Bringing your baby home

The happiest yet most anxious day in my life was when we got to bring our baby son home for the first time. We left the apartment 3 days earlier and all of the sudden we were three walking in the door and not just my partner and I. It is a moment of realization: we are actually parents! No matter how wonderful, it is life changing and a bit scary. We are actually in charge! How are we going to cope? Why is the baby screaming?

You carefully put your precious newborn down and the what? Should we change the nappy, feed him or just sit and stare at him? It is hard to know what to do but I quickly learned that you do not disturb the happy. If your baby is content and happy, do not try and interfere. Be glad that you have a few moments of peace. There will be plenty of times when he or she needs you and they are sure to let you know.

I had read somewhere that you should treat them with the respect they deserve and that you should walk them around and show them their home. It did feel a bit weird at first, but our son got a tour of the place. I am not sure he enjoyed it but I felt good about it. I had done something. Now on to the feeding, nappy changing and carrying...

Choosing a buggy

One of the first things we looked at when we were pregnant were buggies. We hummed and nodded every time we saw a nice buggy on the street and debated whether or not to go for a three or four wheel one. We quickly decided that we wanted a new one rather than to go for a second-hand buggy. Nothing wrong with the latter, we just thought it would be real special to choose a brand new one. We knew that we were going to be out walking a lot so it seemed like a reasonable expense.

Quickly we came to realize that there weren't that many buggies around. Most people seem to opt for the same type. So, once we decided that we would prefer one with only 3 wheels, we had quickly narrowed down our option. I knew almost immediately that I wanted a Quinny Buzz, but kept looking for other options. I am not sure really as the Quinny fitted what we wanted. Perhaps because it is one of the more expensive ones out on the market. But needless to say, money seemed second to everything else when it came to picking what was best for our baby.

We opted for the Buzz and got a great deal when we picked last year's colour, not much different from the 2010 version, and have been extremely happy with it. I will give a review here at some stage. So ladies, go with your heart and your intuition, it often works out the best.

Brestfeeding

Before I had my lovely little son, I didn't think too much about how it was going to be to be a mother. I was more thinking that I would play it by ear and for something like breastfeeding, I said that I would give it a go if it worked. I do tend to think that it is the best way of feeding a baby and a way to give them a great start in life but I wouldn't have stressed and worried too much about it if it hadn't happened.

Well, D-Day came and my son decided that he didn't want to eat. All he wanted was to sleep. We tried and tried and did hours of skin-to-skin and so on, but still he didn't want to take the breast. Emotional and wrecked as I was, I was about to give up when it happened. He finally figured it out and stayed awake long enough to get feed. Hallelujah.

After the initial hurdle, it went smoothly. I did however think it was hard to be the only one able to feed him and longed for him to reach the age of 6 months so I could start to ween him, but as the weeks past, I realized how fortunate and lucky I was to have the opportunity to feed my child in the best way possible. With experience it became so easy that I started to see myself breastfeeding forever. A major change from a few months earlier.

So, to all you mums out there who are finding it difficult adjusting, it will get easier. Both you and the baby will get the hang of it. And if you don't, well the formula they have nowadays are fantastic too so don;t feel bad. If your baby is eating, happy and gaining weight, you know you are doing the right thing.

To be a new mum

Having a baby is life's greatest achievement. I never thought it would be so wonderful, and like so many before me, ask myself: why did I wait so long? We seem to want it all, an independent life, money, worldly goods, a career etc before we even consider children and so we wait. But for what? They are and will always be the joy of our life and the reason we life. The love you feel for your baby is like no other. I just hope many get to share this feeling.

Of course, it is no picnic in the park. Babies do tend to take over your life and it will never be the same. Sleepless nights, 24-hour standby for feeding and nappy changes and everything else in between. The first few weeks goes by in a blur and then you realize that you need to start taking control and get some sort of life back. Routines can help but you need to find your way as I did mine. Here I hope to share some of that. Whenever I get a minute free that is.