There is a good chance your Great-Grandmother gave birth surrounded by women
knowledgeable in the birthing experience. Over time it became more common for
women to labour alone in a hospital tended to by staff. Fortunately these days it is
likely you will have your partner with you throughout labour and birth, and now the
element of a knowledgeable woman being present has reemerged.

A Birth Doula is a woman who provides continuous emotional and physical support
for you
during your labour. She visits with you and your partner during pregnancy to build a
rapport, answer questions, and help prepare you for the birth. Once you are in
labour, you can count on your Doula coming to you when you need her and staying
until after the birth of your baby. She will stay at home with you in early labour,
keeping you comfortable and offering reassurance. Once labour is well established,
she accompanies you to the hospital and continues her support. This continuity has
been proven through research to shorten labours and reduce the likelihood of
interventions including medication and cesarean sections. Because each labour is
unique, your Doula will adapt to your birth and your needs. She can offer a
combination of massage techniques, position changes, and verbal reassurance that
can help you throughout your experience. After the birth your Doula can help you
establish breastfeeding and encourage bonding with your infant.

A Doula also
permits your partner to participate in the experience without feeling entirely
responsible for your emotional and physical needs. Birth can be a transformational
experience for a couple, and a Doula helps to eliminate the fear of the unknown and
unforeseeable. Her commitment is to you and your partner and helping you obtain
the birth experience you want. She supports all decisions you make and offers
suggestions and information based on your needs.

In the days or weeks
following birth, many women are now using the services of a Postpartum Doula.
These women are trained in the care of new moms and babies and offer services
including infant care, light housekeeping, and breastfeeding support. Mothers with
additional children, twins, or partners who have returned to work, benefit
particularly. Some Birth Doulas offer both services.

When choosing a Birth
Doula it is important to select someone with whom you are very comfortable. She
should be familiar with the birthing process, but not necessarily need to have given
birth herself. The number of births she has attended may be less important to you
then the confidence you feel in her presence. You should ask about her education
and most importantly her philosophy on birth. Postpartum Doulas are trained in
infant-mother care and may have other skills and certifications that you would
value. Fees for Doulas vary according to experience, skills, and services offered. In
any case, interviewing 2-3 women will help you determine the type of Doula you are
looking for.

Stacelynn Caughlan is a Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Herbalist who
specializes in pregnancy, birth and childhood. She is currently the editor of
http://www.motherandchildhealth.com an online source of advice on nutrition,
herbs, and natural healing for pregnancy, birth, and childhood. It includes
parenting advice, articles, experts, and a variety of resources that help
support natural lifestyle choices.

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Are you a first time expectant mum wandering around the shops wondering do I really need that, or what is all this used for? If you answer yes to this question then you may find the following article useful.

I can remember during my first pregnancy looking at items in the baby section wondering if all these bits and pieces were really necessary, and wondered what half of them were used for. I was often confused and would buy things ‘just in case’. After the birth of my daughter I soon found that some of these items I definitely didn’t need, and then there were others I just couldn’t live without. I have put together a list of items that I personally feel are baby essentials and try to give you some insight into what and why you may be in need of them.

Essentials for baby

Bunny rugs/ muslin wraps - These are used to wrap your baby in. Newborn babies usually like to be wrapped snugly as it gives them the secure feeling they had in the womb. The difference is that Bunny rugs are for cool weather and muslin wraps are for warm weather, so the time of year your baby is due will determine which you will require. Recommend 8-12 of which ever you require.

Baby towels - You can just use normal ones but baby towels are often smaller, lighter and softer. Recommend at least 3.

Cot sheets - Fitted are best to prevent loosening as baby will move around a lot as it gets older. Recommend 3 sets.

If you are using a cradle or bassinet to start with you will need special sheets to fit these. You can get away with just 2 sets as babies are only in them for a short time (6-10weeks) and if you run into trouble you can always use a bunny rug!

Mattress protectors - Recommend 2-3.

