The Fourth Trimester

It has been a while since writing this blog - as always, life is busy and just seems to get in the way - but fast forward a year and eight months since our wedding, and I’m here writing in the middle of the night, post feed. In fact, I’m typing on the Notes section of my phone in kind of a sleepy trance as I listen to the husband snoring and the occasional stir from the SnuzPod. Because I am Mama to a baby now! His name is Teddy (Theodore is his fancy, grown-up name) and he came into the world on the eighth of August 2019 after an excruciatingly long labour that I won’t go into just yet (or ever - not sure!).

Becoming a Mum and becoming parents is everything I thought it would be and more. Matt and I make the best duo, as I knew we would: we’re both super chilled (unless danger’s involved, obviously!) and I think that has definitely rubbed off on Ted. Since the beginning he has been such a  contented little baby - rarely going for it on the crying front really, and sleeping in good chunks - it helps that he’s a little chunk himself - a ten pounder at birth and a thirteen pounder now, at 7 and a bit weeks old. Being more than halfway through the fourth trimester, I’ve decided to start documenting our little boy’s milestones and also share our must-haves as new parents on this crazy-wonderful journey.

Teddy’s little milestones (at 7 weeks):

•Ted has started to smile properly (as in not just windy faces) in the last week or so, though it feels like that gummy smile has always existed. I cannot describe the heart flutter that occurs when you see your baby’s smile for the first time - to see them really take notice of you and rejoice at being in your company! It’s magical. Teddy even responds to our smiles, with his getting wider and wider with ours! Our favourite question to ask him is “Where’s your smile?” and the acknowledgment on his face is adorable.

•Teddy specifically likes a lot of things and isn’t too fussy on the dislikes! He liked staring at the ceilings in our old house from the moment he came home - we think it’s the contrast and lines of the beams! Likewise, he likes the curves and patterns in radiators. Yes, it’s a little strange! More conventional likes are lots of cuddles but he particularly loves snuggling up to us in bed in the morning, and we always have music playing. Whether it’s a random American rock band Matt’s found or a Disney compilation (my choice!), he loves kicking around and waving his hands to the tunes! He’s interested in the outdoors and stares at the sky and his surroundings while on the move. We are lucky that he loves the movement of walking in the sling or being in the pram or car (as long as the engine is running and radio’s on!!) More than anything, I think he just likes being chatted to about nonsense! As for dislikes, he is not too keen on tummy time yet - on the mat anyway, and even rolled the other day to escape it! He also really struggles with wind as babies do! Matt jokes he also hates not being the centre of attention!

•Physically, Teddy’s really strong and has held his neck well since the early days -feeding from me in hospital definitely helped as I had to place him carefully on his tummy on me to avoid my caesarean wound! Our doctor said he has the best head control she has seen in a baby of his age, and he is so alert, tracking things with his eyes as he should and gripping anything and everything in his fists (including hair - ouch!) The strength in his legs is crazy - he’s desperate to stand up and I’m sure he’ll be crawling before long. With breastfeeding alone Teddy managed to go back to his birthweight of ten pounds after a drop to nine in hospital; he is now 13lbs 3oz! He is a real guzzler and we’re lucky that feeding is working perfectly for us as he would set up camp and live on the boob if he could!

There’s my little essay about my baby from a proud mummy. Now onto the things that we couldn’t have lived without in these first weeks and that we highly recommend!

Newborn Essentials

1. A battery operated sound machine - we really bought this for the white noise which Teddy settles to if he’s worked up. It does have five other sounds though - a lullaby, the ocean, the sound of a brook, a heartbeat and a wildlife effect. It goes by the bed at night but I’ve also taken it out and about in the pram - what’s great is that it works on a timer so you can set it to play for 15, 30 or 60 minutes and go to sleep! Before we were faffing around with YouTube and draining our phone batteries every night. Life saver!

2. Muslins, muslins, muslins. I didn’t anticipate how many of these we would need - but the extra large ones are best as you can use them for multiple things - mopping up spit-up or just generally cleaning their face, breastfeeding and for a cover in the pram or cot. The largest one I’ve found is his gorgeous, seasonal pumpkin-print muslin, handmade by the lovely owner of Maple & Pea. Otis and the Wolf also do large ones in a scandi style - we have the Milk bottle one - and other great quality favourites are from Aden & Anais and M&S, though Primark’s wash up well too!

3. On the same wavelength as item number one, we discovered a playlist that keeps Ted entertained while kicking away on his playmat or on the bed. Just search Baby Music for Playtime by Happy Music on YouTube - and thank me later! Though be prepared to have it stuck in your head on repeat.

