Panic - When Baby is here....

[SuziQ]

Hi,

Had a bit of a panic attack last night, about what to do when the baby is here...... Had a vision of standing in my kitchen, with a crying baby, just staring at the tin of Formula... and not knowing ANYTHING!!


How do you know if your putting a nappy on right?

How do u know when to feed, and how much formula you need to make up? (If i can't breastfeed..due to breast reduction) and WHEN? How much and how often?

The steriliser... once things are out of there.. do they stay sterilised untill u use them..... or do u need to sterilse things, just before u need them?

How often do they need bathing? or Top and Tailing...

Does someone tell me all this.. or should I know it already??

I am used to dealing with things as and when they happen.. but .. panic mind suggests that I can't do this with a baby.
I am quite a relaxed person... but.... getting a little 'concerned' at the moment

Anyone else having these thoughts??? or just me??

x

 

[Manda&Thomas]

aww hun try not to panic it will come natrally for you once baby is here
as for feeding its your choice some people feed on demand others to a scedule ie, every 4 hours on the dot,
if the nappy aint on right it will leak so you will no about that one
as for bathing they dont really get "dirty" or smelly so whenever you think is best some people think a bath everynight is good others a couple of times a week
most things are up to you how you want to bring your child up and how you want to do things
there is no right or wrong way really
manda xx

 

[littlepip]

I had a bit of a panic day the other day even tho ive looked after children for 5 years!! and have a mum whos a midwife at the end of the phone 24/7!! I was just thinking oh crap in a few weeks YES A FEW WEEKS!!! i will ahve a baby who is gonna depend of me for everytthing!! but dont worry (easier said than done) it will all come naturally and if they are left to cry for a few minutes while you leave the room and scream into a pillow it wont hurt them!!

What im going to do if im not breastfeeding is each night sterilize all the bottles and make them all up so you have enough for the next day. the formula should be used within 24 hours i think so just make enough for the next day
and I'm going to bath him every other night because its not good for there skin to be bathed everyday

 

[Kimbo]

i've never changed a nappy in my life and i've gotta learn to fiddle with cloth ones!

 

[samandbump]

i was exactly the same before i had jack, it really does come naturally try not to worry im sure you will do a great job!!!

 

[debecca]

I feel exactly the same! I'm hoping it's all just going to 'click' and if not the MIL's coming round for a bit... !!

Suzi, I meant to tell you, when I went to look round the midwife-led unit where I'm going to give birth, the midwife who showed me round said she'd delivered babies to over 10 mums who'd had breast reductions, and only one could breastfeed (and even then the baby didn't thrive).

I'm going to assume it's bottle for me!

 

[tattybear85]

it just all falls into place u recognise a different cry for when they want different things..i wouldnt say its easy but its not as daunting as people may think!!!

 

[Kylie1007]

You become quite expert very quickly! Lots of things are trial and error - including finding what shuts them up when they're screaming the place down! I don't top and tail but we bath him every day because he loves it.

 

[mrsbrickelltobe]

try not to panic. nearly all of the learning is done when baby is here and i dont think you ever stop learning.

the nappy will move around/leak if not tight enough. it is too tighht if leaving marks or cannot fit finger underneath.

every mother chooses to feed differently, some to demand (each time their baby cries for feed)
others like to feed every 3 or so hours even though baby hasnt asked for it, (when the mother thinks they are due to be fed)

youll be fine, relax and enjoy the learning process. xxx

 

[Tegala-7thMarch08]

i feel the same aswell but if u have people around u who will be able to help if it gets a bit to much or something its good ive never had any real contact with a baby never rele liked them wen i was little was more into trains but as people have sed it usaly comes naturally im sure we will all be fine

 

[muppetmummy]

How do you know if your putting a nappy on right?
It will leak, you'll soon learn cos you'll get fed up of having to change babys clothes several times a day

How do u know when to feed, and how much formula you need to make up? (If i can't breastfeed..due to breast reduction) and WHEN? How much and how often?
In the beginning I just made up loads of bottles with about 2 or 3oz in and offered the bottle whenever James cried. After a while you will begin to recognise the hunger cry and baby will get into a pattern of feeding every so many hours. They will also drink roughly the same amount of formula each time so you know how much to make. It's just something you get used to after a few days.
Breastfeeding is easier cos you can just offer the breast everytime the baby cries

The steriliser... once things are out of there.. do they stay sterilised untill u use them..... or do u need to sterilse things, just before u need them?
It's best to sterilise things just before you use them, if you are making up bottles in advance you can make up the feeds in freshly sterilised bottles then store them in the fridge for a few hours before you need them (24 hours is the absolute maximum they can be kept once made up).
Some steam sterilisers will keep bottles sterilised for a few hours if you keep them inside the steriliser and don't remove the lid.
If you are cold water sterilising the items can stay in the fluid all day and be sterile.

