Newborn questions

[wombatron]

Hi all. I'm due DC 1 in around 7 weeks, and and have been slowly working my way through the books, the lists all the other things. I've got so many questions that I can't seem to answer, so wondered if anyone fancied sharing some words of wisdom?

Baby sleeps in our room till 6 months for help with prevention of SIDS - does it matter where in the room the crib is? I don't like the next to me and it's not suitable for our bed and the space we have. But is it that it can be at the foot of the bed? Anywhere not near a window/radiator?

Do I literally have to take the baby everywhere during the first 6 months? Like if I shower? Make a cup of tea? I can sort of see showering, but if I'm in the lounge and am 10 steps away in the kitchen, what if I am getting a drink?

Is there anything you wish you bought that no one told you about that would have made your life easier that you discovered later?

Any hints and tips? I have a 'box' in each room with nappies, wipes, grows, muslin cloths etc. But I'm sure that there's hundreds of things out there that can help.

Did anyone have a home birth that would like to share their experiences? Hospital bag must haves?

Thanks!

Zip up baby gros are amazing!

My daughter is 6 weeks now so only speaking from very limited experience of what’s helped for me:

• a wrap or sling to carry baby round in the house as well as outside. I know people say leave the house to get mucky with a newborn (which you definitely should!!) but having the sling on means I can wash a few pots/hoover up or wipe a cloth round and makes me personally feel a bit happier, and she loves the cuddles!
• amazon prime (if you haven’t already got it) has been a god send for deliveries! I order things at 3am during night feeds and they’re here within a day or two!
• witch hazel gel for your bits post birth. Oh my god...the relief!
• your basket of bits and pieces in each room is a great idea. I’d add to that spit up bibs, some snacks to keep you going if breast feeding and bottles or cans of drink.
• someone mentioned Ewan the dream sheep. We have one and occasionally it’s enough but I’ve also bought a white noise machine which can go louder than the sheep. Sometimes Ewan isn’t hardcore enough but I’ve heard the white noise is like the sound babies here in the womb, and that’s as loud as vacuum cleaner!
• breast pads...sounds stupid but I didn’t realise how much your boobs leak when your milk comes in! The soft bras are great for sleeping in so you can put pads in over night. Also breast shells are great for catching extra milk when you feed / express off one boob it comes out of the other. You can then save it if your bottle feeding expressed breast milk ☺️

I haven't RTFT so apologies if this one has been mentioned, but white noise. It works miracles with some babies to settle them and help them sleep, very helpful if you have a colicky baby who cries alot and doesn't settle (Hopefully you won't have!)

You can get free apps on your phone or just use YouTube. It really was a godsend for us when our eldest was newborn.

Sounds so silly, I bought one brand of bottles & my baby didn’t like them I got Mam bottles in the end they are great & sterilise themselves. Tommee tippee perfect prep machine if your not BF it’s a life saver at night. You can get so much more sleep. Angelcare bath insert is a must I struggled to bath baby on my own as I couldn’t hold & wash.

Baby must haves

1. Tommee tippee machine
2. Angelcare newborn insert
3. Decent baby changing bag (baby stuff broke my bag lol)

Oh I forgot to say. If you tear during birth, first wee might be ok the rest might sting, drink loads of water to dilute your wee won’t sting half as much. Also make sure your partner is in charge of taking first photos/video mine looks horrendous lol but it’s a raw birth photo I’ll always cherish. Get your first picture no matter how bad you look 😁

If you plan to switch to formula a few weeks in I would try your best to express and introduce a bottle as early as possible. 9 weeks in and I have a bottle refuser so can't go anywhere or do anything by myself! My hair is getting very long

12 week baby here. If you’re breast feeding I echo lanisoh. It’s amazing. Also get yourself to a BFing peer support before baby arrives, your HV will share details. It helps to know what to expect.

Batch cooking the freezer, we didn’t cook for three weeks!

Slings are great, really good idea to practise tying them before the baby arrives. I use mine all the time now, less so round the house but instead of the pram.

Oh I have a Co-sleeper too. It’s great. I’m breastfeeding so now he has his bowels regulated and isn’t going everytime he feeds I don’t even get out of bed during the night anymore.

Anothertempusername I got my hair cut and coloured whilst breastfeeding. My husband wandered around town and went for a coffee with baby and brought her in to the salon when she needed feeding and I fed with foils on and whilst getting a chop, the hairdresser just carried on.

See I'd say the opposite! Don't have to be fancy ones but bodysuit, tops and trousers asap for me. I found slipping off a pair of joggers and just doing the poppers on a bodysuit for all those nappy changes much easier than faffing about with all the poppers on sleep suits all the time.
Yes yes yes! We dropped sleepsuits in week one, such faff. Our big investment was crossover vests and bodysuits; M&S, H&M and Uniqlo all do good ones. No over the head battles needed.

I'd say buy as little of any of this stuff as possible to start with and instead budget for Amazon Prime and next-day delivery for everything else. You just don't know what works for you and your baby till it arrives and literally everything you had organised gets chucked out the window.

@Hmmmbop

That’s brilliant!

My husband would never do that!

@Hmmmbop I think that's what I'll have to do!! Am self colouring tomorrow