10 yrs, 10 mths ago

First Time Mummy To Be

Hi Guys I am a first time mummy to be and am wondering if anyone can give me their must have products/ ideas/ things to do. I am 21 weeks pregnant due in September but would love advice on pregnancy, hospital/ hospital bag ideas, having a newborn, anything at all, we don’t know what we are having either. There is just so much to do and think about I thought I might get some advice from some lovely beauties who have been there before 🙂 xx

15 comments 13 voices

Replies

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  • 9 yrs, 12 mths ago

    Congratulations Rachel. I have 2 children aged 2 years and 3 months. My advice would be:
    1. Get as many hand me downs as you can from friends as babies/kids can be very expensive.
    2. Target do great quality and cheap baby clothes.
    3. Buy very little in terms of clothes as you will receive of of gifts and babies only need really basic coveralls and no fancy clothes until they can at least sit up.
    4. Pack your hospital bag early so you are very prepared.
    5. Babies love to be swaddled. Nurses at the hospital will show you how to do it well.
    6. Cook up a storm 6 weeks before your due date and freeze the food.
    7. Definitely join a mothers group through your Maternal & Child Health centre. This group can be a lifeline and it is possible to make very good friends who are in exactly the same life stage as you.

    I have a question..im due in a few weeks…how long does it take for you to eventually settle and get ur head around being a first time mum? Thanks

  • 10 yrs, 5 mths ago

    Some amazing advice here. Thanks. I’m pregnant with my first child and wondering the same about what to pack.a

  • 10 yrs, 10 mths ago

    Thanks everyone there is some amazing advice here and I will definitely take it on board! At least I have a starting point now! 🙂 xx

  • 10 yrs, 10 mths ago

    Lovely news, Rachel. So much great advice from our lovely Mums who have had experience recently. It’s many years since I had my first child, but my advice is possibly timeless – no matter how well meaning many people are it is still YOUR baby and your instincts are not to be dismissed. Listen to your inner self, DON’T let anyone sap your confidence and realise that the only mistake is one you don’t learn from.

    Wrapping you and the bub in a huge protective blanket hug. Enjoy the wonderful experience.

  • 10 yrs, 10 mths ago

    Hi Rachel, here’s an article called ‘What to pack for labour’
    (taken from http://www.babycenter.com.au/what-to-pack-in-your-hospital-bag#section1)

    • Your birth plan and maternity notes.
    • Dressing gown. This will be useful if you end up pacing hospital corridors in early labour and you’ll need one on the postnatal ward. Hospitals can be very warm, so a lightweight one may be better.
    • Slippers
    • Socks. Believe it or not, your feet can get cold during labour.
    • An old nightdress or a T shirt to wear in labour. It will probably get a bit messy, so don’t buy anything special to wear during labour.
    • Massage oil or lotion if you would like to be massaged during your labour.
    • Lip balm.
    • Snacks and drinks for you while you are in labour. Isotonic sports drinks or apple juice that can be diluted are good for
    • Things to help you relax or pass the time, such as books, magazines, games and so on.
    • A hairband. If you have long hair, you might want it tied up.
    • Pillows. The hospital might not have enough to make you really comfortable.
    • TENS pain relief machine, if you are planning to use one.
    • Heat packs. Many hospitals have a limited amount of heat packs but are happy for you to bring your own. Check there is a microwave available where your birth partner will be able to heat them.
    • Toiletries
    • Music to listen to. Take a battery-operated machine, as some hospitals won’t let you plug things in. Some hospitals provide their own CD players or radios – again, check first. There may be a limited amount available and you may not get one on the day.
    • An oil burner. Check with your hospital as most have a policy of no open flames but you may be able to take an electric burner if you would like to use aromatherpay oils.

    For the birth partner
    – Water spray, or a hand-held fan to keep cool down the mum-to-be while she’s in labour.
    – Comfortable shoes. You may be pacing the corridors!
    – A change of clothes
    – Watch with a second hand, to time contractions.
    – Swimwear, if you want to join the mum-to-be in a birth pool.
    – Digital camera or video camera. If you want to bring a video camera, check with the hospital beforehand, because not all of them allow them in delivery rooms.
    – Address book or a list of phone numbers. You and your partner will be able to use a mobile phone in parts of the hospital, but bring lots of change or a prepaid phone card just in case, for all the calls you may want to make.
    – Snacks and drinks. You don’t want a dehydrated, hungry birth partner looking after you and if you take some with you, they can stay with you rather than leaving the room to search for food!

