Mentally preparing for the new baby
Remember this, women adjust to having a new baby faster than men; so, don’t expect husbands to start being all fatherly after the pregnancy is announced. They’re not like that. Women adjust better to the new baby, mentally, because they experience physical, emotional and psychological changes. These changes help them adjust to the new baby quicker. However, men start feeling the new baby when they see the bump or feel the flicker of baby movement over mommy’s belly.

Physically preparing for the new baby
There’s nothing much a new father can do to prepare to the new baby. What needs to be done by a father needs to be done BEFORE the new baby is conceived. However, the new father can try quitting smoking, quitting drinking and other vices once the new baby is conceived. Needless to say, the new mother needs to do the same too.

Planning for the new baby: the house and car
With the new baby, depending on whether you’re planning to co-sleep with the baby or whether you’re planning to plonk the baby in a separate room affects the changes to your home. Either way, we recommend having a separate room for your new baby, even if the new baby is going to be sleeping with the new parents for the first couple of months. A baby crib, some toys, a place to put all the baby’s clothes, shelves to convenient grab lotions, creams, diaper wipes, diapers, etc. off near the changing table is a MUST.

You’ll also need to think about getting a baby chair too; baby chair for the house (at the right height for the dining table) and also a baby chair for the car (for traveling). Some baby chairs can be adjusted to fit the adult dining chair AND fit into the car at the same time. They are a little bit more expensive than the conventional baby chairs, but the multi-function is extremely convenient PLUS it’s downright comfortable for your new baby.

Other essential stuff for your new baby
Frankly speaking, the essentials depend wholly on your own preference, budget and lifestyle. You can live without some of these things if you think you’d rather not waste the money.

If you’ve had previous babies before, you probably don’t need too many new baby clothes. New babies outgrow their clothes terribly fast and it’d be a waste of money to splurge on new clothes. You can get hand-me-downs from nieces and nephews too, if you want. What you should probably get are blankets, sweaters, coats, and clothes for going out. At home, your new baby’s not going to mind old clothes. In fact, it’s a fact that your new baby is probably going to like wearing the old clothes better than the new clothes. Don’t forget the feeding utensils like baby bowls, breast pump (if you’re planning to pump breast milk for your new baby at work), baby bottles, cloth nappies, diapers, baby wipes, lotions, shampoo, bath gels, towels, baby blankets, baby bedding, bibs, stroller, etc.

And don’t worry, you’ll do fine. The best thing to do is to get unbiased referrals from friends and family.

Highchairs currently come with all kinds of features that are really more for the parent or caregiver than the child. Although the nicely padded seat covers make the seats comfortable. Some highchairs have wheels to make them easier to move however this is not necessary. Some are now coming with height adjustable mechanisms to accommodate your child’s growth and to be able bring the baby closer to the table. There are also adjustable foot rests to accommodate your child’s growth as well. Most now fold for easy storage.

Highchairs now can be converted into play tables. Some of them have an insert that fits over the tray to give you baby a place to play. The feeding tray on many models come with an inset cup/bottle holder and some models have extra large feeding trays.

The base of the highchair should be broad and stable to help prevent the highchair from tipping. If your child leans over the side the chair could tip and injure your child. It is best then to teach your child to sit up all the time. Many highchairs are now foldable for easy storage.

When looking at highchairs some people express opinions about what the highchair is made of. There are all wood chairs that tend to not be adjustable in height. There are metal framed highchairs with plastic trays and their are highchairs that are plastic.

There are things you can do to make the highchair safe place to be. Never leave your child unattended to go grab a bib, food, or answer the phone. It only takes a second for your baby to have an accident. You should have everything ready before putting your child in the chair.

Your child should always be strapped into the highchair without exception. The feeding tray will not prevent your baby from slipping under it and falling to the floor and possibly incurring an injury. If an older child slips under the tray they could get stuck and be injured.

If your high chair folds be sure that when you open it, that it locks in open position. If the chair collapses your baby could be hurt. This can be prevented with periodic checks of all parts of the chair.