Baby blankets - I don’t use any baby bedding (blankets, top sheet ect) in the cot. Initially I wrapped baby in their bunny rug/muslin wrap and once they got to big I used baby sleeping bags or sleepsuits. Babies tend to kick blankets off , I found myself worrying they would wiggle under the loosened blankets, at the same time I worried baby would be too cold. Once I discovered baby sleeping bag/suits I never looked back. These types of suits go over the top of their normal sleeping outfits and allow baby freedom to kick and move about. SIDS bedding guidelines state that sleeping bags/suits are a safe bedding alternative as long as individual bags/suits meet the following safety standards - neck and armholes should be fitted so that there is no chance of baby slipping inside the bag and it should not contain a hood. Baby sleeping conditions are not something to be taken lightly. I highly recommend that prior to making any decision in relation to how you will sleep your baby that you visit safe sleeping at the sids and kids website. This way you can make an informed decision on what will best suit your individual situation.

Baby nail clippers/scissors - Baby nails grow really quick and are sharp, often causing them to scratch themselves.

Baby cotton buds - Used for cleaning outer ear, nose and belly buttons!! Look for the ones that are specially designed to prevent you from accidentally going in too far.

Baby moisturiser - Babies often get a bit scaly in their first few weeks while their skin is adjusting to the outside world.

Nappy bag - A good quality nappy bag will have separate compartments to put your different bits and pieces in such as bottles, wipes, clothes ect.Look for one with a change mat attached as you will find this useful.

A gentle baby soap - I recommend Johnson’s milk bath you just squirt it in the water, no need to juggle baby and soap.

Baby wipes - excellent for cleaning face, hands and bottoms, I’d be lost with out them. I recommend Huggies, you can get a refillable travel pack for the nappy bag and a clip top container for home. You can get cheaper brands but they are often thinner and harder to dispense.

Nappy rash cream - I use one called Sudocrem. I found it very effective and although it is a little more expensive then some of the others creams you will see, you tend to use less.

Bibs - Bibs aren’t really necessary unless you are bottle feeding, or until baby starts on solids. Look for bibs that either slip straight over baby’s head or have velcro fasteners. I found soft plastic back bibs protected clothing better. Try to avoid bibs that require you to tie them, these can be difficult to manage when you have one hand holding the baby. Once baby is older using full plastic bibs while they are eating can save you a lot of washing.

Cloth nappies - whether or not your are going to use disposable nappies you will still need some cloth nappies, they come in handy for cleaning up and protecting yourself from baby vomit and placing under baby when you have nappy leaks! 12 should suffice if you are going to use disposables. Of course if you are not using disposables you are going to need a lot more, approximately 24-36 in total. Please note that I didn’t use cloth nappies, I used disposables so if you intend on using cloth nappies then their maybe some extra things you need in relation to them - snappies or pins, nappy liners and possibly plastic pants or fluffies.

Nappy bucket - If you are using cloth nappies you will probably need 2, one for the nappies, another for clothes/bibs ect. For those that are using disposables one will suffice (or some sort of bucket) for soaking clothes ect. For soaking the clothes you will need something like napisan. Lux flakes are also good for general washing of baby clothes as initially their skin can be sensitive.

The following items you may not want straight away but are something to think about:

A thermometer - If you think baby might be a bit ‘off colour’ it can help put your mind at rest. I eventually bought a tympanic one as I grew tired of trying to keep baby still while the thermometer was under their arm. The advantage of a tympanic thermometer is you use their ear and it only takes a couple of seconds to register, the problem is they are expensive.

Bottles - It does pay to have one or two bottles even if you plan to breastfeed, just in case you need to be away from baby for some reason or you just need a break. You will also need a couple of newborn teats, a bottle brush and some sterilising equipment. Microwave sterilisers are very effective and are not expensive. If for some reason you are unable to breastfeed or you plan to wean baby in the first year you will need more bottles, approximately 8.

