I thought I'd share with you this info I gathered when our son was a baby. I have passed it on to friends, family and clients over the past 6 years and have had lots of positive feedback. It seems to becoming a family heirloom of sorts!
When I became a mum for the first time in my mid 30's, I was very nervous - well actually petrified about getting it wrong! I hungrily gobbled every bit of advice I was given and then used the bits I chose to! It came from various sources including my NCT breastfeeding counsellor, other mums, my sister - a Doula, our family Chiropractor, Midwife and few of my own tips picked up on the way!
Looking back, I wish I'd been easier on myself, just relaxed a bit and enjoyed those precious days more. Believe me they are gone so fast - it may not seem it sleepless night after night, but they will be at school and talking Moshi Monsters before you know it! Oh and bugger the housework I say!
This is advice is intended to be simply passed on from one mum to another, to make the journey even more enjoyable and a bit more relaxed! It's great to just dip into when you need help.
Dummies
We were told by our Chiropractor who specialises in pregnant women and babies, that good quality orthodontic dummies help develop the brain and helps with their breathing - great for colds etc. We found the key is to not give them all the time - sleeps and walking around the supermarket LOL! And we never let our son have access to them; we always kept them in a cupboard out of reach - it made life much easier when he got a mind of his own ha ha! We go the
Vitality Clinic in Kenton, Newcastle - my therapist actually attended my entire birth - she is an amazing lady!
Our son started to scream when feeding, going on and off the breast and eventually got angry! Then I spoke to the NCT counsellor and she explained he was full, but wanted to comfort suck and his tummy was getting sore with too much milk. So we popped in the dummy and hey presto - a happy bunny! The same applies if they are getting over a tummy bug - hungry but tummy is sore.
What On Earth Is In That Nappy?!
Nice subject I know but like most mum's, you will probably find yourself becoming obsessed!!!
Runny yellow - good healthy poop! (for breastfed babies)
Mucus or bits - your baby may have a cold, they swallow their phlegm etc as they can't blow their nose. I had major panic and thought his insides were coming out, until my cousin’s wife told me it was his phlegm - she is a midwife! Phew!
Green and hard - don't panic but something may be up, best get it checked by doctor.
Clingy Baby Tip
This is one of the best pieces of advice we ever had. Our son used to scream when we put him back into his crib at night. My sister suggested wearing a t-shirt or popping a muslin on my tummy when I was asleep, then when he needed to go back in his cot to put this on the mattress for him to lie on. This works fantastically as it carries your scent and heat, and your little darling thinks you are still there! He still has one of my t-shirts in his bed when he's not well and when he goes for a sleepover - ah bless!
Some Great Mummy Products
Green Baby do a fantastic
Nipple Balm and an amazing award winning
Perineal Gel and after birth bath stuff amongst other after birth items!
Olive Oil on Your Babies Lil Bot... yep!
Olive oil is calming, soothing and relieves itching and it makes a great nappy barrier instead of shop bought creams. If you think about it - oil and water don't mix so the urine can't penetrate your precious ones skin! It's much cheaper than nappy cream too, a little goes a long way. You can buy bottles from any good health food shop or chemist - not the food aisle!
Times Between Feeds
Try not to have more than 5 hours between baby's day time feeds - breast or bottle, remember their tummies are tiny and they need to grow!
Growth spurts - these are guides, ever baby is different!
7-10 days
6 weeks - this is the most difficult one.
12 weeks - your baby can be distracted with play at this stage.
6 months - you will just notice your little dumpling eating more!
Winding
Our son was in lots of pain with wind poor lamb, so we ended up winding after every feed and giving
Woodwards Gripe Water which is made from Dill weed. Some say a breastfed baby doesn't get much wind - not for our precious one! Sometimes it could take 30 mins - 1 hour! Life got much easier when he could burp himself (probably about 4 months).
As you can see millions of other parents; we didn't have the easiest of rides (the toddler years were a doddle compared to the baby bit!) This was mainly because our son was in a lot of pain as he was lactose intolerant. Also he seemed to get extremely upset when there were loud noises, voices or when we were in busy places - we didn't realise this until he was 3 that he has compacted ear wax, which hits his ear drum when there are loud sounds!!! Saying that he is the best thing to have ever happened to me (and meeting my hubby of course!) I adore being a mum, it's not always easy, it's a constant learning curve and unfortunately you don't get taught this stuff at school! But the rewards far outweigh the tough bits; I wouldn't change it for the world - he is my everything.
I really hope this helps you as much it has me, my friends, family and clients. I am not a professional in these matters, I just received lots of advice and as I had famous gaga baby brain, I used to write it all down. I just think it's nice to pass on to others.
Oh and you will be given all sorts of advice, I would say smile politely and use what you want - it's your baby and you know what is best! We had very different ways to others, but stuck to our guns hard as it sometimes was, but we have a gorgeous, healthy (touch wood!) loving, funny, caring and very very happy son to show for it!
Links to Some of My Other Parenting Posts
Looking After Our Precious Teeth
Chicken Pox - Natural Remedies
Watch out for my "Breastfeeding Tips from Another Mummy!" post coming soon.
I would love to hear any other tips you may have.
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