Baby Carriers

Daddy and Eve

We've started wearing Eve in a Baby Bjorn carrier this week. It's been such horrible weather previously that we didn't want to take her out in it until now. I know that it wasn't, but yesterday really felt like the first day of spring, it was so sunny and calm. 

I've also been wearing Eve in the carrier as I do chores around the flat which is quite fun. She seems to really enjoy it. We've only worn her facing inwards so far, but will change her to look outwards once we get to about the 4 month mark when she can hold her head up by herself. She's doing pretty good on those stakes though and holds her head up well already.

Eve was weighed yesterday and is now 9lb 11oz which was great news. As it's been good weather this week I've started back swimming at the Lido. A sauna and a swim is such a treat, I was feeling like a real couch potato for a while there. I'm managing to swim each day whilst Sam is home on half term and is able to look after her, what a luxury!

Baby carriers and slings are quite expensive, however we were really lucky to borrow the Baby Bjorn one from Sam's sister.

A friend of mine has the Caboo organic baby carrier (see picture), she said it is really good to use and easy to breastfeed with the baby inside it too.

Mother and Baby 2014 Shortlist for best baby carrier can be viewed here:

http://www.motherandbaby.co.uk/2014/02/mother-baby-awards-2014-shortlist-best-baby-carrier-sling-or-back-carrier

UPDATE
Since posting this I have had good feedback from friends. One who lives in America says that her favourite carrier is the Ergo. I have read good things about this before and their website is also very helpful.

The Ergobaby Carrier cradles your baby just the way you do with baby in a natural sitting position, aligning with the recommended carry position from the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.  

Babies can be carried from 7 - 45 lb (3.2 - 20 kg) in three positions, front, back and on the side.

http://store.ergobaby.com/

Bristol Sling Library and Sling Group

They meet in Southmead and Southville, Bristol.  You can hire slings to try them out, and get advice on baby-wearing. This is really good when your baby grows out of the smaller slings and you want to keep carrying. 

I've been told by a friend that forward facing isn't recommended, especially in Bjorn-type carriers, due to the risk of hip dysplasia and overstimulation.  Apparently the best thing is to keep them facing you, and then put them on your back when they're bigger or when you're confident in a different type of sling. Luckily we have also been given a really cool baby carrier rucksack. Sam is most excited at the prospect of wearing Eve in it to take her walking around the Cheddar Gorge where his Dad lives.

Have a look on the link below to see how to hire a sling and get advice, it's only £5 for a two week period (however you do have to leave a deposit). What a great idea!

http://bristolslinglibrary.wordpress.com/how-to-hire-a-sling/

Cheddar Gorge, Somerset

Making the most of stormy days

The Somerset Levels underwater

The past month or so has seen Britain battered by storms and flooding across many regions, especially the South West. Even though this means that we've been stuck in our flat quite a lot, we've got up to some lovely things, and consider ourselves very lucky.

Newlyn,Cornwall

Sennen, Cornwall

Salt Dough Creations

Hand and Foot Prints inside box frames

Salt Dough Recipe

1 Cup of Flour

1 Cup of Table Salt

1/4 Cup of Water

Food colouring of your choice

Mix the flour and salt together. Add the water and a few drops of food colouring, as much or as little as you want depending on the depth of colour that you want to create. 

If you don't want to use food colour you could paint them at the end of the process if you preferred.

Knead the mixture together until the colour is even - or keep it as a marbled effect. Pull of chunks and roll into balls. Flatten out with your hands or a rolling pin. Don't roll it too flat. Have some wet wipes ready to clean hands and feet before you start printing as baby will of course try to put their hands in their mouth, which would not be good if covered in salt. Press hands and feet into the discs of dough. Make holes in them if you wish to hang them. You could print or write your baby's name on them at this point too if you wanted. 

Place them on some greaseproof paper on a baking tray (or just dust some flour on a tray). Bake them in a pre-heated oven at 100 degrees F for 2 hours. Be careful not to bake for too long or they will burn and discolour.  Apparently you can nuke them in the microwave for 3 minutes instead, however I've not tried this.

You could use some super glue to attach the disc inside a box frame. I bought some inexpensive ones from Wilkinson's. Good gifts for friends and family!

Box frames to use for keepsakes

I've kept the pregnancy test stick, Eve's hospital tags and tiny clothes which no longer fit her as I wanted to put them inside box frames. I thought they would be nice for her to see when she is a bit older.









My mum kept my pink card hospital tag. I remember that I used to love looking at it when I was small as it was such an interesting -looking thing. Unfortunately now they are printed onto white plastic, not as cool as the days of old, but good to keep none-the-less.

Bath-time

We've been having more baths to get Eve used to the water, as we're hoping to take her swimming soon.

Eve enjoys playing on her mat 

My cheeky wonder!

When Daddy is at home he feeds her and plays with her before work

Eve has started wearing her baby sleeping bag during the night-time. It's really cosy and keeps her safe and warm.  On the eve of her ninth week birthday she slept completely through the night for 8 hours, and has kept doing so for the last few nights. Fingers crossed this continues!

