What's In My Diaper Bag

Good Morning, Everyone :)

I think I mentioned before that I don't actually have a diaper bag and I'm just using a slouchy New Look bag. Well...I do now :)

I figured it's just more neater to have one already packed and ready to go at all times, so I got a nice simple black Skip Hop duo deluxe changing bag. And already I think, why didn't I get it before. I love how easy it is. It has loads of pockets for different things like food, diapers and bottles and a zippered pocket to keep my personal things safe. I also like the magnetic closures that make it just that much easier to open different compartments. And it comes with a changing mat :)

This is what it looks like. It's simple and black just so D doesn't look like a douche when he needs to go anywhere with him :D 

Everyone are doing their what's in my bag posts so I'll do a diaper bag edition :D If I do go out without Oscar I just pack a bag there and then.

Diapers and wipes...I get these small packs from everywhere...they come through the letterbox and they gave a pack in the hospital, we also get them sometimes with our food delivery. I don't know how but I've managed to get a hold of quite a few of these small packs of wipes for free. I have 2 packs in the bag just in case of an exploding poo incident :D And then I have 5 spare diapers at all times :)

And also a few scented diaper bags and a anti-bacterial water spray bottle

Musling Cloth - for those spit ups and burps and now just drool :D there is so much drool.
I also now have dribble bib in there for that reason.

A pack of HIPP organic infant milk and a Tommee Tippee bottle and scissors to open the pack - I have these in there for an emergency. We now use the powder formula so If I know that he will need to fed when I'm out with him I bring a MAM bottle with water and a container with the exact amount of formula in it. I also bring a thermos I use for the night feeds for hot water. I did think I won't get O use to warm milk, but it's so much easier for babies to digest warm food, so why make it harder for him if it's so easy for me to make warm food for him. I also think that warm feeds have saved us from colic and gas pains...he hardly gets them stuck...he is actually very good and loud at passing gas whichever way it comes out :D

A change of clothes - Again in case there is some spit up or the case of an explosive poo. Sometimes he pees all over his clothes as well while I'm changing his nappy, just because he is cool like that :D

A pack of pacifiers - we use them and swear by them. I use the MAM ones again because he seems to like them the most

I also have a toy for him and the soundbox from the sleepy sheep. Just in case he gets a bit fussy, the ocean sounds will calm him down and the toy will keep him occupied for a few minutes. It mostly ends up in his mouth but hey...whatever works

My wallet - It's in there weather I am going to the shop or not...

My keys - D is usually home so even If I would forget them it wouldn't be such a big deal, but I'm just use to having them there now.
Lip Butter - Revlon one, the light coloured one. I can't apply a dark lip colour on the go without a mirror, because I'm not that good at it.
My phone - this does not live in the bag :D but it goes in there if I go out.
My Organiser - For god knows what reason :D

And that is all I have in there at the moment.
I'm sure it will change once the summer comes and Oscar gets bigger and better, but for now this is what is in there :)

Hope you enjoyed the post
Stay tuned
xoxo

Newborn Essentials

We went into this adventure of having a baby thinking we will survive on the bear essentials that people say you actually need, to realising that, why make it harder for yourself, if you can make it easier with a few ''un-neccessary'' gadgets.

If you are expecting than it's more than likely you've seen those basic lists that are all over the Internet. The lists that say that you only need abut 5 long sleeved sleepsuits and 2 cardigans and something for a colder weather. I sure did. I saw them everywhere, and thought because everyone keeps saying it...it must be true. Little did I know, that poo seeps out of nappies daily and it does smell. Finding things around you while trying to change a baby is not easy at all, even though you might surprise yourself at how many things you can do with just one hand while holding a baby in the other.

