Baby Items you can live without!

I am now 18 weeks pregnant with our second child and we have started to think about what baby items we will be needing. We could not keep many of Michael's baby items due to lack of space so we pretty much have to get everything!

My sister has a one year old and is very kindly giving us some baby bits which is great as not only will it save us money, babies use things for so little time second hand items are often good as new. However I also started thinking about how as first time parents we over did it with our son and bought far too much. This time round I am determined to buy only what will be really useful and have put together a list of items we had with our first child which will not be bought again.

1. A baby bath: We found a baby bath completely useless. We very hardly used it opting instead to just use the normal bath to wash our son or actually filling a bowl and giving Michael a wash that way. A baby bath was bulky, often got in the way and was unnecessary. 

2. A expensive changing bag or indeed any changing bag: While babies can need a lot of stuff changing bags are often very overpriced considering they are indeed just a bag! You really do not need a special bag to carry baby items in. Any bag you already have can be used. I especially do not like expensive changing bags because I don't believe you use them long enough to justify the cost and they can get ruined with baby spills. If you do want a changing bag, look around for one that does the job at a good price. I just bought one for £5 on ebay.

3. Baby towels: There is nothing special about baby towels apart from a slightly cuter design. They still perform the same function as the other towels in the cupboard so this time I am not bothering with special baby towels and will be using the ones we already have. Baby will still get dry the same way without the added cost.

4. Expensive baby clothes: Baby clothes are absolutely adorable and it can be easy in getting carried away and over buying for baby. However honestly babies often grow out of their clothes before they have worn all of them and what with those messes babies make, expensive baby clothes are just not worth it. Keep it simple, we love vests and sleep suits. I buy the ones with socks and scratch mittens included so I don't even need to buy them. I tend to buy cheaper plainer designs for night and then the nicer sleep suits for day. Not only are babies comfy, it is so much cheaper than buying full outfits for a baby that really does not care what they are wearing. Included in this is baby shoes! Your baby will not be walking for a while, they really do not need shoes on their feet!

5. Stuffed animals: When we had Michael, a few people gifted us stuffed animals and honestly while we were thankful for the gesture, he really did not care about them. Stuffed animals for a baby just get in the way when you have to find a spot to put them. I hate alot of stuffed animals anyway so we just kept one, which later got lost on a walk! Now Michael is 4, he does have stuffed animals but they are ones he has chosen and really loves. 

Some people will find these items useful and of course it is just in my experience these items were a waste of money. My biggest advice when buying for a baby is really asking yourself what is essential, what do you think you won't be able to live without. There are so many products advertised for babies it can be so easy to overspend. 

What baby item would you not buy again? 

H.

Second Baby! First Trimester

I am very excited to say I am now 15 weeks pregnant with my second child! I already have a 4 year old son Michael. We are all over the moon to be adding to our family and Michael is thrilled he will be a big brother. Although he is adamant he wants a sister and only a sister so we will have to work on him if the baby is a boy.

I am feeling really well in myself at the moment and feeling energetic which is great as you can often feel very tired in the first trimester, your body after all is doing alot. I did also have some pregnancy symptoms in my first trimester.

Symptoms of first trimester:

Morning sickness- This is something I suffered from with Michael and this pregnancy has been no different. Although it has eased off greatly since going into my second trimester, I still get sick occasionally. I found it is worse in the evening and if I am hungry so I always carry a snack in my bag as well as eat little and often. I also have a low diary diet anyway due to being mildly lactose intolerant, which has helped. Ginger is really fantastic and is a natural way to help ease sickness and nausea and I would really recommend it!

Headaches- I have always suffered from hormonal headaches and this pregnancy has been rough with headaches. Many times it has felt like I have had a headache for days at a time. Paracetamol is safe to take during pregnancy but sometimes even taking some pain relief does not help. I tend to put a cold flannel on my forehead and to lie down for half an hour which seems to help. I also make sure I drink plenty of water because dehydration can make headaches worse.

Acne-I do not suffer from bad skin typically, the exception being when I am pregnant. My skin goes awful! I get red spots and blotchy patches particularly on my forehead and chest. I put it down to those pesky hormones. It is getting a little better now thankfully. I have a good skin care routine and make sure my skin is clean and use simple products and this has helped.

Now I am in the second trimester, everything seems to be a lot better and I am feeling the best I have felt since falling pregnant. I am however starting to experience some back pain from having a back condition and now putting on some weight. It is something my midwives are aware of and I have recently started to take up Pilates as a way to strengthen my back muscles in preparation for pregnancy and birth. I will also have to have a consultant meeting to support me in later pregnancy and to have a chat about the birth.

I have also started to read about hypnobirthing which is something that really interests me after a natural and calm birth with Michael with a labour mostly at home. Hypnobirthing uses a combination of mindfulness, hypnosis and relaxation techniques to feel calm and confident about labour and birth. It is something I will continue to look into and consider using. 

Next week I have a midwife appointment and a private scan booked which will hopefully tell us the sex of the baby so we are very excited for that. 

Look out for some more pregnancy blog posts! If anyone has tried hypnobirthing please let me know what you think of it!

H