Lollys Lounge

Well 8 actually…

1. Buggy / pram.

Big investment - but I warn you against getting the expensive all singing and dancing travel system. many of them are cumbersome and you end up only using a few of the features. bear in mind that by 6 months you can use one of the lightweight stroller buggies that fold flat easily - it is much easier to borrow or buy a simple 2nd hand pram for the first few months. True that the baby will spend much of his time asleep in the buggy so it needs to be comfortable. I love my Britax travel system (well I only use the rock a tot car seat and the wheeled frame not all the rest of the stuff that it came with when I bought it second hand! But it does have a huge basket underneath for all my bags)

2. Sleeping bag / Gro bag

These are great for babies up to a year or so. It keeps them warm without having to use lots of sheets and blankets (which always seem to swamp newborn babies) Plus if there are leakages its only one thing to wash (so have at least two that you can use!)

3. Cot mobile (black and white)

To be hung right above the changing table and or cot. This is really something to distract them while they are lying down wondering what is going on

4. Musical lullaby for cotside

Another distraction method - also very good for “training” them that its sleep time when they hear that tune - Or you could sing to them I suppose….

5. Some kind of routine

I know, I know - some people are so opposed to the idea of routines. But for me it kept my sanity in those dark days of lots of feeds and naps. It really builds a kind of structure to the day so you have a basic idea of why your baby is crying (and believe me they cry a hell of a lot - its their only way they can communicate) Having a  routine means you can have an inkling that they may be either tired or hungry (or wet or bored - but they can usually ignore those two for a while)

 I have to say I used a lot of elements from Gina Ford’s Contented Little Baby Book (but ignored a lot of her precise instructions) - and the Baby Whisperer uses a similar structure

6. A breast pump (if you are breast feeding)

Let me just say that breast feeding is wonderful. Its free, its easy (once you two have got the hang of it) and its so much more convenient than bottles. So it is worth persevering. BUT to start with it does hurt - well come on, your nipples have never had that much attention lavished on them (unless you are in an altogether different profession!) and for the first few weeks I did wonder why I was bothering. But now 6 months on, I am loving the fact that I don’t have to remember to take sterilised bottles, bibs, milk powder out with me and find somewhere to warm his milk, I can just discretely feed him when he needs it.

But back to the breast pump. I would say if you are starting out breast feeding, try using a breast pump to express a little bit every morning for the first few weeks/months. The advantages are that you build up a supply of expressed milk you can store in the freezer for later, but more than that you understand how your breasts work. Sounds weird - well again your breasts have never had to perform that function before so it can be a bit daunting. But if you can find a quiet place each day to express you can learn how much milk you have, what positions are the most comfortable/best for milk expression. OK I’ll leave it there. But I just wanted to say I found it really useful

7. Their own room

A contentious one this one. But I put both my kids into their own room to sleep from about 4 weeks old (I think - my memory of those dark days isn’t at its best!) Some would say its cruel for such a small baby - but I found it  meant that both the baby and the parents slept better (maybe cos we couldn’t hear each others night snuffles) and meant there wasn’t such a problem getting them used to their own rooms later. Plus it meant that we felt that we had some privacy in our rapidly kiddie filled day!

8. A sense of humour

Believe me, the dark days of night feeding / sore nipples / sore everything do eventually sort themselves out and even though you do some times who this alien creature is who is turning your life upside down, you do realise that you love them more than anything you have ever loved before

You don’t need…

1. Moses baskets (they grow out so quickly)

2. A baby bath - well beyond the first month or so (borrow one!!)

3. Lots of newborn clothes - believe me they grow so quickly they won’t wear half of them (and then you feel guilty)

4. Fiddly clothes with lace and ribbons - newborns are difficult to dress at the best of times

5. Complicated travel systems - borrow a 2nd hand pram for the first 4-6 months then get a lightweight umbrella-folding Maclaren type thing