Do not place the highchair near any place that the baby could push off from and possibly have an accident. Also do not place your baby’s chair near any wires that can be pulled on. All cords should be out of reach anyway.

When putting the feeding tray in place be sure to watch your child’s fingers. They could be pinched or severely cut. Also be sure the lock catches by tugging on the tray gently. It will not hold your child in place but if it is loose or doesn’t catch, your child if not strapped in could fall and get hurt.

Wear of the high chair can be hazardous. If the vinyl cover over foam is torn the baby could ingest small pieces of foam. Worn locking mechanisms could prevent the tray from staying in place. All belts and clasps should be checked for fraying or tears. The clasps for missing pieces or cracks. Cracked or chipped trays could cause injury or harbor germs. This type of check should be done before purchasing a second hand chair as well.

Stroller costs can range from $10 to $400 and higher. The very light weight umbrella strollers are general on the lower end. The advantage of these strollers is that they can be folded up nicely, and can store almost anywhere. The higher prices of strollers may indicate more features and better quality.

The features that come with strollers are many and you should know which ones are important to you. A convertible travel system may be your preference over a regular stroller and a car seat. Travel systems have a stay in the car base, a stroller frame to attach the infant carrier/ car safety seat to.

For your newborn baby these are especially great. Play trays with places for a bottle or juice cup come on strollers. Canopies with a vinyl window to let you keep an eye on the baby, come with many strollers. Strollers are equipped with breaks that are attached to both rear wheels and applied with your foot and also a wrist brake strap that is used with the foot brake.

It provides a bit of extra safety preventing the stroller from rolling away while you are stopped while you use have the strap on. A parent tray that is placed over the handle bar are coming with many strollers as well as a large storage basket under the seat(s).

There is space for a cup of coffee or soda, your cell phone, your keys and space to hold a snack. Now on many strollers the handle bars are reversible and can be moved from front to rear or vice versa and they are height adjustable. To save your back use the height adjustable feature and you can see your baby while he rides if necessary by using the reversible handle bar.

The seat consideration is next. If the seat reclines does it recline enough so that your newborn can lie almost flat. Is the seat comfortable and well padded for your baby? Is the padding for the seat removable for washing? Many upper end strollers have blankets with snaps that attach under the seat.

These blankets on your baby’s stroller like a bunting on wheels. Detachable rain hoods are used to protect your baby from wind and harsh sunlight. There is another twist to your decision about a baby stroller. An almost brand-new stroller is available for free from your friend.

She agrees to have the stroller cleaned and ready for you. Is it a safe choice to put your baby in a used stroller? There are things you will need to look at before you place your baby in it and it can be a good choice for your baby and you. No cracks, should be in the frame, and there should be no dents or gaps.

Bolts and screws all must be in place. Anything less could seriously hurt your baby and cause an accident. On the frame are there any sharp spots? Are any screws sticking out that could cut your baby or are loose? The handle bar and frame, are they properly joined? Are there leaks in the air pressure of the wheels or are they solid?

Regarding the wheels, are they worn? Do you need to possibly replace the wheels? Are the wheels turning as they should be? Do the axels seem straight? Do the brakes operate appropriately and hold when they are applied? Does the seat hold its position in the upright position or the reclining position?

A serious injury could happen to your baby if the seat does not hold its place well. Does the lining fit the frame properly and is it clean? Strollers come with a wide variety of options, types, and styles. Two or more children can use multi-seated strollers. Tandem, side by side, and stadium seating (tandem seating with a raised rear seat) which allows the second child to see more than the back of a head are available.

Jogging strollers have one large wheel out in front and two rear wheels. Also available for jogging strollers is multiple seating. Enjoy your outings with your baby or children whether the stroller is used or new.

When my wife and I had our first child, we learned a lot about what we really needed and what was a waste of money. So now that we are seasoned veterans and expecting our second baby, we feel confident that we can avoid the same wasteful mistakes we made the first time around.

Here is a list of 6 things that your baby can live without, followed by 4 things that we could not have lived without:

Baby Wipe Warmer - An unnecessary waste. My daughter never fussed when we used baby wipes that were room temperature. Baby wipe warmers are just an attempt to get parents to spend more money on something they really do not need.

