When you last left your house, you were a heavily pregnant woman, possibly in the throes of labour. Now you are about to walk into your house as a new mother, and introduce your newborn baby to his or her first home. The significance of this moment would be enough to have you in tears even without the post-partum hormonal sob fest, but what practical things should you have ready for your first days as a new parent?

1. Food, glorious food – you don’t want to arrive home from the hospital to discover that the cupboards are bare. Make sure your freezer is stocked up with precooked meals in advance, so all you need to do is reheat and eat. If you plan on having visitors during the first week, ask them to bring a small selection of fresh fruit with them. It’s important to eat healthily and look after yourself so that you are able to look after your baby.
2. Battle stations at the ready – well, changing stations anyway. You will arrive home from the hospital in a whirlwind of nappy changes, feeds and cuddles, so you won’t have time to hunt for nappy cream or diapers. Have your changing station set up before your due date, so that everything is where it should be for your first dirty nappy. In fact, consider having a couple of different ones – especially if your living quarters are two stories.
3. Going off grid – unplug the house phone, turn your mobile phone to silent, let the email inbox pile up, and ignore the door. These first few days are the ideal bonding time for your new family. Of course, you should invite any guests you want round, but make sure that your private moments are uninterrupted. There is nothing worse than finally soothing your baby to sleep, only to have your hard work undone by a deafeningly loud phone ringing in the next room.
4. Just in case – chances are, between childbirth and breastfeeding, you’re going to feel a little sore. You may not need them, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Have some breastfeeding safe over-the-counter painkillers in the house, as well as some heat and ice packs. If you’re planning to breastfeed, you may want to keep some soothing nipple cream in the house too, because your nipples may feel quite tender for the first couple of days. Even a bag of frozen peas might make a handy ice pack if you’re suffering from engorgement.
5. Some baggies – you won’t be straight back into your skinny jeans, but you probably won’t need maternity wear anymore, either. Make sure you have lots of clean, comfy pyjamas to wear. Don’t forget, you’ll also want some clothes to wear for when visitors pop round, unless you don’t mind them seeing you in your pajamas.

The first few days as a new parent are exhausting, difficult and truly amazing all at the same time. Make sure you have the above items in the house, and if you discover any other useful must haves, be sure to share the advice in the comments below.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

After nine long months of waiting, all of your friends and family are no doubt on the edge of their seats waiting for the big announcement. As your due date approaches, you may feel bombarded by calls and texts from well wishers hoping for some news. It can be quite frustrating to have to keep sending out texts confirming that yes, you are still pregnant and no, baby doesn’t seem ready to make an appearance yet. To avoid this unwanted frustration, tell your friends and family to stop asking, and assure them that they’ll hear the good news as soon as it happens.

There are a few options when it comes to ways to announce your baby’s birth, including:

1. Text or email – pushing out a quick announcement after the birth, simply featuring the important details, will let everyone know the baby has arrived. The downside is that if you choose to text people, you may end up inundated with texts and calls from well wishers wanting to find out more about the birth. If you choose to text, you may want to switch your phone off for a few hours afterwards, and reply at a later date when you have more time.
2. Snail mail – in days gone by, births were announced by post. A simple telegram sent to friends and family alerting them of the good news. Of course, these days it doesn’t need to be quite a simple. Why not send your friends and family a beautiful photo of your perfect newborn, and include all the important information including full name, the time of birth and the birth weight. You could even have unique photo cards printed to share the news, there are loads of free templates and designs available.
3. Facebook – less romantic than the old fashioned telegram, but perhaps more practical in the modern age, is the tried and tested Facebook announcement. Uploading a photo of your new baby, along with all the birth stats, is a great way to let all of your friends and family know that the baby has arrived. This is an easy way to announce the birth, and will free up your time to allow you to bond with your newborn baby. Just make sure you’ve told the new grandmas first, or they might be a bit annoyed to find out via social media!
4. An invitation – without doubt, the best way to hear about a new baby is to be invited round for cuddles. Your nearest and dearest will be thrilled to be invited round to meet the newest member of your family. Be careful not to overload yourself with visitors though, the first few weeks are exhausting and you’ll need plenty of time to rest.
5. Blog it – you could set up a blog with photos and information about your baby on, and send a link to your friends and family. This is a great way to give people all the information they want in one go, but it is time consuming so you may struggle to update it regularly. It is a great way to keep long distance family in the loop though.

How are you planning to announce the birth of your baby?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.

Making the leap from a family of three to a family of four, or more, can be daunting for parents. You may be worried about how you will cope with the sleepless nights now that you have a toddler to look after as well. Or how, in the midst of those first few weeks, you will find the energy and time to properly care for your existing child, considering that last time you struggled to find the time to feed yourself.