How often do they need bathing? or Top and Tailing...
I think I used to top n tail James a couple times a day and bath about once a week. They don't get that dirty in the first few weeks. It's mainly the mouth and bottom area that gets yukky.

Don't worry! It will all come naturally. I had hardly held a baby before having James, and never changed a nappy but I soom picked it up. Just trust your instinct as it's normally pretty spot on

 

[Squiglet]

How do you know if your putting a nappy on right? the band with the pretty pictures on it goes at the front... tabs to the back... baby bum in the middle...

How do u know when to feed, and how much formula you need to make up? (If i can't breastfeed..due to breast reduction) and WHEN? How much and how often? The baby starts crying when its hungry and the formula tins tell you how much to feed them if they are bottle fed... then you just trust your instinct...it comes in pretty quick...

The steriliser... once things are out of there.. do they stay sterilised untill u use them..... or do u need to sterilse things, just before u need them? Get a milton cold water steriliser... change the solution every 24 hours... and everything stays sterilised in there even if you open the lid a 1000x....

How often do they need bathing? or Top and Tailing... They don't need bathing that much, maybe once a week... ... top and tail each day...

Does someone tell me all this.. or should I know it already?? Er... usually you find someone who will be MORE than happy to give you advice on this... I didn't know how to make bottles up when Tia was born and the mum of a friends friend was visiting the baby and she showed me... general rule... 1oz of water = 1 scoop (leveled with the back of a knife)

And yes you will be left in the kitchen at least once staring around with a crying baby in your arms not knowing what to do cos I did that today... and its my second..

 

[leckershell]

I was the most un-motherly person before having Ryan but you really will be amazed what you "just know". I never changed or held a baby either, and the first nappy i did was in front of the peditrition that came to check him over the day after he was born - I was hoping it would be during visiting hours so I could watch Nat do one first, but I just had to do it myself or look like a fool!

We bathed Ryan once a week at first and now do it every few days. Mostly after an out-of-nappy poo experience, or a giant puke-a-thon.

It's not as scary as you would think, I promise you. And you can ask anything on here no matter how silly you think it sounds. Someone is bound to know the answer.

x

 

[SuziQ]

Suzi, I meant to tell you, when I went to look round the midwife-led unit where I'm going to give birth, the midwife who showed me round said she'd delivered babies to over 10 mums who'd had breast reductions, and only one could breastfeed (and even then the baby didn't thrive).

I was really hoping that I could as well.. Balls. Just made me cry for no apparent reason too!!

Thanks for letting me know hon
xxx

 

[gemmap27]

My god I have thought all of this myself!!!! Its so reassuring to see I am not the only one!!

I have never changed a nappy(I am not squimish so Im not worried about the mess or smell, just if I have done it right!) or made up a bottle!! My OH thought the steriliser washed the bottles (he couldnt understand how the microwave steriliser worked if it didnt have any moving parts)!!!!!

Guess we all have to learn sometime!!

 

[Kylie1007]

Our electric steriliser is basically a kettle! You just put a bit of water in the bottom and it steam cleans everything in 6 mins.

 

[Happybunny]

Don't panic. I think what you are feeling is completely normal. I certainly share your worries. I have calmed myself down though thinking that instinct will kick in and I know my baby will be safe and loved, even if we don't have a text book routine.

I found this book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Expect-First-Year/dp/0743231880 incredibly useful. It is like an idiot's guide to what to do with a baby. There is loads in there and you don't have to follow it all, but it is a really practical reference for nappy changing, feeding, dressing, washing, etc etc, with lots of diagrams.

 

[Gem & Leland]

and as for bottle , babe will tell u how much he/ she wants ! leland started off taken a mer 1oz (30ml) but by day 5 was up to 50 ml and now 2oz (60ml) usually i think a term babe will start off at about 2oz i think !

make use of the first / poss only night in hossy , ask midwife and the health care peeps that work on the wards , there amazing !

as for when to feed , leland went straight to 3 hours ! and as a newborn he only woke to feed lol so it was easy , now at week old his waken at more random times but also going near 4 hours now.

nappies have been ok so far . , only issue ive had is my lil boy like to pee as soon as nappy off , and i can tell u they pee loads and have a real height and length they can reach with it too he pee'd off the changing table and into his cot the other night and in hossy he pee'd out of his cot and onto my bed and me !



as for the rest , me and hubby are winging it lol i struggle more with his he hot or cold / got enough clothes or sheets on but guessing that will come to me soon !

 

[LaineyG]

It'll all just click into place luv!

Although, don't throw a wabbler and scream the hospital ward down when the first dirty nappy is bright, lumi green!......not that I did that of course......

 

[debecca]

I was bought the book Happybunny mentions for Christmas, and it IS really helpful!

I'm sorry I made you cry. If it's any help, I feel extremely cack and upset that I probably can't breastfeed too. But maybe you can!