Expensive Clothes - You are going to find that your little one will grow out of his or her clothes incredibly fast. It’s one thing to spend a little extra for a nice dress or outfit for a holiday or special occasion. But it doesn’t make sense to spend a fortune on clothes that will be worn only once or twice. Instead, choose the lower priced items (as long as the quality is satisfactory), especially for little onesies and sleepers.

Another tip: don’t remove the tags from baby’s clothes until they are ready to be worn. We have outfits that my daughter grew out of before she even had a chance to wear them. Since we had already removed the tags we were not able to exchange them for a bigger size.

Brand Name Goods - Using generic items instead of brand names can save you hundreds of dollars per month. We used the brand name baby formulas for the first few months and then switched to the generic brand after we realized it cost 60% less. Not only did our little girl not mind the change, she actually seemed to prefer it. The generic brand seemed to give her less gas.

Toddler Foods - When our baby was first learning to eat solid foods, we tried dozens of different flavors of baby food. We thought it was important for her to adjust to the new foods and to try a variety of flavors.

But as soon as she got used to the new texture, we started making our own baby food. Carrots and sweet potatoes worked especially well when mixed in the food processor.

And we never even bothered with the ‘toddler foods’. They are an expensive waste. Look on the supermarket shelf and you will see the jars of diced fruits and vegetables ‘just for baby’. But you know what? You can cut up a pear or a green bean yourself. It will save you money and you will know that the food is fresh.

Large and Expensive Toys - When my daughter was born we spent several hundred dollars on toys for her to play with, plus we received many more as gifts. We got her all sorts of giant stuffed animals and high tech toys that danced or played music.

Do you know what her favorite toy is? A squeaky bath toy shaped like a crab. It cost $1.49. She regularly pushes aside all of the fantastic toys we bought her for that inexpensive little crab.

Now I’m certainly not telling you not to buy your little one anything expensive or fancy. Just keep in mind that she may just push it out of her way so she can play with the box.

Baby Walkers - You hardly see these in stores anymore, but they can be found. Skip it. They are dangerous. Stick a baby in one of these and they can wheel themselves into trouble before you know it. There have been horrible incidents of children rolling down a flight of stairs or running into a table and knocking something down on top of themselves.

The 4 BEST purchases we made…

An ExerSaucer - An exersaucer looks very similar to a walker with one major difference…it doesn’t move. The exersaucer stays firmly planted on the ground and allows the baby to ’stand’ and play with all sorts of toys that are attached to it, plus any other toys you give to him.

My daughter absolutely loved being in her exersaucer and it gave us a chance to get something done around the house while she was occupied. We knew she couldn’t get into any trouble and we constantly changed the toys so she would not get bored.

But be warned. Once baby becomes mobile he likely won’t want to use it anymore. He can have a lot more fun crawling around getting into all sorts of trouble!

The Best Car Seat You Can Afford - Keeping your baby safe is no joke. Having a quality car seat is vital in case you get into an accident. Be sure you read the manual and secure baby tightly each time you take her out.

Also, contact your local police station and ask them if they offer free car seat installations and inspections. Most towns have a few officers who have received special training on installing car seats. If your town doesn’t offer this service they can get you in touch with a neighboring town that does. Even the best car seat is useless if it is not installed correctly.

Bundle Me - Unless you live in a climate that is warm all year-round, a Bundle Me is a great timesaver. It is basically a cozy blanket that fits into a car seat or stroller. Rather than bundling baby up in a snowsuit and blankets, just place her in the car seat and zip it up. You’ll be surprised how warm she stays.

It is especially handy when you have the type of car seat in which the base stays in the car and the seat pops out so you can carry it around. You can have baby all snuggled up inside rather than struggling to do it in the cold.

Shopping Cart Cover - You’ve probably seen them in the supermarket. It’s just a cloth or vinyl cover that goes over the top section of a shopping cart. The baby sits in it and it prevents her from touching the shopping cart with her hands or mouth.

Many people will argue that this is unnecessary, but I see it as a valuable safety device. Countless numbers of hands have touched those shopping carts and who knows what kinds of germs they left behind. Keeping my little girl healthy is more than worth the $20 expense.

