A few of my readers are about to become first time mothers and they mentioned that they were pleased I was blogging my new mother stuff. Now admittedly, because Isaac isn’t my first, it isn’t such a steep learning curve this time.
I thought though, that maybe some people would benefit from a list of random advice I could put together. So here is my slightly skewed version of what you need as a new mother. Also, it’s out of order. I’m typing this with a sleepy feeding baby on my lap, forgive me.
Invest in a bunch of baby blankets that you can use as wraps. I originally bought muslin wraps, knowing that Isaac would be born in Summer. That said, I find myself using a stretchy cotton weave blanket MUCH more often than I ever pull out the muslin ones. Stretchy seems to work better for him because it leaves him some wiggle room without leaving him free to startle. I started with 2, I now have 6 and generally wash 2 a day.
Speaking of which, newborn babies startle quite often, mostly over nothing. It doesn’t always mean they are waking up. This is why swaddling/wrapping is so good.
Don’t bother buying outfits for ‘good’. Likely your baby will outgrow them before they have worn them more than 2-3 times. Instead, invest in the all in one suits. LOTS of them. Your baby will puke often and you will go through more of these than you think you will. I have about 15 of them currently in rotation through the wash and drier and that is with me doing at least 2 loads of washing every day.
Buy a cot/bassinet and have them set up. That said, be fully prepared to co-sleep. Actually, be prepared to sleep where ever/whenever you can. This time around Nathan volunteered to move out of our bed, with Amy he got all pissy about it, but seriously, sleep is worth a pissy partner. When Isaac is a little bigger, I fully intend to set the cot up with 3 sides like I did for Amy so I can have the best of both worlds.
Even before your baby comes, have some nappy rash cream on hand. If your newborn develops a nappy rash, the last thing you want to be doing is heading to the shops to buy some while their little bum hurts. Prevention is so much better than cure. I have Bepanthen and Sudocrem that I use in rotation. Bepanthen is lanolin based and Sudocrem is zinc based. Even better? Both of these can be used on your nipples if they crack.
Nipple care: Use the nappy rash creams for any cracks, grazes or uncomfortable bits.
Breastfeeding. Amy was the easiest dream baby to breastfeed. No cracks, no pain. Isaac however? I spent his first month telling everyone that I was so thankful he was a second baby and I knew what I was doing. He was difficult to latch and he cracked my nipples early. Sunlight, breast milk, air drying and healing creams all helped with the cracking. That said, every other feed was uncomfortable up until a little while ago. We weren’t doing anything wrong, my nipples were just being more sensitive this time.
Have ice packs and heat packs on hand for engorgement. Heat before a feed to help the milk flow and ice afterwards to help the swelling and pain. Newborn baby nappies make pretty awesome ice packs. Just fill them with water and freeze.
For immediately post partum, make sure you have a ton of maternity pads and underwear that you are comfortable throwing away. I bled through 4 pairs of underwear in my first night after Isaac and I’m not counting the amount of pads I changed.
For a vaginal delivery:
Use ice on your perineum for the first 24 hours after your baby. Trust me, you NEED to. Also, painkillers are your friend. Warm water will help to ease stinging after you pee as well.
Pelvic floor exercises!!! Do them!!!
Take your own soft toilet paper into the hospital. Hospital stuff is scratchy and the last thing you need.
Bi-carb soda in a few inches of warm water will help to ease stinging and itching. Salt water will help with the healing process, although it will sting. Don’t try it in the first few days.
I haven’t had a C-section, but I hear that the advice is: painkillers often, don’t lift anything heavier than your newborn and remember to ask for help if you need it. Also, more painkillers. Support your incision with a pillow if you need to cough or sneeze and MORE PAINKILLERS. Sheesh, you just had major abdominal surgery, take the offered drugs.
Your baby doesn’t need much stuff. Somewhere to sleep, clothes, nappies, food and cuddles. Really, that’s it. Some things make life a lot easier though.
A change table. Mine is a plasticky fold up one, but it saves my back on regular occasions. Even better, when your baby is bigger and you don’t use it as often, it can be folded up and chucked into storage.
I use my bouncer every single day. Mine looks somewhat like this one. Isaac sleeps in it of a day time and it is SO handy to have something to put him down in when he isn’t a big fan of laying down completely flat when there are things to DO and SEE!
If you are bottle feeding, you will need about a dozen bottles and something to sterilise them in. Again, I don’t know anything much about bottle feeding, sorry. Hopefully some one else can jump in with advice about bottle feeding!