Things we could not have been without in the early days

Basic Essentials

Lansinoh Nipple Cream (100% natural lanolin)

Brilliant for sore nipples. Make sure you get this in before the birth, don't risk not having some in your cupboard.

To Buy:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lansinoh-40ml-Cream-Nipples-Cracked/dp/B0006JLIFG

Info:

http://www.lansinoh.co.uk/products/breast-care/lansinoh-hpa-lanolin

Avent Room and Bath Thermometer

You can usually find this in the sale on Amazon, or buy from Boots etc. In the first few weeks I literally took this into every room I was in with the baby. Especially good for throwing into the bath to make sure the temperature is right before putting the baby in.

100% Cotton Cellular Blanket

Buy two at the very least so that you have one when the other is in the wash.

I was lucky to get given two of them as presents. One yellow and the other white. They are brilliant for swaddling in the early days. Perfect to use in hospital and then great for layering as they get older. After a feed I always lay one over Eve's back whilst I burp her to make sure that she doesn't get chilly.

Don't get sucked into buying one that isn't 100% cotton, as it won't be fully breathable and won't feel as nice either.

http://www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Cotton-Cellular-Blanket---White/918026,default,pd.html

Muslins 

Goes without saying really. You can of course buy them from loads of different places. You can get organic ones which are expensive etc. I bought a three pack (designs of hearts and plain) from Primark for £3. At least half the price of packs that you can buy elsewhere. The quality of them really isn't any different than expensive ones.

Arnica Pillules

Start taking these in the hospital straight after the birth. Helpful for internal issues, bruising, swelling, contusions etc. I took them every day after the birth, I'm sure they helped speed my recovery.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nelsons-Homeopathic-Indicated-Arnica-30c/dp/B002R5HH98

Ramer Ultra Soft Baby Sponge

Got given one of these in a hamper from a friend for my baby shower. It's so soft on Eve's skin, she really loves being washed with it. Only a couple of quid for a pack of two so you can't go wrong with this.

http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Ramer-Ultra-Soft-Baby-Sponges-1-x-2-Pack_641657/

Medela Single Mini Breast Pump

I kept this on my Amazon wish-list and bought it in the first couple of weeks when Eve was born.

I had issues with breastfeeding so this really was essential. Whether you want to use it to help stimulate and increase your milk supply, for relief during mastitis, or purely to express so that your partner, friends or family can feed your baby with a bottle this really is a must-have item.

If you keep an eye out you can get this in the sale on Amazon. I got mine for £40 reduced from £80.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Medela-Single-Mini-Electric-Breastpump/dp/B000LP1G98/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1391954530&sr=8-5&keywords=medela+double+pump

Bottle Steriliser

We are so glad that we borrowed one of these from our sister-in-law. It's been so useful. It is big and bulky and does take up a fair bit of space in the kitchen, however it is so easy and quick to use the pros outweigh the cons.

There are of course many different styles and brands of steriliser's on the market and I'm sure they all do pretty much the same thing, so I would just suggest getting the one that you prefer the most or is in your price range.  They are as quick as boiling a kettle.

Luxury Items

Neals Yard Mother's Balm and Baby Balm (nourishing oils and beeswax)

I was lucky to be given both as presents. The Mother's Balm is an absolute delight, it feels incredible on your skin, especially after the birth, when you're feeling a bit saggy and sore. 

I've been massaging it into my hips, sides, bum and tum religiously everyday so far.

The Baby Balm is lovely. I keep it in the bathroom and use it on Eve after a bath. She loves having it massaged into her skin. It's been great on her head to prevent cradle cap and is also good on her bum to make sure that it doesn't get sore.

Eco Earth Friendly Baby Happy Mandarin Shampoo and Body Wash

Great product, eco-friendly, smells divine and Eve loves it. My sister gave us this and I would definitely buy another when it runs out.

You can find it on the shelves of the larger Boots stores or online in various places for roughly £4-£5

http://www.biggreensmile.com/products/earth-friendly-baby-shampoo-bodywash/eafbwash.aspx?productid=eafbwash

Fisher Price Rainforest Peek-A-Boo Leaves Musical Mobile

There are many different musical mobiles and I'm sure any of them would do the job. If you have the opportunity to get one we've found it very useful. We borrowed this one. After I've changed Eve and perhaps I need to do something I lay her down in the big cot which has her changing table at one end and the mobile at the other.  It's good to have something to keep her occupied whilst neither of us is in the room. Also it's getting her used to being in the big cot so eventually around the six month point we hope she will settle into sleeping in it easier. Fingers crossed for a good transition.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fisher-Price-Rainforest-Leaves-Musical-Mobile/dp/B000JIHP88

8 Weeks

 Eve Katie

Our gorgeous Eve reached her 2 month point on Thursday and had her first set of jabs. She did really well, and enjoyed a feed in the doctors surgery after the initial shock and pain of the injections. She slept on me and Sam throughout the course of the evening on the sofa, waking up regularly crying and immediately fell back to sleep. I'm guessing she was possibly feeling a bit ill or maybe it was just nightmares.