Play gyms or activity gyms as they are sometimes called tend to be a firm favorite with
babies from newborn up to about 12 months. These play gyms and activity nests mostly come
in the form of comfortable, quilted or softly padded playmats, sometimes
raised at the edges with a space in the middle for baby (like a ring doughnut).
And these play gyms can be either brightly colored or in soft, pastel shades.
But don’t be fooled by thinking they are just snug and comfy resting places for
babies to fall asleep in!
These activity gyms can provide a plethora of visual, audio and tactile stimulation
for fast developing young inquisitive minds.

Often decorated with well known and lovable characters, Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Eyore,
or farm and zoo animals as well, they can consist of detachable, hanging parts for
small babies to try to grasp. They tend to have parts that are crinkly, soft, scrunchy
textures for baby to touch, squeeze and stroke. Some come with bright twinkling
lights and bells and others make funny sounds, or musical sounds, and some even do both.
You will often find mirrors attached to these activity gyms, so that your baby
gets to find and see its own reflection, often providing hours of fun for babies
and carers alike. All of this is extremely important for developing young minds.
Babies are like a sponge, they are ready to absorb whatever information they can -
and boy - they can’t grasp it fast enough!
A lot of new research points to the first three years of life as being critical to a baby’s
developing brain. It is a known fact that during this period, not only does the brain triple
in weight but it also establishes thousands of billions of nerve connections. Astonishingly,
at the age of three, a young child has twice as many nerve connections as many adults. Therefore,
in your role as a parent, or primary care giver, it is of paramount importance that you recognize
this and understand just how much development is taking place inside your young baby’s brain from
birth until the age of three.
At birth, children have most of the neurons (brain cells) they need for a lifetime however, these
brain cells are not yet linked (or “wired”) together to form the complex networks that are required
for mature thought processes to take place. And what happens is that in the early years, young
children’s brain cells form these connections, or synapses as they are commonly called, very very
rapidly.
One of the crucial ingredients to aiding these connections to form, is experience, and repetition.
In a word, the more times you repeat something new, like showing a baby how to scrunch up a ball,
the quicker these connections are formed. Therefore, it naturally follows that the more positive
interaction you give an infant or toddler, the more you are helping to stimulate young brains.
This stimulation causes new connections to form neural pathways and strengthens existing ones.
Playing with activity gyms, with all
the bells and whistles that they offer or reading to a child, anything which allows a child to
have positive, interactive processes, will aid your child’s brain development.

So, as you lovingly sit and watch your young baby laughing and gurgling on the
play mat or under the activity gym - do not underestimate the power of the changes taking place
in the brain, all enriching an inquisitive mind and arming it with a plethora of knowledge and
understanding for years to come.

The real basics

Take the wishes of the mom-to-be into account at every stage. That includes the games, food, invitation list and all other aspects of the baby shower.

You can have baby showers either before or after the baby is born. Generally, they’re held 1 or 2 months before due date. But they’re also held after baby arrives because of medical or other reasons.

These days, it is perfectly ok for a close relative or even the couple themselves to host a shower. Those “rules” about only non-relatives hosting a baby shower are quite dated now.

Before deciding on the kind of baby shower you plan to have — girls-only or coed, theme or no theme and so on — consult mom-to-be and find out what she prefers.

Who can be invited? Generally, anyone the mom-to-be feels she should call. She’s the best guide here.

Do you always need to send written baby shower invitations? It is usually the better choice. With a written invitation, guests have all details at their fingertips and need not rely on memory. Plus, you can (and usually should) include directions on how to get there.

At the same time, it is fine to just inform people on the phone. Do tell them well in advance, though. So they have enough time to buy gifts, arrange for a baby sitter, etc. And leave your contact numbers with them so they can reach you easily if they need any clarifications.

Can you hold a surprise shower? Sure. It can be a wonderful feeling for the expectant mother. But do consult someone close to her (mother, sister, etc) to know about her likely preferences in all areas.

The devil is in the details

Here’s more in depth information on baby shower etiquette that’ll help you host a truly great party.

