Maria Savina - Lifehack for Moms. A fun book for loving moms!

Certainly, there are expensive baby products that totally justify their cost. However, it does not happen that often. To make planning and shopping a bit easier for you, below is the full list of all mentioned things without my comments.

Shopping list

I. For the baby

1. Baby bed + soft bumpers.

2. Mattress.

3. Waterproof cloth (1—2 pcs.).

4. Fitted sheets (2—3 pcs.).

5. Baby sleeping bag.

6. Cotton blanket.

7. Fleece throw blanket.

8. Baby changing table with chest of drawers + soft mattress with bumpers.

9. Trash can with a lid.

10. Basket for dirty clothes.

11. Towel (better with a hood).

12. Air humidifier.

13. Pram/stroller.

14. Rain cover and mosquito net for the pram.

15. Child safety seat.

16. Diapers (2 packs, first size).

17. Baby wipes for hygiene care (better take a couple of packs).

18. Disposable underpads (same here, you will need a couple of packs).

19. Swaddles (4—6 pcs.).

20. Baby tissue paper or soft napkins.

21. Clothes.

Summer:

– cotton bodysuits with short sleeves – 3—4 pcs.;

– cotton footed pants – 3—4 pcs.;

– cotton sleepsuits – 3—4 pcs.;

– cotton caps – 2 pcs.;

– cotton (throw) blanket for walks;

– newborn mittens.

Autumn-spring:

Same as for the summer, plus

– knitted cap;

– warm hat;

– warm knit sleepsuit or a light fleece one without lining;

– fleece sleepsuit with a lining;

– light bunting suit (60—80 gram fill insulation);

– warm fleece throw blanket.

Winter:

Same as for autumn/spring, plus

– warm woolen socks;

– winter bunting suit (250—300 gram fill insulation) instead of a light version mentioned in the previous list (you can buy that closer to spring)

22. Sterilizer (not essential).

23. Breast pump.

24. Bottles, fit for your chosen breast pump (with smallest flow bottle teats).

25. Pacifiers – 2 pcs., clip on chain.

26. Video baby monitor (not essential).

27. Baby bathtub.

28. Baby care products:

– baby soap;

– soft hair brush;

– baby scissors or nail clippers;

– nasal aspirator;

– cotton pads;

– moisturizing cream;

– nappy cream;

– baby laundry detergent;

– baby shampoo.

29. Baby medicine cabinet:

– bath herbs (special baby kits or separately packs of chamomile and beggarticks);

– bepanthen;

– hydrogen peroxide;

– paracetamol suppositories (for infants);

– baby oil;

– saline solution for nose (baby nasal drops);

– thermometer.

30. Baby rattles.

31. Mobile for the crib (not essential).

32. Baby bouncer (not essential).

ІІ. For the mother

1. Maternity bras – 2—3 pcs.

2. After birth belly wrap.

3. Postpartum pads (4—5 packs).

4. Nursing pads for bras (2—3 packs).

5. Lansinoh for breasts.

6. Breastfeeding pillow (not essential).

7. Nursing clothes (not essential).

8. Fitball (not essential).

9. Sling (not essential).

10. Wide shawl (not essential).

ІІІ. What you might need later

1. Playpen (not essential).

2. Potty.

3. High chair.

4. Bib – 2 pcs.

5. Tableware; sippy cup (later a simple cup), plates (2 pcs.), spoon and fork.

6. Toys + boxes or containers to store them.

Have a great shopping experience!

Mother Nature thoughtfully gifted a woman with (((memory like a sieve))) oxytocin, in order for all labor pain to be forgotten so that a woman would absolutely willingly want to go through all this torture again. It is so amazing how fast we start to think that it was really not that bad and hard, and yes, painful, but just a little bit. Even if you clearly remember that during labor you were thinking: “Never again!!!”, your brain will still make up excuses to actually do it again. Maybe then it was like this just because you did not have enough sleep, or the doctor did something wrong, and to tell the truth, the weather was kind of bad as well. Anyway, it seems like everything was quite tolerable. Actually, these kind of stories are usually told to a friend who is about to give birth. And then she calls you right after birth, screaming: “Why did you lie to me?! Is THAT not painful?! I nearly died!!!” Then again, some months after giving birth, the very same friend tells her pregnant acquaintance: “Labor? Well, it is fine, not a big deal. I had it quite smoothly…”

This is the magic of nature. No matter how hard labor was, pain and weariness disappear in an instance, as soon as you see your newborn baby for the first time and hold him/her to your breast. You smile and cry from happiness, hear your baby’s first cry, feel him/her on your skin, this tiny warm miracle on your breast… Day and night you are looking at this cutest peaceful face, and cannot get enough of it. It never happened to you before. You became a Mom!

І. A little bit of physiology

To enjoy motherhood to its fullest after birth, you need to know some facts beforehand. In the following section we will speak about physiology, so if there are any men among my readers, then maybe it is better that you skip to another chapter.

1. For a better after-birth recovery without any complications, it is important to lay on your belly as much as you can (you finally get an opportunity to do so after 9 months!) and stand as much as you can. This way your uterus will get rid of all the excessive stuff much faster. Stand up and walk regularly, even within the borders of the postnatal ward. You can just stand by the window and muse upon passers-by who are hurrying somewhere and do not even have the slightest idea that the whole world has just changed.

2. If your baby swallowed some blood when he was moving through the birth canal, then some time later he will be posseting with terrifying blood clots (nobody told me about that so the first night after birth when it happened I started panicking and called for a nurse).

For this reason, you have to put the baby on his\her side first nights after birth. In order for him\her not to turn to his back, roll a blanket or a towel and put it behind the baby’s back to support it. Do not forget to change side on which your baby is sleeping (interchange left and right side).

3. It is important to know some of the specific characteristics of a newborn. This will help you to avoid unnecessary worries when you meet your baby for the first time.

– a newborn baby who just came into this world, does not have a pink skin like we think. It is more of a red tone, blueish or even purple. Do not panic! Soon your newborn will adapt to the unfamiliar surroundings and will become your typical rosy-cheeked baby. Feet might still stay a bit purple for some days, though;

– in the beginning your baby will look a bit wrinkly and crooked. No wonder! Imagine spending some months in a small cask! With time your baby’s back will become more straight, you will see the neck, and his arms and legs will get straight as well;

– a newborn baby cannot hold his head yet, his neck is too weak, so make sure you always support the head when you pick up and hold your baby. Do not let any abrupt movements in the neck area. If necessary, ask a nurse to show you how to hold a baby carefully and safely, including the times when you give him\her a bath or perform hygienic procedures;