It’s been a busy start to 2020 for my little family already. I decided to go on maternity leave in December as soon as my BBC job was finished, so I could enjoy Christmas and New Year and plan on getting organised for baby #2’s arrival. This month we have Pete’s birthday, next month is Reuben’s 2nd birthday and by the end of February we will be welcoming baby girl into the world! January feels like the longest month EVER but to be honest I am quite grateful for that as I have so much stuff to get done. We’re keeping Reuben in nursery one day a week, just for a bit of respite and to spend some quality time with Pete, and to be honest Roo loves nursery so I think it’s really good for him as well. Monday is nursery day but before I embark on today’s to do list I thought I would share how I’ve been prepping for the arrival of baby #2
I’ve been feeling a bit backwards and forwards when it comes to the actual birth, and how baby girl will be making her way earthside. I had a c-section with Reuben at 37 weeks (your baby is normally ‘due’ at 40 weeks) and this was due to him being breech and me developing pre-eclampsia. So as much as my health has been totally fine so far this time around, it’s been coming up with a plan A, B and C which has been frazzling my brain! I’ve been reading a lot into vbac (vaginal birth after c-section) and bought the Positive Birth After Caesarean course for £25 which has really helped me make my decision as well. It’s an online antenatal course focused solely on birth after caesarean and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is in the same position as me. I’ve also been sitting at night reading The Positive Birth Book, and my doula friend Jen (who encapsulated Reuben’s placenta for me two years ago!) gave me some really great support/advice along with this AIMS (Association for Improvement in Maternity Services) booklet about vbac too. After a lot of reading, scrolling facebook support groups and long chats with Pete, my consultant and midwife I’ve booked in for an elective c-section but if I go into to labour before then I’m gonna just go with it!
If I do go into spontaneous labour, then I really want to stay as active and mobile as possible during the process and hopefully avoid any sort of induction (where you are given hormones to trick your body into thinking it’s going into labour and therefore speeding the process along) When I was pregnant with Reuben I read up about the CUB birthing chair, and was over the moon last year to find out that they were looking for new bloggers to work with! So I was kindly sent one of their CUB seats, which is essentially an inflatable chair which aids woman to get comfortable in various positions during labour and birth. The CUB can also be used to help alleviate Pelvic Girdle Pain (which 1 in 5 pregnant people suffer from) during labour and birth to rest and lean over without causing additional discomfort. Research has shown that adopting an upright position during this time has a lot of advantages for both mother and baby, including decreasing the chances of your baby becoming distressed, increasing the space in your pelvis and therefore reducing the need for medical assistance. I’ve not inflated the cub yet but you can see a picture of what it looks like and how it’s used here. Lying flat on my back with my legs in the air like you so often see in the movies is for sure the last way I’d like to give birth, so hopefully this seat will really help me if/when the time comes that I go into labour.
In Scotland all new parents are gifted with the Scottish Baby Box, an incentive from the SNP introduced in 2017 – “The SNP is determined that every child, regardless of their circumstances, should get the best start in life, which is why we introduced Scotland’s Baby Box. Based on the Finnish model, which has a proven record of decreasing infant mortality, the box includes essential items for a baby’s first weeks and months and it will also provide a safe space for babies to sleep near their parents.”
We received one of these boxes when Reuben was born in Feb 2018, and still use some of the contents to this very day! So it’s been amazing being able to get one for this baby too, and I know we will use everything in it. The contents have changed slightly since we last had one but here’s a run down of what’s in the box in 2020:
Scratch mittens (newborn size)
Short sleeved bodysuit x 1 (newborn)
Long sleeved bodysuit x 3 (newborn, 0-3 months)
Cotton hat (0-3)
Long sleeved sleepsuit x 2 (0-3, 3-6)
Jersey trousers x 2 (0-3, 3-6)
Pair of socks x 2 (0-3, 3-6)
All in one daysuit (3-6)
Fleece jacket with hood (3-6)
Romper & bodysuit set (0-3)
Mattress with protector and fitted sheets (designed to fit the baby box)
Cellular blanket
Baby wrap
Hooded bath towel
Digital ear thermometer
Bath sponge
Bath & room thermometer
Teething ring soother
Baby books x 2
Road Safety buggy book
Play mat
Emery boards x 3
Dribble bib
Muslin cloth squares x 3
Comforter toy
Travel changing mat
Pack of 24 disposable nursing pads
Box of 3 condoms x 2
Pack of 12 maternity towels
I think the baby box is a fantastic idea and as you can see the contents are ideal for new parents and their bubs. Such a great gift from the scottish government and one which we are so bloody grateful for.
All that’s left for me to do in the coming weeks is to pack my hospital bags (which I may do another post for like I did with this one for Reuben) and tidy away any final bits for baby along with getting her bed set up. Clothing and baby equipment wise we are pretty much sorted for the first 6 months, I just need to make some final bulk purchases like nappies and wipes! I’ll also be meeting up with the lovely Janette from Sublime Birthing who will be encapsulating my placenta for me this time around. You can read my post about why I decided to encapsulate my placenta last time here, and I know I’ll definitely be needing to reap the benefits again this time, especially with a wild toddler in tow as well as a newborn.
Feeling reasonably organised but also worried I am forgetting something… so if any of you have any hints or advice of what you did to prepare for your babys arrival (especially when going from 1 baby to 2) then be sure to leave me a comment. (aka SOS! haha)