Send out shower invitations at least 3 to 4 weeks in advance. Send them even earlier for out-of-town guests. Request an RSVP by a date 2 weeks before the baby shower.

If you’re having a coed shower, you might turn the guys off if you send frilly baby pink invites full of baby talk. Stick to attractive, stylish invitations.

Greet all guests at the door as they walk in, provide them with name tags (if there are many guests) and introduce them to others to get conversations going.

Register for gifts at only one place. Even if there are reasons like another store being closer to some guests. Else mom-to-be may end up with duplicate gifts she may have to return. And guests will be disappointed if they find that someone else has chosen the same gift they have.

While giving gift suggestions, include items at a variety of price points, not just high-ticket items. And do suggest that guests can get together to purchase higher priced items.

If there are older siblings, make sure they receive a gift each. They may already be feeling somewhat left out with a new baby on the way, so this is a great idea.

Irrespective of whether it’s a coed baby shower or not, buy a gift specially for dad. He should feel that he was remembered too.

Record who gave each gift. Essential information when the time comes to send thank you cards! Sending thank you cards is essential baby shower etiquette.

Hand gifts to mom-to-be for her to open and take it from her once she’s done with it. This will save her the hassle of continually getting up and moving about to pick up gifts.

Sometimes, some guests may need to leave early. They’ll appreciate it if mom-to-be will open presents while everyone is eating.

Start the baby shower on time and keep it fairly short. Don’t get bogged down in any one segment like games. Be sensitive to mom-to-be’s energy level and any signs of fatigue she may show. End the party if she’s beginning to feel run down. Walk guests to the door as they leave and be sure to thank them for coming.

Don’t expect perfection. No party ever is perfect. There’s always the unforeseen — power goes off just as gifts are being opened, you forgot to dust one corner of the room, the pack of baby shower favors you opened just before the party turns out to be a different color than you ordered and so on. You can’t control it all.

Special situations

You might have a friend or relative who just lost a baby, or is infertile despite all treatments. Should you call her for your baby shower? Attending may be a challenge for her. Being confronted with another’s pregnancy may be difficult for her to bear.

The rule in such situations is — ask. Check with her and find out if she is up to attending the baby shower. Don’t just send an invitation in the mail. On the other hand, don’t presume that she can’t come and not call her at all. If she’s close to the mom-to-be, she may well want to come. Or at least, she may send her good wishes and a gift.

But if she tells you that she can’t make it, accept the situation with grace. Never hold it against her in any manner. Even if she said she would come and later backed out. Remember, it is probably one of the most difficult times she’s ever had, so be generous and supportive.

Once you’ve understood these simple baby shower etiquette guidelines, you’ll be far more confident about hosting a baby shower. Have fun, and create a special time that will live on in everyone’s memories!

Exactly what a new arrival needs is not obvious to someone who’s never had a baby before. And many times, guests are in no better position either, when it comes to deciding on baby shower gifts.

Of course, there’s a lot more to baby showers than just gifts. But helping parents to stock up for the new arrival is an important part of these celebrations.

That’s why the following list of top five baby shower gifts can be quite useful.

Top gift #1: Monitors

Monitors are excellent anxiety-busters, especially for first-time parents. That’s why they hold the No.1 position on this list.

Once they can listen to the baby from anywhere in the house, parents find their confidence levels zooming. The latest monitors are very sensitive and can pick up the slightest sound from baby, even her breathing.

If your budget allows for it, take it one step further and buy a video monitor. That’ll really ease anxiety. However, they are much more expensive, so perhaps this can be a joint baby shower gift from two or more guests.

Top Gift #2: Playtime mate for baby

Babies love to play. Anything that helps them play and be active not only keeps them engaged, but also stimulates all round development.

One of the best products for them is an activity gym or playpen. This is a soft cloth mat surrounded by a baby-friendly structure of bars and arches with many different toys suspended from various points. Baby gets to play in a safe environment.

Basic activity gyms are excellent baby shower gifts. There are also more advanced ones that include noisemakers and a variety of toys. The suspended objects have different colors and textures to help develop baby’s cognitive abilities.