4. We have the Shnuggle change mat, which was a little more expensive than a standard changing mat, but I am so glad I bought it. I was drawn to it as it is easily wiped clean and is squishy and soft but still supportive for their backs. It's also slanted which is a colic reliever and I think this may have helped with Teddy's reflux. We also have the Shnuggle baby bath for similar reasons - it's nice to know your baby's head is supported while they're in the water!

5. Toy wise, Teddy is becoming more and more interested, but particularly in textured toys and things that make noises (high-pitched noises like bells are best). I love the online shop Scandiborn for baby toys - one of their best brands stocked is Sebra which makes the most adorable crocheted animals - Teddy has a deer and this whale rattle! Other sites for gorgeously crafted toys are Sarah and Bendrix who make dear little wooden toys (Teddy has these mice for his nursery shelf!), Mimi-Bear and everyone's favourite: Jelly Cat. I discovered recently that their ever-popular octopuses are loved by babies because their tentacles mimic the feel of the umbilical cord, which babies grab onto in the womb for comfort! How cute and genius is that?

6. Sleeping bags have made sleeping so much simpler and safer for us - we are lucky though that Ted was big as sleeping bags should only be used when babies are above 8 pounds I believe. We got our first one from The Little Green Sheep in 2.5 tog which is suitable for all year round. They also do good ones from John Lewis and even the supermarkets now like Sainsburys and Asda. We pop Teddy in either a vest and sleepsuit or just a sleepsuit depending on temperature and then in this to keep him toasty. It's also best for him as he loves having his arms out so full swaddling wouldn't have worked. We had one night during the heatwave where the bag was too hot - a one-off really - and that night faffing around with a blanket was the worst as he kept kicking it off and I was terrified of SIDS. It was such a relief to get the sleeping bag back!

7. I had seen loads about the Sleepyhead nests for safe sleeping in the day, though they are so expensive I was determined to track down an alternative! We have used and loved the Purflo breathable nest since day one! It's easy to put baby down to lay and chill out, or to nap in on the sofa, on the floor - on any suitable surface really! It's great as well as it helps stop pets (we have cats) climbing onto baby as it has sides. I don't know where we would have put Ted to sleep if we hadn't bought this!

8. An obvious essential with a baby and the unbelievable amount of stuff you accommodate is a changing bag. I researched cheaper options for a while as I loved the Tibi changing backpack but was never going to spend over £100! The one I found and bought by LAND is stylish and practical, plus being black I thought Matt wouldn't mind carrying it around too! It has so much space inside and various compartments that mean you can separate spare and dirty clothes, nappy sacks, essentials for Mama, toys and even bottles. It's a bit of a Mary Poppins bag!

9. I also knew from the beginning, and from all the cute photos of family outings on Instagram, that we would want a baby carrier/sling. Again, I researched this loads and eventually went for the Ergo Baby Omni 360 as I thought the best value for money would be to buy something that lasted through to Ted being a heavy toddler! I envisioned us being able to go for long walks as we live in the countryside and close to the sea and the Ergo is perfect for that, being comfortable, versatile and "hip healthy" for you and baby. I couldn't wear the carrier at first because of my caesarean wound but seven weeks on I have just started to and absolutely love it! Teddy loves how close he is to us in it and I also managed to feed in it - with a low-cut top - which is so handy! Just being walked in it really comforts him though and he loves to peer out at the sights and wildlife.

10. Lastly, another obvious must-have: nappies! I always knew we would try the Mamia range from Aldi because of its rave reviews and multiple awards won. True to review, they work really well and just as good as Pampers which we've also tried (for double the price!) We have also tried Lidl's Lupilu range which is very similar to Mamia. Both ranges come in different sizes depending on bub's weight (Teddy is in size 3 at 7 weeks and 13 lbs) and have cute little animal patterns on them - much inspired by more expensive brands like Kit & Kin. We honestly wouldn't need to buy other brands for now! Teddy is happy and comfortable in them and hasn't suffered from nappy rash either! The only thing I would say is that the wipes from Mamia are good but not from Lupilu - we found them too dry. I do tend to pick up the Pampers Aqua wipes when they're on offer as they're my favourite to use and the most rehydrating on the skin.

I hope you may find these top ten baby essentials useful - they've certainly helped us along the way so far. You get so many recommendations when expecting but you definitely don't need everything suggested!

I hope to post an update on Ted, our feeding journey or maybe even a labour and birth story soon. Having a year off teaching ahead (which I am so grateful for), my fingers are itching to write again! Now I have to return to mama life - which means rolling a sleepy, milk drunk babe off me in order to try and get showered and dressed!

Thank you for reading,

                                        Izzy