AND….
That is about it for now! Feel free to add your own advice in the comments!
Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.
Allen Taylor
nice layout.. 🙂
good going on the ice after a natural works wonders.. i found ural to stop the acid in the urine worked a treat.. re less stinging when you void..
you covered the c-section very well..
pain killers were a god send..
remember to walk as much as you can after a c-section.. but dont push your self either..
bottle feeding i have 6 bottles on the go.. Maddi is still having 2 a day and Cai has around 5 bottles a day.. so they work well for us.. just make sure you have plenty of formula in the house.. :)..
i found with Cai i had to try a few different formulas to suit him.. once i did.. he was fine.. Maddi took a little while to but not as long.. each baby is different.. 🙂
always make sure you have baby wipes and nappies lol..
sorry hun. if i took over for a min.. 🙂
Tazs last blog post..68 Weeks Old and 10 Weeks Old
i agree on the bouncer i would be lost without it.. 🙂
I really like your new layout. Good job!
I had three c-sections and I didn’t find them all that painful, a couple of Tylenols here and there and I was good.
You need to remember to breathe when getting up and down afterwards, don’t hold your breath.
And don’t be afraid to ask for help from either your partner or family. People are always more than willing to help with a newborn so you can take the ever elusive shower and actually eat a hot meal.
Jenn FLs last blog post..Bloomin’
I like the new layout. 🙂
Ooh very pretty new theme! I like the new advice- only other thing I’d add in there is, get a sling! Makes life *so* much easier with a newborn. 😉
Marylins last blog post..Wordless Wednesday
I like your way of giving advice. So much nicer than the “I know what I’m doing and you don’t and look what a great parent I am” that I see in the parenting magazines.
IMO you should send query letters and submit this stuff with a pic of Isaac doing something interesting, like sleeping.
Mrs. Cs last blog post..Free and Appropriate Public Education?
those water proof pads under the baby where he/she sleeps will save you from washing a lot of sheets when they soak their diapers. buy flannel material and make your own blankets if you can. receiving blankets are never large enough for swaddling.
nikkis last blog post..Dumb
I echo the new layout approval.
After The Chef had The Gambit, the first thing we learned was that burp clothes are your best friend in the entire world. Have sixty million of them. If there isn’t a burp cloth within arm’s reach at all times, no matter where you are in your home, then you don’t have enough.
I also learned the thing about the stretchy cotton swaddles (though it took surprisingly long to figure it out — we just thought he didn’t like swaddling). Jersey-knit sheets were perfect.
Robin G.s last blog post..Goats. And chickens.
LOVE the header!!!!! poor you having to take the kitties,,,hope you get a nap today. Have I told you about the Land before time movies they are great mommy napping movies… and the wee sing ones too…. good luck.
Just a moms last blog post..OK ENOUGH OF THAT CRAP,,,,,
Much better layout!
Xbox4NappyRashs last blog post..Going home
Oooh nice layout.. Very very nice. I am pleased that you used that photo of Amy with the flower.. xox
frogpondsrocks last blog post..Wordless Wednesday…
The best cream I found to use was Paw Paw cream – http://www.naturalhealthorganics.com.au/Lucas-Pawpaw-Ointment-pr-694.html
great stuff! Absolutely brilliant for nappy rash, nipple stuff, anything really.
And the best advice I can give a new mum to be……… if you aren’t sure, ask! There is a wealth of knowledge available to you through your midwives and baby health nurses. Not everything kicks in “instinctivly” and you don’t have to struggle on and feel bad if you don’t ‘just know’ what to do about some things.
Mistress Bs last blog post..Three’s.
Aww your blog looks so pretty!
Good advice indeed – I definitely wish I’d read something like that 2 months ago (or maybe it’s just making more sense now because I know what it all means).
As for the caesarean – I’m only just at 6 weeks now and it’s taken me that long to recover!!
My advice, especially if you have twins — try and breastfeed them together! And get a twin feeding pillow, you’ll need it!
Sharnees last blog post..6 weeks
hmmm….Thanks!!!
I have heard the advice on blankets before, have about 10 so far and more coming. Also the suits, I’ll have a Winter baby so no point in showing off clothes as they will be wrapped up most of the time to stay warm!
I read a lot of baby books, then asked and listened to a lot of other mothers for tips and tricks, it is one topic where nearly every lady can help in some way! (Also men, Nathan knows so many things from having Jordon, he really payed attention!)
