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Beth Roche, Certified HypnoBirthing Practitioner, teaching mothers and birth companions techniques for safe and satisfying birthing through guided imagery, visualization, and special breathing |
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The Power of the Birthing Body HypnoBirthing®
in the News Once Your Baby Arrives Babywearing
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What NOT to buy!!! In this incredibly consumerist society we are bombarded with MUST BUYs being thrust into our faces, and this is more than ever the case as a new parent... As parents we enter into a whole new world, and don’t have all the answers, but to fill the gap, many manufacturers will tell you they have the answer to all your concerns... Whilst this may be true for some people in some cases, this is definitely not the case for everyone in all cases. The information provided here is my personal opinion. I do not judge anyone for making their own decisions, rather encourage them to feel empowered by asking questions of themselves and of society. Below I have listed so called, must buys, and questions to ask yourself of that as a claim.... (FYI, this website is not affiliated to any of the products that are described in this section) Sleep Of course it is important for your baby to have somewhere to sleep, and it is up to you where they do that... don’t forget that you already have a bed, and it can often be a great decision to have your baby in with you, provided of course it is done safely – UNICEF guidance available here. If you would like to have separate sleeping arrangements for your baby you might like to consider a sidecar cot bed set up, where cot your baby sleeps in has a drop down side and is the level of your bed, thus giving them their own space whilst having the security of being next to you... it can make night feeds a much easier and less exhausting experience! Another alternative would be a hammock bed... We used Amby baby off and on for our little one, and it is suitable from birth right the way through to 2 years, it is portable, so no need for an extra travel cot. In my experience, an excellent investment. The idea of the hammock is that they are sort of cosseted in it and that closeness is meant to emulate the closeness felt in the womb. Additionally, it is sprung, so can be bounced to help little one fall to sleep. Blankets / Sleeping bags / swaddling blankets If you are planning on using sleeping bags you shouldn’t also need blankets. Sleeping bags and swaddling blankets have the advantage of not having to be readjusted after feeding when putting down into bed. We used a combination of all 3. At first we used blankets, but our son had many newborn reflexes in his arms which kept waking him up, so we found swaddling blankets the best thing as they allowed us to be able to swaddle him with ease, even in the middle of the night, bleary eyed! There are a number of different makes out there. We used the Miracle blanket, which was straightforward and didn’t involve any uncomfortable ties or Velcro, and is available from high street shops as well as on the internet. Stimulation Many people advocate putting your baby down on baby gyms and in bouncy chairs for extra stimulation, and so that they can get used to not being with you. Whilst I agree they can have their place, it is certainly not an essential requirement. Babies are often appropriately stimulated if they are simply part of your daily life, so from the comfort of your arms they can be privy to your conversations and activities, and therefore learn about life, rather than the merits of a particular toy. To facilitate this when you aren’t sat on the sofa you can invest in a sling of some sort so that you don’t have to leave them whilst you go and do the washing or make a cup of tea. There are a plethora of baby carriers on the market, and plenty in shops. However, the ones that are the most comfortable and adjustable for both you and the baby are ones that are mainly available on the internet.... see "once the baby arrives" page. Find someone at a local sling meet, or if you are in and around Sheffield you can contact me, to show you their sling library to see what might suit you. Nursery Many people, us included, spent part of the pregnancy preparing the nursery for the baby. However, when it comes to it, your baby is unlikely to spend anytime in it until after 6 months, so it is potentially an expense you can delay for a while, and spend the spare time during your pregnancy relaxing! Changing Table Whilst a changing mat is handy so that you don’t get all your furniture and fittings covered in baby poo, a purpose made changing table is often buy that is regretted, it takes up room, and is often not used. Many of my friends used their babies’ cot on the high level setting, which they found great as it was safer than any changing table for those wriggly limbs!!! An even safer alternative is simply a changing mat on the floor, get a couple – one for upstairs and one for downstairs – a basic padded one should suffice. Nappies One real investment I made during my pregnancy I feel confident that was well founded was the bargain bulk buys of washable nappies that I bought off an online auction site. These have saved us so much money in disposable nappies, and I believe that they had a large amount to do with my son toilet training fairly early – so fewer nappies used overall! Of course this is not an option for everyone, but it is worth giving it a go if you are even slightly curious. There are nappy trial kits floating around and here in Sheffield the NCT hold a trial kit for hire for free. Baths There are all sorts of baths and bath seats available on the market, and while I’m sure they all have their merits, my first love is sharing the bath with the baby on you, which is no extra cost to yourself, and if the babe isn’t far submerged, you can have it at a decent temperature. My next favourite is a Tummy Tub... here I have bowed to the pressure of buying new stuff, but many people simply make do with a washing up bowl, or putting them in the kitchen sink! We went for the Tummy Tub because it emulated the closeness and squished-up ness in the womb, and allowed for less fumbling and awkwardness when actually bathing your baby, as well as being hugely portable and easy to carry around. We loved it, and our son loved it. Here is a picture of our then 2 months old son sitting it looking out the window in our bedroom, being supported with just one finger under the chin.  