In my mummy journey I am learning many new things about what to do with the baby and what to do in certain situations. Many of my friends who are having babies for the first time ask me “What would you have liked to know before having the baby?” So inspired my list of things I have learnt.

Now remember I am a qualified primary school teacher not a medical professional. This is what I have learnt from medical professionals, other mums,  and everyone else willing to share their knowledge. I always encourage you to seek help from the professionals who really know what they are talking about.

1. Meconium is sticky, thick and well…

Wikipedia couldn’t have said it better. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meconium

Meconium is the earliest stool of a mammalian infant. Unlike later feces, meconium is composed of materials ingested during the time the infant spends in the uterus: intestinal epithelial cells, lanugo, mucus, amniotic fluid, bile, and water. Meconium, unlike later feces, is viscous and sticky like tar, its color usually being a very dark olive green; it is almost odorless. When diluted in amniotic fluid, it may appear in various shades of green, brown, or yellow. It should be completely passed by the end of the first few days after birth, with the stools progressing toward yellow (digested milk).

You will not believe what can come out of such a little being. This is the stuff that horror movies are made of. Ladies get your partners to change the early nappies because after what you have been through you should not have to deal with this kind of mess. Sticky? sticky is not even beginning to describe it, I had to scrub Master Menzies’ bum with the wipes to get it off. I read some advice though that I am going to try next time. Oil, olive, coconut or baby; put it all over baby’s bum and it helps to wipe it off easier.

And if you are lucky enough for them to pass meconium while you are having skin to skin and end up with it all over you, it’s just as hard to get off you as well. Thanks Master Menzies xo

2. What to take to the hospital

I looked up every list I could possibly find and then I put together an enormous bag of stuff for the hospital and 95% of it was useless.

I had packed all of the things like nighties for labour, clothes for after labour, a personal fan, lollies, hand  moisturiser etc. Just about everything but the kitchen sink was packed in a bag next to the front door from about 30 weeks. At 41 weeks when I finally went into labour I used next to nothing in my bag.

I laboured in the nighty I was wearing to bed when my contractions started. Meaning I had to throw out one of my favourite nighties, I didn’t eat the lollies, use the fan, play the music or anything. If you desperately need something for labour then the hospital will most likely have it for you. Use one of their gowns to labour in, you never want to see that again.

The clothes I took to wear in the hospital didn’t get worn. I had taken pyjama pants that looks like trackies, breastfeeding singles and cardigans. Maternity wards are hot, and after labour you will be bleeding and sore. I ended up wearing the nighties I was supposed to labour in as they were 4 sizes to big for me which gave good ventilation and quick access for feeding, changing of pads and whatever examination needed to take place.

Ural – it will save your life if you need to be stitched up

Laxatives – Who really wants to pass that first motion after labour? The softer the better.

Lip balm – Hospitals have a way of drying our your lips

Throat lozenges –  From all of the gas and screaming you will have a sore throat for a few days.

If you are measuring for an average sized baby, don’t even bother with 00000 clothes. Master Menzies was 3.46kg at birth and was in a 0000 from then, the 00000 was way too small. A friend of mine had a 4kg baby and had to cut the feet off the 0000 because they were too small.

3. Just because my mother and her friends did it, doesn’t mean it is still the right thing to do.

I was in my early 30s when I had Master Menzies. That’s 30 extra years of medical research and studies conducted that hadn’t been done when my mum was a new mum (and thank god my mum respects that). Large amounts of babies died from many things that in their generation was the normal thing to do.

This started when I was pregnant with what I could and could not eat or drink. Listeria, it wasn’t as widely researched as it is now. Pregnant women are more likely to get listeriosis and if not treated can cause miscarriage, early birth or stillborn birth. I’m not willing to risk that.

My advice is, if someone says do it, and it doesn’t feel quite right by todays standards, research and ask for medical advice first.

4. Newborn babies don’t need water.

Before the age of 1 babies don’t need water. Breastmilk or formula is enough hydration even on hot days. Your baby may wish to drink more on hotter days but they don’t need water. If they are drinking water before 6 months it can interfere with the way they absorb nutrients from their milk.

When your baby starts eating solids then you offer a sippy cup with water. If your baby is anything like Master Menzies he will think he is drowning the first time he drinks water. Even now, he only has the tiniest amount when he drinks during eating time.

5. Honey is really, really  bad for babies under the age of 1.

In one word, botulism, it is a bacteria that is found in honey and can grow in your baby’s gut making them very sick or can be fatal. It was common practice to put honey on the end of a dummy for baby to help sore throats or cutting of teeth. It can damage the emerging teeth and create a ‘sweet tooth’ in your baby.

6. Dummies are controversial

Just about every baby I had seen before having one of my own had a dummy. When I started to do my research about breast feeding I read that it can cause nipple confusion. Well Mr Menzies sucked his fingers until he was 10 and Master Menzies started doing the same in hospital. Mr Menzies was against Master Menzies having a dummy, until he was sucking on his fingers. Our theory is, you can take away a dummy but you can not take away their fingers. And for the record, Master Menzies knows what a nipple is and what a dummy is, no confusion here; and he no longer like the dummy.

7. Op shops

Babies grow out of clothes so quickly that it is crazy the amount of money spent on their clothes. You can go to Op Shops and get yourself many bargains. Many clothes still have the original tags from the store they were first bough from.

8. You can never be too organised

or have too much stuff with you on a outing. It’s the times that you only pack 3 changes of clothes that you will need 4.

9. Learn when to bite your tongue.

Everyone has an opinion about parenting, even people who don’t have kids. You will be given an opinion on every topic to do with your baby from sleeping, feeding, wrapping, clothing, engagement, screen time and maybe even what you named your most precious possession… Yes I had someone tell me they didn’t like my son’s name… You start to realise that you also have an opinion and you are right about your baby, entering battles with people who aren’t experts about your baby is a waste of time and enerygy you could be spending on your baby.