    For after the birth
    – A going-home outfit. You’ll need loose comfortable clothes to wear while you’re in hospital and for the journey home. It will take a while for your tummy to go down, so you’ll be still wearing maternity clothes when you come home – sorry!
    – Nursing bras. Take two or three.
    – Breast pads
    – Maternity pads. Bring a couple of packs.
    – Nightshirt or T-shirt. Front-opening shirts or pyjamas are useful in the early days of breastfeeding.
    – Toiletries
    – Towels, hairbrush, toothbrush and toothpaste.
    – Old or cheap knickers, or disposable knickers. Don’t bring your best ones as they will get messy.
    – Arnica tablets to help with bruising after the birth. Although there’s no conclusive evidence that they work (NHS 2007), many women report that taking arnica helps reduce bruising and helps the healing process.
    – Ear plugs, in case you end up on a noisy ward!

    For your baby
    – An infant car seat. You won’t be able to leave the hospital by car without one and you may be able to get the fitting checked if you are at a large hospital.
    – One outfit for the trip home (all-in-one stretchy outfits are easiest).
    – Two or three sleepsuits and vests for baby to wear while you are in hospital.
    – Baby blanket. Take a warm one if the weather is cold.
    – Nappies, wipes and bags for solied nappies
    – One pair of socks or booties.
    – Hat
    – Jacket or woollen cardigan. When you leave the hospital it may be the first time your baby is exposed to the breeze and cold air.
    – Muslin squares

  • 10 yrs, 10 mths ago

    When you shop each week, throw some baby things in your trolley i.e baby shampoo, nappies (in differing sizes – look for Huggies when they’re on sale as they are the best), baby wipes, bibs, singlets, nursing pads if you intend to breast feed etc. Stock up as much as you can on things you know you are going to need and use a lot of.

    As for the hospital bag, don’t just pack pj’s for yourself but comfy clothing that you can lounge around in. You will feel better getting out of your pj’s, especially when you get visitors. Also have your bag packed ahead of time as you could go early (I went a fortnight early with both of my babies).

    As a side note if you can, try and plan a weekend away with your partner before bub arrives. It will never be just the two of you again 🙂

    Most of all enjoy. Those first few weeks with a newborn are so precious.

  • 10 yrs, 10 mths ago

    congratulations rachel!! so much wonderful advice has already been given, one thing i wanted to add is Lansinol nipple cream, comes in a purple tube, i would have given up breastfeeding in the first week if i didnt find that cream, total life saver (or nipple saver!!) with my first bub, i had so much advice from friends and family, it was hard to choose who to listen to, i learned quickly to smile and say thankyou, and listen to my heart, its amazing how strong a mothers instincts are, once we learn to trust them;)

  • 10 yrs, 10 mths ago

    Congratulations Rachel, such a special time in your life! I think the ladies above have offered some really great advice so far. I totally agree with getting a nursing pillow (I used the Milkbar one) as you spend about half of your entire day feeding in those first few weeks.
    The other thing I can suggest is to join websites that have articles and forums on everything related to pregnancy and babies. Here is a list of a few that have been very useful to me:

    http://www.babycenter.com.au
    http://www.huggies.com.au
    http://www.kidspot.com.au

    There are also Baby Club mailing lists to join through Coles, Woolies and Nestlé.

    I am a member of a closed group of Facebook too, it is for mothers and mums to be only and is full of supportive and respectful advice for any question you might have that is baby related. If you’re interested let me know and I can organise to add you to the group.

    I would highly recommend having a baby shower too as you’ll be given lots of great stuff to use for your new bub. If I could do it again I would have an option of a gift registry to choose the things I really wanted. Babies ‘R’ Us have them available. I didn’t know what I was having either so I got stuff in neutral colours… Her nursery manchester and the 0000 clothes only. We ended up having a little girl but there was plenty of time to buy her pink stuff once she came into the world!

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