It’s actually been a while since I had a new baby, three whole years! I am as broody as ever though and would happily have another one tomorrow. There is so much I miss about those early days with a new baby, breastfeeding was such a huge part of my first year of parenting, both times round and one of the things I most want to experience again. Babywearing is another thing I would love to do again, nothing beats having a warm baby squashed on your chest. Oh my goodness, this is making my ovaries twitch!!
I was reading through this new baby checklist earlier today and it took me right back to being pregnant and thinking about what to have ready for when the baby arrives. We were on a pretty tight budget through both of my pregnancies so there were lots of things that we didn’t bother with. I think there are so many things out there and a lot of them are just a waste of money. A pregnancy pillow would have made sleeping a bit more comfortable but I made do with lots of normal pillows and put them under my bump and between my legs. We didn’t bother with a changing table either and just used a mat either on the bed or floor. Obviously that might not be ideal if you have had a C-section or are really sore but another option is one of those attachments that go across the cot to turn it into a changing table. This is also good if you are short on space like we were.
One thing I didn’t use first time round but that changed my life second time round was a co-sleeping attachment for our bed. You can get all kinds of bed nests these days but we just took the side of a small cot and pushed the bed up against it, obviously you need to make sure it’s sturdy enough, Mr C did something to do but it worked so well. It was perfect for scooping him up for night feeds.
The other essential thing I had second time round that I didn’t use the first time were slings / carriers. I’ve written about babywearing before so I won’t go into too much detail but I went through a range of different carriers depending on Tiger’s age and the weather we were having, there are so many out there so visiting a sling library can help you find the best one for your body shape.
We didn’t use a baby bath second time round, just one of those moulded plastic seats for the normal bath, so much easier than carrying a big bath of water around the house. And another thing we didn’t do second time round was stick to using cotton wool when changing nappies for the first two weeks. I used wipes that were natural but it was so much easier than getting a bowl of water every time he needed his nappy changed. And with a toddler walking around the house it saved many spillage accidents!
What are your new baby essentials?
Collaborative post with Smart Insurance, the life insurance quote provider.
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