When we think of baby’s arrival, many of us think first and foremost about all the things we’ll need to buy for baby. But preparing yourself for the actual day your baby is born, is also incredibly important so that on that day you feel empowered by the entire process. In this post I’ll be talking about both preparing yourself and how to keep things simple regarding your list of baby items, because nowadays, more than ever, we’re surrounded by so many videos, blog posts, social media posts, family members and friends sharing that you just *need* this or that product.
But here’s the thing: what might be life-changing for one person might be completely useless to the next. Because, well, every baby and family is different and has different needs.
Preparing Yourself For Birth
Often times we reduce the act of giving birth to: having a natural birth, a medicated birth or a c-section. Yet, there are so many other things that come into play to make each birth experience unique.
There is one resource I would highly recommend to feel informed and prepared for whatever comes at you: The Positive Birth Company. On their website you can find a series of courses that will help you feel more confident in preparing for your birth in an empowered manner, by covering all possible scenarios that can come up. I personally did their signature course, the Hypnobirthing Pack, which I found very informative and easy to go through (for both mom and dad!). If you’re not familiar with hypnobirthing, it is essentially, as stated in their book, “a form of antenatal education, an approach to birth that is both evidence-based and logical.” It’s not about hypnotisation or anything like that: it’s about providing you with a toolkit with breathing techniques, visualisations, positive affirmations, relaxation exercises, and helping you make informed choices throughout the entire birth. I honestly found it invaluable because I strongly believe that a lot of the preparation before birth is mental.
In addition to their Hypnobirthing Pack, they have other courses such as the Postpartum Pack and the Early Years Pack to support parents once baby is born.
Another little gem, that I used during the birth of baby number 2, was their app Freya which coaches you through your surges (or contractions), and plays positive affirmations and meditations to focus on during labour. I had this on loop during labour and found it soothing, even though I also had a whole other music playlist ready as well (which I didn’t end up using).
In addition to the course, the book, and the app, I also personally wanted to work with a doula for my second pregnancy. Even though everything went well and safely with the birth of my first, I can’t help but feel I wasn’t in control of the situation at all, and that was largely due to the fact that I did not feel well-informed. I wanted things to be different, this time around. And honestly? It was. I felt supported, heard, informed and empowered. Our doula helped me make sure that we felt we had the right support throughout the whole process all the way up until baby was in my arms. In addition to this, she also documented the birth, which I’m so grateful for: I love looking back at the pictures, videos, and reading the birth story.
Must Haves: Keep it simple!
I understand that parents like to be prepared and buy everything upfront. But sometimes this can lead to us buying a whole bunch of things we’re never going to use. I’m here to share a simple list of what your baby truly needs. You’ll be surprised by how simple things can be.
A Simple List
Here’s the first thing: simple is often times better. In fact, I believe that getting just the bare essentials is the way to go, and you can always go out (or order) anything else you feel your family needs later.
For the first few months of a baby’s life, you’ll probably need:
- Weather-appropriate & comfortable clothes for baby that don’t hinder their movements (bodysuits and baby grows)
- Feeding essentials: what you’ll need will depend on whether you’re breastfeeding, pumping, bottle-feeding, or a combination of these.
- Baby care & changing essentials (baby soap & shampoo, nail file, nappies, wipes, changing cream & body lotion/oil, towel)
- Sleeping essentials (sleepsuits, floor bed, sidecar, maybe a simple monitor)
- Traveling essentials (wrap/carrier, car seat and stroller)
- A topponcino
- Mobiles
- A mat/play mat
- Muslins & blanket(s)
Though, naturally you’ll be getting furniture for baby’s room and other cute little items, I would consider anything additional to what is on this list as extra or something you can cater to after baby’s birth, when you get to know baby’s needs and you family’s needs better.
I’m still considering creating a more detailed list with specific items I use(d). Which I may add to this post at a later date, if there’s interest. š
Is there something else you would consider essential to add to this list?
Baby’s almost here, and you’re looking for a guide to follow baby’s development week by week to know how you can support baby in a Montessori-aligned manner? I have a blog series called “Montessori Baby from 0 to 52 Weeks” in which each post breaks down certain things to pay attention to week by week. In addition to the blog posts, I also have an Audio Diary (which is a bit like a private podcast) where I share how I’m implementing things practically with baby number 2! I would love for us to go on this journey together!
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