So why worry about having to wash those 5 sleepsuits just after 3 days, if you can just stock up on some basic cheap ones. They usually come in a multi-pack of 5-7 and can cost as little as a pound for one. So get those onesies that you find are so cute and so cheap...you will thank yourself later. What I also found that before the baby I thought having the sleepsuits with buttons coming through all the way down aren't the best ones. I really like the ones that come over his head and only have buttons by the feet. You don't need to take the whole thing off for a nappie change :) And the top buttons usually come really high up and seem uncomfortable under his little chin.

Nappie genie - they tell you don't need this as you can just use fragranced nappie bags and a regular bin. We bought one just in case and kept it in the bedroom. We now have two...Finding the bags and then having to tie them up and then take your baby to the bin...........you get the deal. It's just easier to stick the dirty nappie in the bin with all the dirty wipes and giving it a quick twist does the job 3 times faster. And we're probably talking minutes here, but all those extra minutes add up during the day. We have the Tommee Tippee Sangenic nappie bin and it was just £10 and comes with a binlines that should last for 300 nappies.

This brings be to baby wipes. Every single page and midwife and parent education class will tell you not to bother and just use cotton balls with water. If you have the time to boil water and cool it down and have a place to keep it somewhere and then when you need to change the nappie boil some more, because the water you boiled earlier when you had 4 minutes to spare is now too cold for his bottom, then you just go ahead and do it. Otherwise, just use the wipes. I am actually thinking of getting a wipewarmer, because little O gets slightly upset with a cold/wet wipe every now and then. Yes it's another gadget, but I think it will be worth it once there is less crying. We are using Johnsons wipes for sensitive skin at the moment, and they seem to work, because he hasn't had a rash yet.

Baby swing. Sometimes you just need to put him down no matter how hard it might be :D I bought the Graco swing that plays music and swings and does all the tricks just so he would be in with the action once he's a bit bigger and more alert and awake. At the moment though I'm just using it for smaller naps, because the incline on the swing is too big for him...even with the blankets I've put in there. And he's not that interested in the music :D

Breast Pump - This is a touchy subject. You are meant to wait for at least 6 weeks until you start expressing so it wouldn't distract from breastfeeding(if you have gone for breastfeeding rather than using formule) But since it hurt too much to breastfeed him I got the pump on the 6th day and have been so much happier ever since. I'm not saying that you should give up as well. I mean they do tell you it will hurt for a good 2 weeks before your nips toughen up and the process will turn into a bonding session rather than torture, but I was weak, so I gave up. I have found though, that because I've cut down on breastfeeding to a single feed in the morning (That's when I have the most milk, as I don't pump during the night) it doesn't hurt at all, and it's kind of nice to know that I can breastfeed if I need to. I do use nipple guards though, because it creates more suction for him. He's gotten a bit lazy with the bottles :D
I have 2 manual and 1 electric pump, but I have to say I prefer the manual one. It just seems more efficient and it's less noisy. Another 10 pounds well spent, and since I have 2 I don't have to worry about sterilising it right away.

Feeding/sleeping/changing schedule. We only printed one out yesterday, but it's already because such a useful little thing. It might be the crazy hormones or the lack of them, but I just forget the times I've fed him and I know it's pretty much impossible to overfeed a newborn, but it's good to have that note that if I just fed and changed him an hour ago then there is something else wrong with him and I can deal with it faster and more efficiently. You can find pre-made blank ones all over the internet. We got ours from Babycentre.com webpage.

The last thing I've noticed about us is the muslin cloths, I just find paper cloths much better, because you can just throw them in the bin once you're done :D and you don't have to go on a search of a dry corner.

