1) Laundry:
Well, anyone who has a baby knows that it increases laundry by what feels like 10 folds. It is absolutely crazy the amount of clothes a tiny person passes through. Once the baby gets weaned, things get even more hectic: stains that need almost immediate attention, bibs that get dirty even faster, increase the change of clothes during the day (because every mum feels that it is OK for her to go out covered in food stains and baby throw up if the little one looks fantastic like out of the last baby fashion show...and she is right, people barely look at you, they only have eyes for the little one!). I found that Vanish ( website: http://www.vanish.co.uk/ )is a life saver when it comes to stains, for the tough ones, I spray some gel on them first and then add a scoop or half a scoop to the laundry and it works miracles just like it says on the box! It removes tough stains such as tomato and the ones you don't really want to hand wash first like poo that succeeded to escape from the nappy or nappy liner if you use terry nappies. Lilly is fine with all of their products but if your baby has sensitive skin, you can always wash it once with Vanish and then with your regular product. Another thing that I am so thankful for a friend to introduce me to were the Tommee Tippee bibs (http://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/department/bibs/. They have the Roll and Go bibs and Comfi Neck bibs that are great since you can just wipe them clean and therefore can't run out the way you do with bibs that end up in the laundry pile if you've missed laundry day or if the baby has dipped five bibs in a row in her carrot stew. They also have disposable bibs for a very cheap price if you are out and about.
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| Lilly with her pink Roll and Go bib. |
2) Dishes and Fridge space:
Now I know that the best way to feed your baby is by making food for her yourself. I do agree with that fully. It does also save you money. However if your baby is like mine and very picky to start with, and you do live in a flat where the fridge freezer is tiny tiny, you quickly end up with a space problem since you will be cooking batches of different vegetables that will go unused for maybe ever (unless your baby's palate gets a bit more open or your husband loves eating the baby's food). So here are a few suggestions that will save you from running out of fridge/freezer space and keep you from that tiny bit of extra dishes to wash because you cook separate for baby. We know that a baby should not have any salt nor sugar added to his food because it causes damages to his organs (it is not a joke, take this seriously!) so you can't just put a portion of the meal you would eat in the blender for the baby. However, you can adapt your meals and the way you cook them a bit and then have something to blend for the little person: to start with, since you should only introduce food elements one by one to prevent the baby from having an allergic reaction (and you not knowing which of the vegetables in your five veg soup he is allergic with for the future) you can cook some of your own vegetable without adding salt, blend what you want to give to baby and then add salt for the rest of the family. Once your baby has been introduced to everything your family eats, you can just cook your regular meals without salt and blend a little bit for baby. An advantage of this is that he will start to feel part of the pack and as he grows he won't face a big change when you want him to join in the real family meals.
Another thing you can do is find a brand of baby food that is reliable and does not add stuff to its food, so you can buy little bits of everything to get yourself a better idea of what your little one likes. That way we found out Lilly has a deep love for blueberries, loves anything with tomato, will take carrots and cranberries but dislikes pears and summer fruits. We've used the HiPP Organic brand (http://www.hipp.co.uk/ ) since they just use vegetables and fruits, and meat in some products but do not add anything so it is as close as one will get from home made and easy to replicate so you are at least using space storing something your baby will consume.
3) Going out: If you formula feed your baby or mix breast and formula or breast and expressed milk, you've known that going out can be a bit of a nightmare since Day 1. If you have just been breastfeeding, weaning will be even more of a shock. I'd suggest you find yourself a Thermos bag where you can put the little one's food and keep it fresh if it is home made or pre-made but already opened, and a flask to carry hot water to heat up the meals if your baby likes it hot. Not all babies do, Lilly actually prefers most of her food at room temperature but I have seen pickier babies, and why not after all you find all tastes under the sky and it is not because they can't speak that they do not have preferences and feelings. A pack of baby wipes will be essential to your survival too, I do not feel the need to expand there. When it comes to bibs, I have found that the disposable ones from Tommee Tippee were great and affordable and saved me carrying extra dirty items with me, but their Roll and Go ones are pretty good too and if you get sanitary wipes you can reuse them throughout the day. If you are fine with pre made food, it is easier in general to transport, it is more expensive but knowing what your baby likes will allow you to get extra if you've not got enough on you or the little one knocks off the plate.
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| Enjoying a moment out! |
Using all these little things help me a lot, it takes a lot of trying but once you find something that works for you and your little angel everything feels better and easier, so just keep on trying whatever feels right for you!
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