Your biggest worry though, the one that keeps you awake at night, is how your first child will feel when the new baby arrives. How can you avoid feelings of resentment building up, or your eldest feeling left out? What steps can you take to lay the foundations for a loving and respectful sibling relationship? Here are five tips to prepare your child for a new baby:

1. Involvement – the first way to stop your child feeling left out is to actively involve him. This could include taking your child to midwife appointments, if practical, and accompanying you to antenatal scans. You could use a pregnancy week by week book to research the baby’s development together each week. Towards the end of the pregnancy, you may like to get your child involved in choosing items for the nursery. The level of involvement will depend on your child’s age.
2. Bonding – bonding with your bump is a great way to build a good relationship between siblings. Not only will it help him adjust to the idea of a sibling, it will help the baby to recognise his voice after the birth. Ask him to read or talk to the bump for a few minutes each day. If the baby has an active period during the day, you could try it then so that your child can feel the baby’s kicks and movements responding to his voice.
3. Communication – your child is likely to have a lot of questions about the new baby, including questions like “but how did it get in your tummy?” and, “how will it get out?”. Children are naturally inquisitive and love learning new things. Try to answer the questions as honestly as you can, or you could research it together using age-appropriate books if you prefer.
4. Hospital – if you are planning to give birth in the hospital, the separation from you will be difficult for your child. Make sure your child will be looked after by someone he trusts and enjoys spending time with. Prepare him for the separation, and explain that they will be able to visit as soon as possible. Make sure your partner stays in contact with your child throughout the birth, to keep reassuring him that you and baby are both ok. Some children worry about their mother’s safety during childbirth, and this can be quite stressful for them.
5. Caring – your child may not yet be old enough to help look after the baby, but they could help you while you look after the baby. Giving your child responsibilities, such as getting the baby wipes or massage oil, can be a great way to involve your child in the baby care. You could also buy your child a doll to take care of while you are busy with the baby. You will find that he copies what you are doing, and will probably sit quietly next to you, caring for his doll as you care for the baby. For a little while at least!

If you think your oldest child is feeling jealous and resentful, try to spend some quality time with him away from the baby. Sometimes all it can take is an hour of uninterrupted play for your child to feel happy and ready to welcome the new baby again. Using a sling, especially one that allows for breastfeeding, can be a lifesaver when you have an older child. You’ll have your hands free to play with your child, and your baby will be happy feeding or sleeping in the sling.

Do you have any tips for introducing a new baby to an existing child?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.

Many new mums experience the ‘baby blues’ within a few days of giving birth. After the initial oxytocin-induced natural high of meeting your baby for the first time, the baby blues can come as a bit of a shock. One minute you are over the moon, truly and utterly in love, and the next minute you are sobbing over the sink because your partner bought the wrong type of washing up sponge. It may feel a bit like you’re losing your mind; but don’t worry, the baby blues are a common postpartum symptom, and usually nothing to worry about.

What causes the baby blues?
Two to four days after giving birth, your hormone levels rapidly drop, and this is thought to be one of the causes of the baby blues. During this time, there are also chemical changes occurring, and new hormones being released to trigger bonding and milk production. That’s a lot happening at once, so it’s no wonder you’re left feeling a bit drained.

On top of that, you’re exhausted after the birth, and you’ve just been handed this wonderful, perfect little bundle who probably doesn’t sleep for very long. It can be a very scary feeling when you leave the hospital for the first time, and you realise you are in charge of a baby. It’s easy to worry that you’re under-qualified for the job. Add to this breastfeeding problems, birth recovery, the cries of a newborn baby, and the fact you’re too tired to shower.  Anyone would be feeling a bit weepy, even without the hormonal changes.

Symptoms of the baby blues
As many as 80 percent of new mums experience the baby blues. Possible symptoms include:

• weepiness
• anxiety
• irrational worry about your new baby
• irritability
• inability to concentrate
• feeling emotional

The baby blues will disappear by the time your baby is 10 days old. If you are still feeling low after that time, you should speak to your healthcare provider.

Battling the baby blues
The baby blues isn’t an illness, and there’s nothing you can do to ‘cure’ it. All you can do, is try to relax, take things easy, and wait for the blues to pass. The following tips may help you to minimise the impact of the baby blues:

• rest – get as much rest as possible. Easier said than done with a new baby in the house, but feeling overtired can heighten your emotions and leave you feeling worse.
• let it out – if you need to cry, cry. You might feel better after a good long weep. Bottling things up, and refusing to talk, can make your problems seem bigger and scarier than they really are.
• me time – it is so hard to get me time during those first few weeks, but try to give yourself some time to unwind. Run a nice warm bath, and have a soak for an hour or so. Leave the door unlocked though, because chances are the baby will want a feed as soon as you sit down.
• visitors – keep your visitors to a minimum, and don’t be afraid to cancel on people if you’re not feeling up to seeing them. Your mental health and wellbeing are important, so feel free to take some time to hibernate with your new family.
• talk – talk to your partner, your best friend, your mum – whoever you need to talk to to feel better. Let them know how you’re feeling, just talking can leave you feeling so much better.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.