Hope you found this post useful, and it's made you feel better about those crazy baby buys you've made. They were invented for a reason :D

Anything you've found you can't live without? Leave a comment for me below :)

1 Week Postpartum Update

Has it really been a week already? We have survived it :) This has probably been one of the most challenging week of my life and yet I don't mind because it's all worth it, every minute not spent sleeping and fully functioning :D
First of all I would like to mention that they really don't tell you the pain you feel after the birth. Muscles I didn't even know existed hurt and I still find it a bit painful to sit down. First few days were the worst. Just the thought of getting out of bed so I can leave the room to calm the little one made me tear up and then another thought that I have to breastfeed.....
So the plan was for me to solely breastfeed for about 6 weeks and then start using a pump to express for one night feed and emergency. But I'm finding it really hard. On day 3 I actually cried because of the pain. And yes, some of you might say that he is probably just not latching on properly, but he was getting a good feed that put him down for a good few hours, it's just that feeding every 2-3 hours every day is really hard on your nipples. It really is....so the plan failed. We got the pump and I'm pumping every few hours to build up the milk production and we are also using formula, to get him to gain some weight. He was 3kg when born and at his 5 day check-up he weighed at a tiny 2.7 kg

So all in all things that have gone according to the plan : Zero
And that's ok. We are making things work for us and it's really something you have to do rather than vigilantly sticking to some silly plan you made before the baby arrived.

Here is my 1 week postpartum update. I will talk baby all through the week anyway, so I won't do a seperate one about him. 

This is what I look 1 week after giving birth. I am actually amazed at how fast I bounced back. I still have a little belly, which is absolutely fine. It's quite funny actually, because it's really soft little O likes to sleep on it :D
All together I have lost about 15/16 pounds. I have not done anything other than breasfeeding in a sense of excercise :D so that is just the weigh that has hone off without any real effort. I do think I need to do some muscle work to get back in shape but I'll wait until the pain resides and I've had my 6 week check-up and ok from the doctor.
My stitches are healing nicely and there is now just a little uncomfort rather than real pain.
Also like I said earlier, instead of solely breastfeeding I am now expressing milk and using a bottle most of the time, I do like to get in a feed in the evening though and get some bonding time. I have to top him up with a bottle though because he just dozes off after 15-20 minutes and then wakes up a bit hungry. But I'm afraid 20 minutes is maximum I can have him latched on because of the pain.
I am using a hand pump (tommee tippee) at the moment but will probably get an electric one soon to be more efficient. And we are using Hipp Organic formula. O seems ok with all of these ways of feeding. And a happy and full baby makes happy parents :D
It is all very surreal though...I can't believe I'm a mother. And it's amazing.

What's In My Hospital Bag

I now have everything I think I will need at the hospital. I was just waiting to write this post until I get the last few bits and bobs...which I now have :)
The bag I'm going to take with me is just a big sports bag and I have both my things and things for the baby in it. D has his own bag that he has also packed, I know that there is a spare pillow and some sports drinks for me in there and then just things he might need for an overnight stay.

I might have packed things I don't need in there, but at least I know that when I have forgotten anything, D can always pop back home after the birth and get it for me, because we only live 30 minutes away(talking about getting the train here)...it would be faster with a taxi or car.

Anyway, I have done quite a bit of research on what to bring for both me and the baby, but in the end I've kind of stayed in the guidelines of the list that I got from the hospital and then added a few things I think I might need as well.

My Things

I am bringing two toiletry bags. They are both from Primark and I think they were about 3 pounds each...

This one holds all the washing things I will need. It also has a little hook on it so I can hang it up in the shower.

The bottles are also from Primark. The whole set was only a pound and it comes with labels as well, which is useful, because I could choose which ones I needed.
I am bringing only my toothbrush as D has one in his bag for himself and the toothpaste is actually the one I got from the Mom to Be Bounty pack. It's for 0-3 year old, but I don't really care, it's nice and small and I'll only use it a couple of times anyway.
I also have a soother for him in there, I don't think I'll need it, but I took it just in case anyway. I also have a small sudocreme, which I will use as a diaper cream if I need to...some cotton pads, paracetamol and also a spare pair of contact lenses.

The second one has a few extra maternity towels for me (I have a full pack in the bag as well), disposable underwear and 2 pairs of normal panties. I figured I'll use the disposable ones in the hospital though, because I can just throw them away and don't have to drag them back home.
I also have breast pads, which I think I wont need, because the milk won't come in until a few days, which means I probably won't have any leakage until I get home. And also a bag full of cotton balls for the baby

I will also take my make up bag with me. But I'll  just put it in my bag once its time to go.

