Top 10 tips for when you are Pregnant

When all the crazy plans about how we are going to dress the baby and what we are going to teach it is over, the practical things still remain. For one, I asked her if she had a hospital delivery bag packed yet as well as what she had bought for her first baby so far for when the little one comes home.

It is, for this reason, as well as all of you planning baby showers for friends or family out there, that I have decided to make this week’s top 10 about the things you should have on your baby shower list and for the mothers to have ready and waiting when the baby comes from the hospital.

I know that one can never be fully prepared for how one's life is going to change once you have a baby, but hopefully some of these items will help to make it a bit easier.
Enjoy.

1. Make me better – medical aid and a good pediatrician
If you are not on a medical aid yet, then you should make a plan to get on one as soon as you give birth. Having a good medical aid can really help especially with those unexpected little illnesses babies like to develop.
It is also important to have the number of a good pediatrician close by. Make sure that you can also find a doctor that makes house calls, just for incase.

2. Make me better - at home
You should always have some medicine at home that you feel will be able to help your baby with certain ailments. Whether it is syrup to bring down their temperature, stop a runny nose or help dry up a cough. Even if it is just something like Scotch Emulsion or Junglevites to keep them healthy or Vicks and Puma Balm to help with coughs and runny noses.
Then there are also things like Gripe Water for winds and so many other things for runny tummies or Colic. It is also important to have a thermometer to test your little one's temperature when you think they are feeling sick. Knowing your baby’s temperature is also helpful information to give your doctor.
Most importantly, find out from your doctor or chemist which medicines are best to keep in your medicine cupboard for your baby. Asking the advice from other mothers is also good, but just remember to not let them take preference over your doctor.

3. Clothe me
Oh my word, there are so many cute clothes for babies out there, I just want to go out and by the entire shop! Buying babies clothes obviously depends on the sex of the baby (if you want to go the traditional route of pink for girls and blue for boys), the season in which they are born and how big they are. I just adore looking at premature baby clothes. They look like they are for dolls.
Ok enough gushing, a list of baby clothes will consist more or less of the following – an assortment of growers, vests, leggings, booties, jackets, jump suits, little t-shits and pants or little dresses, caps, hats, nappies – toweling nappy pins, water proofs or disposable, and last but not least, a variety of blankets. Rain or shine, we can’t have the little baby getting cold now.

4. Let me sleep
If your baby is going to have its own room, decorating it is always very exciting. Take this time to decorate the baby’s room with your husband, and if you already have a child, take this time to do things with them as well. Once the baby comes, all focus, attention, eyes and ears will be on them.
Even if your baby will be sleeping in the same room as you, these are some of the items you would require – a crib, a cot or a camp cot, foam protection sheets, blankets, breathable pillows maybe even a mobile or some wind chimes. You will also need a bag or carrier for your baby’s nappies to be nearby and a little chest of drawers just for their things.
If your baby will has their own room, I think that having a rocking chair is the most beautiful thing in a baby’s room. Another important thing is to have baby monitors as well so that you can constantly hear what your little bundle of joy is doing.

5. Make me mobile
Travelling with your baby is always a big issue (read #6 for another important, if not the most item to have when being on the move).
When travelling with your baby, it is important to have a car seat that is comfortable and secure as well as maybe a booster seat. Once getting out of the car though, you would need to be mobile with baby, if you don’t want to carry them all over. For this you will need a pram or stroller. Some prams are sold with the car seats as well so that is quite convenient for you and baby.

6. Travel with me
Having a well stocked/packed travelling bag is an important item to have for mommies on the go. First of all you should get a good travelling bag. This will, from the beginning, be the bag you pack with your little ones clothes and other items from the time you go to the hospital to give birth to every trip you will take with your baby.
Stock inside the bag should always include nappies, baby wipes, medicine, some extra clothes, bottles, bibs and toiletries (see #8). If you are going to a public place, I always find it healthier to have something on which to lay your baby down when you change them. Some travel bags have these already in them and it is very convenient and sanitary for your baby.

7. Feed me
When/if breastfeeding, you would have to purchase the following things for yourself – 2 or 3 feeding bras (you can buy more if you want), breast pads (disposable or reusable) nipple cream and a breast pump.
For your baby you will need: bottles, bottle sterilizers, bottle holders, warmers, brush and cleaning kits. One thing I have also realised about babies and when it comes to drinking bottle is that they are very fussy. So when purchasing a bottle for your baby, buy one or two different kinds (especially the teats) and test it out on your baby first to see what they like or prefer. You can also decide whether you would want your baby to have a pacifier/dummy.
For later, feeding, should you want to buy it now, you will need a feeding spoon, a plate bowl and a cup with handles. Oh and don’t forget some bibs and colorful placemats.

8. Clean me
Bath time can always be a fun time for both you and your baby. Once again this is a good time for you and your little one to bond, but let the other people in the house also get involved in this process like your husband or your other children, should you have.
They should also be involved in the nappy changes of the baby - I know quite a few fathers that have never changed their children’s diapers.
For the bathing of your baby, you will need a small bath, unless you have the changing units with the bath attached to it. You will also need a bath mat or ring, a hooded towel, a sponge or face cloth, baby soap or various kinds of liquid soaps like Bedtime Bath. For some fun in the bath, you can also buy some toys for baby and you to play with.

9. Groom me
These are the things that you will mostly get at your baby shower, but it never hurts to have too many of these things. So here goes. You will need a brush and comb set, a three piece manicuring kit, a teething ring and wet wipes. Then there are the toiletries of which you will never have enough. They are things like baby powder, baby lotion, baby oil, Vaseline, baby ear buds, shampoo, moisturizer, bum cream and if you want, maybe some baby cologne. It smells so nice.
When buying the toiletries, try buying two of the same things like the powder, lotion, Vaseline and bum cream. That way you can have the bigger units at home and the smaller convenient travel size ones in your travel bag. You also get wipes available in a travel kit

10. Entertain me
Babies love to be entertained, especially once they can see what is going on around them. But even before that, in the womb even, you can start playing music to the baby. You can play anything from classical music to your latest chart toppers.
Reading and talking to your baby is also a good way to bond as well as stimulate your child’s mind. You could read them the children’s classics as well as the great nursery rhymes you grew up with (if you can remember them).
Also try not to buy too many toys - they may end up playing with the box anyway.

So these are some of the things you would need to get when you are having a baby. If I have left anything out, please feel free to let us as well as the other readers know so that we can all be better informed and well equipped.

Above and beyond all these things, I hope that you have a beautiful, healthy baby and that you will cherish every moment with the new life that you brought into this world.
Oh yes, one more thing, don’t forget to take lots of pictures, that is if you don’t already have your baby’s first sonogram picture in an album already.

Source: Bumbo