The past two nights she slept for 4 hours before waking up during the middle of the night for a feed and nappy change. I woke up this morning, daylight streaming through the curtains, feeling amazed that she had slept through the entire night, only to find out that Sam had got up at 4.30am to give her a bottle and change her. I was obviously dead to the world and didn't hear a thing. What a lovely husband I have!

Yesterday we had a wonderful day wandering about Gloucester Road in the sunshine. We then went and visited new baby Agnes Lily, the second daughter of my oldest friend Laura. Laura and I have know each other since we were 3 years old, so it's an incredible feeling, both of us sitting together enjoying cuddles with our babies. Eve loved sitting in the bouncer  which had a little mirror and rattles dangling down. Good stimulation for her.

Agnes Lily Pride, 7lb 8oz

My other good friend and bridesmaid Sarah gave birth to her first baby, Jake on the same day as Laura this week. What fab timing!!

Jake Jones, 6lb 12 oz

Massive Congratulations beautiful ladies!

Eve smiles and giggles lots now. Last night she was awake for most of the evening and didn't want any milk, and had had nappy changes. I couldn't work out why she was grizzling. Sam played her some Pink Floyd with youtube footage of beautiful nature at the same time and she just loved it. We watched her intently. She really concentrated trying to move her arms in time with the music, rather than just flailing around. It was so cute.

Eve enjoying the bouncer

Lovely Baby Visualisations

I found Pinterest so useful during the time before conception of our baby and pregnancy. I really enjoyed gathering images to use for positive visualisation and also as a way of cataloguing information that I may want to look at in the future.

Some of the things I thought I might want to buy at some point or perhaps when family and friends asked what we might like for baby gifts it could be useful too.

Click the link below for my Pinterest account:

My Board - Lovely Baby Things

http://www.pinterest.com/tamof79/lovely-baby-things/

Weigh-hey!!

      Unfortunately this is not a photo of Eve - would love to have a pic of her like this though. So cute!


We had our best weigh-in today. Eve has put on 800g in the past week. I was aiming for 600g so I'm super happy. She now weighs 8lb 8oz.

Dreaded Mastitis

My husband told me that I should post about this to help those of you with early symptoms...

Last Thursday afternoon I felt a hard, lumpy patch on my right boob. I phoned the doctors but the receptionist told me that there weren't any emergency appointments available and that I would have to call back in the morning. I thought that may be it was just a small blockage so I tried breast-compressions during feeding, but this just aggravated it and made red marks appear.  When Friday came, even though breastfeeding was painful my breast felt a bit better so I thought maybe it wasn't mastitis and didn't make an appointment. I'm not the best at making myself go to the doctors. I now realise how foolish I was to not take more appropriate steps!

Over the course of the weekend feeding on my right boob became more and more painful, until the point at about 3am on Sunday evening that I thought I was going to pass out from the pain during the first few minutes. Plus at least half of my breast was rock hard. I then started getting really bad stomach cramps, and eventually ended up with what is best described as 'food poisoning' symptoms at about 4.30am, feeling very dizzy also.

I then got flu-like symptoms, shivering in bed with achy muscles. Eve woke up again at 6.30am and I had to quickly wake up Sam to look after her whilst I was seriously ill for about half an hour.

Thankfully we have the NHS helpline which is free to call in the UK. The lady that I spoke to was very kind and sent an email to my doctors surgery saying that I needed an immediate appointment when they opened at 8am. She also told me to take two paracetamol (not ibuprofen as it can irritate an upset stomach) with some dry toast which I did. This helped but I was so ill I couldn't even get out of bed to go to the doctors. 

The Doctor phoned me and prescribed anti-biotics including penicillin. It turned out that I most probably had two infections - one in the lining of my womb, separate to the infection of mastitis in my breast.

We are so lucky in the Western world that we have drugs so close to our finger tips. I went from the feeling of dying at 6.30am to a real change by 10am after taking the capsules.

I'm so lucky that Sam could take the day off work to look after me, but more importantly Eve. I slept throughout most of the day, waking up sporadically to feed her. Sam also gave her bottles and played with her which was great. She loves playing Peek-a-boo!

Thankfully the lumps have already gone, and breastfeeding has gone from serious pain to just a slight pain for a minute at the beginning of feeding. 

Hopefully that will get better as the week progresses and I finish the course of anti-biotics. It's really important to change breast pads regularly, so don't forget this ladies - whether you're using disposables or fabric ones. 

I use bamboo breast pads by Little Lambs breast pads which are brilliant. I bought them in black so they don't discolour from the milk.

http://www.littlelambnappies.com/accessories/washable-bamboo-breast-pads

After looking at images of mastitis online whilst writing this post I realise how lucky I have been. If it remains untreated it can get really bad with the infection spreading and can infect the entire breast. If you notice early symtoms get to the doctors the same day to prevent it worsening, which can happen very quickly.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Mastitis/Pages/Symptoms.aspx