Since I'm planning a water birth I won't be needing a delivery gown, I will be taking my bikini top though :D I just think that before he comes out, there is no need for me to be flashing my boobs. My bottom half will be under water anyway so I don't think about that...plus the midwife will be checking the progress every now and then so she will need a clear access.
I'm also taking two towels. A large dark one and a hand and face one.
In case there isn't a birthing pool available (my hospital only has 3) I am taking a baggy t-shirt. I've got one in dark blue from h&m the other day just for that, so I won't mind it getting ruined.

And for the aftermath of the birth. I'm taking slippers and a button down sleep shirt, which will be great for breastfeeding. For that I am also taking a pair of maternity bra. I got this one from Mothercare. It was in a pack of two for 4 pounds in sale. The previous price was 30 pounds :O I'll be honest I would never pay 30 pounds for something that ugly, as necessary as it might be :D

Since it was 4 pounds for 2 pairs though, I got 2 packs in different sizes, because I imagine once the milk comes in my breast will get even bigger :D so I got a pack with a bigger cup size as well.

I am also bringing this breastfeeding scarf. I am not a fan of those capes at all, and this one I got from my friend Kadi as a present, and I think it's amazing. I am aware that in the hospital no one probably cares about me flashing a boob every now and then, but I'm bringing it in case I will have to stay for a bit longer and we will have visitors in the hospital. So when he needs feeding I can still easily do it with the guests there :)

I'm also bringing my laptop and my phone charger. We don't actually have a camera, so we will be using our phones for all the photos. Plus I can also use my laptop to do a few videos of those precious first moment :)
Also bringing this little funky speaker D gave me to take. So will be using this to blast the tunes  .... joking.

I haven't quite decided on what I'm going to wear to come home, because it totally depends on the weather. If it stays like this or if he comes in the next week, I will probably just wear a tank top and leggings and the shoes I go in there with (they will probably be my Dune sandals, because I live in them )
Again I will throw something in the bag once the time is right.

D gave me this water spray, which will come useful before I can get in the birthing pool, or if I can't use it then during the labour.

I've also packed these 4 snackbars. They told us in the hospital to pack some snacks like banana and fruit, but I can't exactly pack those a head of time :D So probably will just grab a banana on our way out, or more likely forget to and have to go to the hospital shop...either way it's not a big deal. (and like I said D has some isotonic sports drinks for me) I will also bring my water bottle and my wallet and phone.

For him I am bringing a whole pack of newborn nr1 diapers ( I probably won't need all of them, but the pack fits into the side pocket so I'm bringing it)

I am also bringing a pack on baby wipes, which he won't need, but I figured would be useful for me and D, when it gets too sweaty and there is no time to get a shower.

Again I'm not sure how many days I will have to be in the hospital, so I'm probably bringing more clothes for him that I need, but they don't take much room, so it doesn't matter.

What else...3 musling squares and a blanket. I'm actually not sure If i will bring this one, because it's too nice :D I might just take a simple one that I don't mind getting dirty.

I'm also bringing this Tommee Tippee grooming kit. He might have long nails and hair, so some of the things in there might come useful. Again it's so small, I don't mind if I don't end up using it.

And the last thing is the car seat. We are not really taking it with us in the first place, because it would be silly, as we don't have a car, so we can't really leave it the car. So D will have to definitely come back home for it in the end. But it's all good.

Almost forgot...I am also bringing a plastic bag, for all the dirty clothes I need to bring back home with me. And a lip balm...apparently your lips get really dry during labour. To be honest this one makes sense, because you are getting rid of a lot of fluids so the first thing that would happen with dehydration is your lips getting dry.

Do you think I've forgotten something? Or is there something I should bring that no one tells you about, but you found useful?
Leave a comment below :)