Preparing for a newborn - Feeding.

A list of items for a newborn in regards to their feeding:

Lansinoh

If you are going to breast feed you will need Lansinoh or something equivalent. It is used to soothe, heal and protect sore cracked nipples and is safe for babies who breast feed. I recommend buying a tube before you go to hospital. You only use a very small amount each time so a small tube is fine. You can find Lansinoh at chemists in the baby items section.

Breast feeding pillow

There are special breast feeding pillows, which I can't comment on because I have never used one. I was given a triangular pillow as a gift and I was very happy with it. What I liked about it is that I could buy spare covers for it. I have 3 covers for the pillow. I don't know if you can buy spare covers for the special breastfeeding pillows or not. I found having the covers was very useful when there were leakages whilst feeding. I could simply whip off the cover, throw it in the wash and replace it with a clean cover.


Flat Cloth Terry Towel Nappies

I bought three packs of flat cloth terry towel nappies.  They were so useful, such as:

1. Between baby and pillow whilst feeding (or use cotton wraps) to catch leakages;
2. To wipe up leakages;
3. Carried in nappy bag to put over change tables whilst out; and
   
4. On change table between baby and change mat at home.

Maternity Bras and Singlets

You need to go to a bra store to be properly fitted for maternity bras.  As for maternity singlets I loved Bonds Bumps Maternity Singlets. I also bought a few cheap singlets in a slightly bigger size and wore them with maternity bras under and a T-shirt over the top, so that the singlets could be pulled down over the bra for feeding and hide my stomach.


Breast Pads

I recommend buying reusable breast pads.  They cost more than disposables but overall they will save you money.  Plus they feel nicer than disposables and are better for the environment.  I love Swaddlebees Organic Velour Breast Pads because they are the biggest ones I could find, so provide better coverage.  They also felt the nicest.  If using disposables I liked Johnson & Johnson breast pads.

 

Breast Pump

At first I used a manual breast pump, which worked well for me but once my flow settled down it was very hard to get any milk out.  Eventually I got an electric breast pump and found I could get a lot more milk with no effort on my part.  An electric pump is a lot more expensive, so you might want to start with a manual first.  However, an electric is a lot easier to use and I do recommend it over a manual pump.

Bottles 

If you do breast feed you might still want bottles so that your baby can be fed expressed milk while you go out.  At one stage Em wouldn't take a bottle at all and I tried Tommy Tippee Closer to Nature and that worked.  Probably because it's shaped more like a breast.  You will also need a bottle brush & steriliser.

Bibs

Having some small bibs was very useful for burping (vomiting). I used to put bibs on Em when driving too because she would often vomit in the car.

Preparing for a newborn - Sleep

A list of items for a newborn baby in regards to their sleep:

Wraps

Wraps help babies sleep better because they are tight and secure (womb like). You'll hopefully learn how to wrap your babies during birth classes or at hospital. You will need at least:
- 3 Flannel wraps
- 3 Cotton wraps
- 3 Muslin wraps

But you might want to get more than three cotton ones. Wraps were also useful for covering up whilst breastfeeding, for using as a travel play mat and for wiping up vomit. I also used them under baby whilst breast feeding to catch nappy leakages. So maybe even 6 or 9 cotton ones would be useful.

I found the smaller sized wraps more useful at first but as Em grew I needed the bigger sizes.

Cot

You can use a cot from birth but I did get a bassinet because I wanted Em in our bedroom and a cot wouldn't have fit. If you buy a second hand cot make sure you get a new mattress. Old mattresses have been linked to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

Bassinet

You don't need a bassinet because you can put a baby in a cot from birth. However, I found it very useful because it is higher up so you are not bending over so much to put baby down for naps (even with the cot on its highest setting you are still bending over a lot and it puts strain on your back!) and it seemed more cosy for Em. I do recommend getting one but it is an extra expense and something you don't need.

Sleep suits

You probably need at least ten sleep suits in size 000 for a newborn but having more than ten sleep suits may be useful. You may have to change your baby a few times a day if their nappy leaks, plus with a newborn it's easiest to just leave them in sleep suits all day. Newborns tend to dislike being dressed and undressed too often.

Singlets

You probably want at least ten singlets in size 000. They can be worn under the sleep suits for extra warmth, or on hot days a nappy and singlet may be enough clothing.

Sheets

Normally you get sheets in a pack with fitted sheet, flat sheet and pillow case, but you can purchase them individually. You don't need the pillow case at all as SIDS guidelines state not to use pillows in cots because of the risk of suffocation. You need a fitted sheet and a flat sheet can be used between a blanket and baby. For a bassinet I used cotton wraps as a flat sheet. You will also need to buy two protective fitted sheets (mattress protector) to save the mattress from leaking nappies.

Blankets

Two blankets are needed (cot and bassinet sized if needed). They can be folded over for extra warmth. On very warm nights I used a cotton or muslin wrap to cover Em.

Sleeping bags

You can buy sleeping bags for newborn babies but I think newborns prefer to be wrapped because it is tighter and more secure. Once they start rolling or getting out of their wraps it's time to think about sleeping bags. I prefer sleeping bags over using sheets and blanket because once Em started moving she was always outside of the covers! With a sleeping bag she stays in her covers where ever she moves.

I'd heard great things about Grobags, so I bought a couple to try, but I found that they are very expensive for no added benefit over cheaper bags (overseas they are a lot cheaper and nothing special. Somehow they became very popular in Australia and the importer made them very expensive so everyone thinks they are best. I like Living Textiles bags, which are the same as Grobags for half the price. I also like Snugtime but they are different to Grobags.

Rocking chair

Great for rocking your baby to sleep. I got mine second hand from Ebay and it was one of the best buys I made. It was so useful when my feet were hurting from pacing around trying to get Em to sleep. I was able to get off my feet in a rocking chair and still be moving. It was also very comfortable for breast feeding Em in, especially in the early days when I was trying to get the hang of it. Plus I still use mine now for reading Em stories in before bed.

Lamp

So you can have softer light in the room and not wake baby (or you) up so much.

Miscarriage.

Unfortunately pregnancy can lead to miscarriage and from my research it's actually very common and most women will experience at least one miscarriage whilst trying to conceive. Most miscarriages happen at the time your next period is due and hence most women think they are having a normal period, rather than a miscarriage, and never notice it.

During the first three months of pregnancy the risk of miscarriage is higher than later, but a miscarriage can happen at any time. I know of one woman who was pregnant around the same time as me and she lost her baby at 8 months! It was such a shock to me that it could still happen that late in pregnancy. Of course it was devastating for her, left her full of grief and wondering if she would ever be able to carry a baby to term. I can't even imagine what she must have gone through - having to birth her stillborn baby girl and then bury her.

I have been pregnant twice now. With my first pregnancy there was something wrong from the start. I didn't get my period but no pregnancy tests showed that I was pregnant. I saw a doctor who told me to wait another week and then she did a blood test which confirmed my pregnancy but also showed that there were very low hormone levels.

I knew I was pregnant and became attached to the baby in my belly. A couple of weeks later I started bleeding and it continued for a month. I was devastated. It was very early on. I must have only been about 6 weeks, but I was still so sad. What I found even worse was that no one knew about my pregnancy or miscarriage and I suffered alone. I had to grieve the loss and it left me wondering if I'd be able to carry a baby to term. I realise that it must not have been a viable embryo but I still felt like I had lost a baby.

As soon as I found out I was pregnant a second time I told my closest family and friends. I didn't want to be alone again if I miscarried again.

If you have been effected by miscarriage and you are struggling with the loss seek help by talking to family, friends or a counsellor. The grief is real. The loss is real.