answer for! Dispenser pots are such a good idea! Count the scoops into the individual compartments in the pot and seal. Then, when you need to make up a bottle, just tip the powder into the hot water, no measuring involved! Yay!
Health
- nasal aspirator. Specifically, a baby nose clear aspirator. I've read real horror stories about the bulb types of aspirators and the baby nose clear is a lot safer. If you're not sure what a nasal aspirator is, it's basically a snot sucker! Some midwives suggest sucking the snot out of baby's nose with your mouth but as much as I love her, I don't fancy a mouth full of her bogies! An aspirator is essential for when your little one gets a cold and bunged up (and trust me, they will catch a cold). Blocked noses means they can't feed properly as they can't breathe, so clearing their noses is a must!
Fun and entertainment
- baby gym. My munchkin spends a lot of her awake time on the mat of her baby gym, mainly staring at the toys hanging above her (she hasn't gotten to the stage of grasping yet). It's a real life saver as there's only so much making faces you can do!
- board books. You'd think a 12 week old is too little to enjoy a book but you'd be wrong! My munchkin loves looking at the pictures (as long as the TV is off as she loves that even more!) and genuinely laughs at the animal sounds I make as I go through the book. They're never too young to start reading, and it's yet another activity you can add to your repertoire when you're thinking "omg what else can I do to entertain her?!".
Essential buys for new mummies
Clothes
- Front fastening vests. These are a life saver if you've never handled a baby before. In hospital, they hand over this rather fragile bundle and expect you to dress them and trust me, trying to pull a vest over a newborn's head is SCARY. All you can think about is "soft spot soft spot". Buy front fastening vests for the first few weeks until you can expertly whip a poo smothered vest and babygrow on and off a thrashing child.
- Trousers with feet. Once you've graduated from the "bung on a baby grow" days, and want to dress your little one in something a bit nicer, you'll quickly find out that although those tiny jeans look fab, being footless equals socks, and socks do NOT stay on little kicky feet. Bottoms with feet are a life saver. I wish I'd bought more.
Feeding
- formula dispenser pots. This is a must have that I have JUST discovered and saves a lot of wasted milk. The number of times I've counted the scoops of milk powder into the bottle, only to get distracted or loose count thanks to sleep deprivation and had to chuck the whole lot and start again... lack of sleep has a lot to answer for! Dispenser pots are such a good idea! Count the scoops into the individual compartments in the pot and seal. Then, when you need to make up a bottle, just tip the powder into the hot water, no measuring involved! Yay!
Health
- nasal aspirator. Specifically, a baby nose clear aspirator. I've read real horror stories about the bulb types of aspirators and the baby nose clear is a lot safer. If you're not sure what a nasal aspirator is, it's basically a snot sucker! Some midwives suggest sucking the snot out of baby's nose with your mouth but as much as I love her, I don't fancy a mouth full of her bogies! An aspirator is essential for when your little one gets a cold and bunged up (and trust me, they will catch a cold). Blocked noses means they can't feed properly as they can't breathe, so clearing their noses is a must!
Fun and entertainment
- baby gym. My munchkin spends a lot of her awake time on the mat of her baby gym, mainly staring at the toys hanging above her (she hasn't gotten to the stage of grasping yet). It's a real life saver as there's only so much making faces you can do!
- board books. You'd think a 12 week old is too little to enjoy a book but you'd be wrong! My munchkin loves looking at the pictures (as long as the TV is off as she loves that even more!) and genuinely laughs at the animal sounds I make as I go through the book. They're never too young to start reading, and it's yet another activity you can add to your repertoire when you're thinking "omg what else can I do to entertain her?!".
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