Bath Products All babies need a bit of a wash a few times a week, but that doesn’t mean to say they need all the shampoo, body wash that is thrown at us in our Bounty packs. It certainly reels many of us in. Most midwives and Health Visitors will also tell you that water is enough for most babies. Top & Tail bowl These are specific double units so that you can clean the babies face and bottom instead of giving them a bath every day. I bought one at a car boot, and wondered why I did every time I looked at it. At the beginning I used cotton wool and warm water to clean my baby’s bottom at each nappy change, and cleaned his face in a similar fashion when I needed, so the bowl seemed meaningless! Any container that you already have should do the job well enough – even if you do top and tail at the same time. If you top then tail, you can use the same water anyway!!!!! Feeding If you are breastfeeding, you shouldn’t need any equipment, but having a pack of muslins or face cloths is often useful to clear up sick and dribble. Instead of expensive nipple creams, let your first port of call be your milk itself. After each feed express off enough to cover your nipple. This should do the trick. Breast pads A couple packs of well made reusable ones should usually suffice, however in my case I had to go for the most absorbent possible, as I had a definite oversupply issue!!!! Bras A couple of well fitting nursing bras are essential. Be sure to get yourself well fitted; be sure to get refitted when you feel you aren’t being fully supported anymore. It is essential to look after your breasts, and a good fitting bra is a very important part of that. Nursing clothing Nursing tops are designed for discrete breastfeeding, but can be extremely expensive. I found a more affordable option was to either have loose fitting tops that could be pulled up easily, or as I breastfed whilst my son was in a sling so had to have tops that I could pull down instead. I simply tried out the tops when I went into shops. Button down tops, or scoop or v-neck tops do the job at a fraction of the price, and are often much nicer than the purpose made ones. If you use bottles for any reason then you are going to need something to sterilise them in. There are tonnes of units available that are purpose built. However, the same effect can be achieved by steaming them on the hob or in a simple electric vegetable steamer steamer. Toys Most people love to buy toys for babies; however, the most important thing for the baby is their parents and seeing faces. They can be just as fascinated with the random things that you have already in your handbag as with the all singing, all dancing toy that you says it will teach your child hand to eye coordination. I don’t believe that a toy can teach the child anything, the child can learn almost anything from anything, and hand to eye coordination can come about when your baby moves his arms around in front of him, or later on begins to point to things. Another marketing ploy of manufacturers is to put very discrete age ranges on toys, so there is now an overwhelming belief that toys are only appropriate for certain ages. This may be the case, and if so, why on earth do they put the alphabet on the building blocks which they recommend for up to 12 months old? What a nonsense! In my time as an Early Years teacher we learned about sensory play and heuristic toys. These can include such things as treasure baskets, which are made up of everyday household objects with different textures; a typical one could include a sponge, a loufer, small basket, wooden spoon, plastic spatula. You can make up some fun eye catching items like a small water bottle filled with water and some sequins (well sealed of course), any sort of crinkly paper or fabric. As babies get older they can use a variety of collections of objects to play with either together with others or alone. Collections could include: Things that roll – tubes, Pringles tubs etc. Things to put in – corks, table tennis balls etc Pegs – a variety of types Pushchairs / Prams It is important to be able to transport your baby, and often people immediately turn to pushchairs as the answer. It can be a very convenient way to get your baby around. When your baby is newborn it is important for their physical development not to be in a bucket car seat for over 1 ½ hours or an upright / semi-reclined pushchair. This is now quite widely known, and as such many people are buying carrycots as part of a large travel system. It might be worth considering holding off the big pushchair purchase until later on in the baby’s life, or you could even consider hiring one for the time they would need a flat carrycot. Babies can be much happier and easier to deal with, as well as infinitely portable when they are being held in a sling or baby carrier. It is worth considering as an option, particularly if your finances are stretched as it is, there will always be pushchairs there in the shops if you need them! If you are considering a sling it might be a good idea to seek advice or support from a local “babywearer”, many of them hold a mini sling library, so you can try before you buy, they will also offer support on how to buy the type that suits you best, and may even loan you one. I regularly demonstrate the slings in my library, for more information click here. If you still feel that a pushchair from the beginning is what you need, then you might like to check out your local baby items sales. Most cities have a local NCT branch, and they hold Nearly New Sales up to 4 times a year, at these events you are sure to get a bargain. Remember with carrycots particularly they are only used for a fairly short space of time! Clothing Most people with newborns are bought loads of beautiful clothing, so it is unlikely that you will need to buy much else. As an alternative, you could ask for money to go into their trust fund and you can by some basic front buttoning white sleepsuits. It is worth noting that some of the most beautiful clothing can have inappropriate fastening, like having popper fastenings on the back. More attention is paid to what it looks like, than its practical use. If your baby is going to be lying down on its back a lot, or in your arms on his back, then it is not so comfortable for them, and for practical purposes with many nappy changes, make your life as easy as possible by having the quickest and easiest openings as possible.
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For more information and to book a class please contact beth@sheffieldhypnobirthing.co.uk |