Breast pump - This will totally depend on your situation. If you are going back to work early but want to continue to breast feed an electric pump would be of benefit. You can hire these from some hospitals and pharmacies if your budget is tight. If you only want to express milk for the rare occasion then a hand pump will be sufficient.

I hope that this article has enlightened you on what products you may require for the upcoming birth of your child. If you feel that there are any items that are definite essentials that are missing from this list feel free to contact me through our website and I will add them.

Please note that I have mentioned brand names throughout the article but I am in no way affiliated with these companies, nor are they products that I sell on my site, I genuinely found them to be worth the money you pay for them.

About the Author

Leisa Sanderson is a mother of two. Owner and operator of Bumps and Bundles - a pregnancy, baby and parenting resource centre and Bumps and Bundles Maternity - Online retailer of Maternity wear, Baby clothes, and Baby gifts.

This article maybe reprinted freely as long as all links remain active and author resource box is included.

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My wife and I are only about six weeks into this pregnancy thing and we’re still trying to wrap our heads around this whole idea of having a baby, though we have wildly different thoughts on the subject. I’m worried about whether or not we’ll be able to handle the financial and moral responsibilities of bringing a child into the world. My wife is mostly worried about passing something the size of a watermelon through her hoo-ha.

And so far the worry has been all our own. We haven’t told anyone else about our impending baby because, quite frankly, I don’t think either of us fully believes that my wife is actually pregnant.

Sure, she’s moody all the time and has had an inexplicable food cravings and she’s taken to complaining about how bloated and fat she feels, but really, that’s no different than how she’s acted for the for the five years that I’ve known her. And I still married her.

Right now our baby is not really a “he” or a “she” as much as an “it” in our minds. We’ve been reading a lot of these baby websites and a lot of these sites compare our baby’s current size to various pieces of fruit. The message eventually changes as the pregnancy moves forward, so one week the baby site will proclaim “Your baby is now the size of a sesame seed!” and a week or two later we’ll read “Your baby is now the size of a raisin!”

If these baby sites had their way we’d all measure our own size compared to various items from the produce aisle. I’d stand 8.4 carrots tall and when I stepped on the scale it would read like a slot machine and report my weight as in at 250 pumpkins, two oranges and three cherries.

So every day I check these sites and every day I’m reminded that our baby is only the size of a grape. I don’t mind telling you that it’s hard to feel very attached to a grape…and it isn’t even a fully developed grape. It’s not like my wife has a little grape-sized person in her. No, right now she has a little pink squishy thing that, really, looks kinda like a…well….a squished grape.

Our baby is only beginning to grow organs, so it’s not like we have a whole lot in common with our very, very, very little offspring. I mean, I’m a not a very complex guy but I still like to relax with a TV remote in one hand and a beer in the other. Right now our baby doesn’t have hands to hold the remote or even a liver to process the beer.

This is all still so unreal to us that my wife and I are also still trying to find the best way to even talk about the whole idea of being pregnant. The phrase “we’re pregnant” makes it sound as though we’re some sort of bisexual Siamese twin sharing one body and committing unspeakable acts of fornication on ourselves. She’s the one who’s pregnant and I’m the guy who did it (or so she claims).

We’ve struggled with ways of referring to the pregnancy situation and so far we’ve used phrases like “knocked up,” “expecting,” “got a bun in the oven,” “infiltrated,” “violated,” and even “been slimed.” I think we’ll have to filter out a few of those when it finally comes time to announce the news to our families.

So that’s where we are in this whole baby-making process. The baby has been made, but it’s still a pretty gooey, tiny thing that doesn’t really have much personality and even less mass. I’m sure this whole fatherhood thing is going to change my life, but right now I’m just not feeling it.

I have, however, sworn off eating grapes. At least until our baby grows up… to be the size of a lime.

Humorist Tom Coffee’s website http://www.SpillingCoffee.com chronicles Tom’s adventures as he struggles to escape his office job, commit random acts of home improvement, cope with becoming a father for the first time and quench his never-ending thirst for a great cup of joe. Life is funny. Have some Coffee…

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