THANKYOU AGAIN!!!
I think there should be a list of general thngs…maybe everyone could put their heads together and come up with one? Preferably a printable one!
My mum in law is giving me a gift voucher to get things for myself that I will need because she says people forget about that at the baby shower.
Tanyas last blog post..PREPARATION
Yay for the layout and for the advice. I was scratching my head about the bouncer chair things. They seem similar to swings and I was wondering are they both necessary?
Got any cloth diapering tips? I want to cloth diaper and also breastfeed. Is is true that you should have formula on hand for the few days after birth since milk may not be in yet?
Do you pump breast milk at all?
I’ve noted the blanket and the onesie info, I am asking for many of those!
Talinas last blog post..Wordless wednesday- things we do without…
I love the new layout. And, the advice is great too. My oldest loved the swing. I got one as a gift and she practically lived in it. As the mother of 3 babies (all c-section)–pain killers are a must! Don’t be afraid to take them. Plus, take it easy and don’t try to do too much, especially after the second (or more) section.
Joyce-Annes last blog post..A Sunday Afternoon
Love the new layout. Very nice.
I found a thin layer of vaseline smeared over the entire nappy area worked well for waterproofing the skin. I had tubes of Amolin as well, but didn’t use it much.
Breast fed to begin with, but moved to bottle feeding fairly early. I never seemed to have the fridge full of bottles that I saw in other mum’s homes, I had three. One in use, one clean and one for water/juice. As each feed was finished the bottled just used was rinsed, thorughly washed in hot soapy water, rinsed again, then left to drain. I was always careful to remove every single trace of milk from the teats and around the screwtops of the bottles. I never sterilised anything. Formula was made by the jugful in the morning, covered and kept in the fridge. As the baby got older and was able to wait a little each bottle was mixed up as needed instead.
I’ve heard about the swaddling, but didn’t do this, none of my babies liked it. They all preferred being able to move freely. Even the startle reflex didn’t bother them.
The best tip I can offer is to use as much secondhand stuff as you can. New is expensive and the baby certainly doesn’t care if they have the latest designer cot/pram/whatever, or a fourth generation (well cleaned) hand-me-down. This applies to clothes as well.
For Talina, formula is not necessary in the first days. From birth your breasts will provide a substance called colostrum for a day or two, this is important for your baby to receive. Your true milk comes in on the third day after giving birth. You’ll know immediately when this happens. If you intend to breast feed for more than a few months, you’ll notice a change in the colour and consistency of the breastmilk around the four month mark. Possibly a little earlier. Milk becomes thinner and may be slightly “blue” looking. Like it’s been watered down. This is perfectly normal and indicates that your baby is now receiving from you a different level of nutrients. (In the past mothers thought their milk had “turned to water” and was no longer any good for their baby, this is when a lot of babies were put onto bottle feeds.) Hope this helps.
Nice layout.
Good advice too. You’re spot on with the c-section advice – lots of painkillers and taking things easy. After my 2nd birth (hbac – I had an episiotomy) I took a jug of water to the loo with me and used to rinse while I was peeing – possibly tmi but every little helps!
You can’t have too many muslins (or burp cloths). We have at least 20 and still use them now. For one thing, both the kids use them as comforters – a genius idea that I stole from someone else.
I did bottle feed and used 6 bottles at the height of feeding. I didn’t need any more than that.
Barbaras last blog post..52/365 – Protection
Thank you sooooooooooo much for posting this!!!
Cs last blog post..Neglected
Great list!!!
I had 2 c-sections and got by with ibuprofen/Motrin after I left the hospital. For me, making sure to get up and around made all the difference. Not moving meant I got too stiff to get up.
Hyphen Mamas last blog post..Bullet Point Saturday (Sorry folks, it’s all I’ve got in me today)
Ummmm…Any advice for a new mom who thinks she’s going bonkers? LOL! This is what I mean: http://lifeonmanitoulin.blogspot.com/2009/02/is-this-what-nervous-breakdown-feels.html
Help? LOL! I need sleeeeeeeeeeep.
Cs last blog post..Is This What A Nervous Breakdown Feels Like?
hi… love the new look… and must say its refreshing to find a crisp, clear, practical blog on mothering and new mums issues.
perhaps sometime i could use some snippets and blog about you and the advice every now and again?
warmly
elizabeth xx
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