There are also excellent portable gyms and playpens available to help parents move around with baby. These are lightweight and designed to be easy to carry around.

Top Gift #3: Baby sling

Most babies love being carried around in a sling. It’s the next best thing to being cuddled in mom’s arms. Many parents have had the experience where babies get restless and cry while they use other types of carriers, but immediately calm down when put into a sling.

Baby slings are believed to foster a closer parent-child bond. Whether that’s true or not, slings do have another great advantage — they leave your hands free to do other things. That’s definitely a big plus and is a reason why this baby shower gift is highly appreciated.

Top Gift #4: The baby travel pack

Moving around with baby can be a chore — you have to pack a seemingly endless array of baby stuff even for short outings.

One way to ease this problem is to have one or more baby travel packs handy. What’s a travel pack? Essentially, a diaper bag filled with baby necessities. It can include disposable diapers, a small toy or two, bib, complete change of clothes for baby, safety pins, and other supplies.

It’s a great advantage if the parents receive more than one travel pack. Then one pack can always be kept ready whenever they want to go. No need to mess around with picking up and stuffing items into a diaper bag at the last minute.

Top gift #5: Car seat

Lots of parents say that a well-designed car seat is a wonderfully useful baby shower gift to receive. In fact, it’s useful from the moment they leave hospital with the baby.

There are infant car seats available as well as infant-toddler convertible seats. The former can be used only till the baby is up to 22 pounds or so (typically). While the latter can usually be used till the first birthday.

Make sure these top five baby shower gifts are part of the event you’re hosting. The guest of honor will end up thanking you long after the party gets over!

There is little in the way of advantages to baby bathtub designs. Your basic tub shape, made of sturdy plastic, preferably with a drain plug in the bottom, will do you for quite a while. About the only essential differences, are whether the tub comes with one end that is built up so you can lay an infant back against the elevation, while washing them with water from lower down in the tub.

This style of baby bathtub, may come with a non-slip padded surface that doesn’t mildew with use, but which may take a while to dry afterwards. Alternately, you can get “chairs” that are frames with terrycloth covers that create a tilted rest for your child, so you can wash them with ease, and rinse out and hang the cover when you’re done.

Any tub that has a reasonable lip to it, for easy moving or carrying, is handy, although sizes do vary some, and you may want to measure them against where you plan to bath your baby. If you have a bathroom counter that will allow the space for a tub and laying the baby afterwards, you’re all set. But if your space is limited, and standing at a sink is more comfortable, you might want a tub that is sized to fit in the sink itself, so that you can lay the baby on the cupboard afterwards. Working this way is also easier on a parent’s back, than placing the tub on the bathroom floor.

Some parents will also choose a baby bathtub that folds up, for when they are traveling or visiting relatives. If you are interested in these, surf the Internet for the brand name, and see what consumer reports and user reviews have to say. Check for essential points such as whether there is leakage where the ends of the tub fold in, and if the tub comes with locking mechanisms that prevent an accidental collapse.

2.Forget drastic dieting and treat your body to healthy nourishing food and gentle exercise to get back in shape. You will naturally lose some weight during the first few weeks as your uterus shrinks. Breast feeding alone will allow you to lose weight at 1lb a week if you eat normally and healthily as it uses up 500 calories a day, but you do need to eat enough so that your milk does not dry up. Plan on losing the remainder at a gentle pace.

3.Your tummy will look very sad after the birth, flabby and saggy. Don’t worry you can soon get things looking good again. Do all the post-natal exercises and gentle exercise recommended by your health-care professionals during the first 6 weeks to get your tummy back in shape. After that check with them that it is Ok if you want to embark on a more strenuous exercise routine. Once your doctor says its OK to exercise, one of the best ways to retighten your muscles is a simple yoga move. Stand with your feet apart, hands on thighs. Breathe out fully and then pull your tummy muscles in and up as hard as you can, holding for a count of 10. If you do this a few times a day before breakfast you’ll soon see results. Don’t do this during pregnancy.

4.The first few weeks with your baby are precious and not the time to start injuring yourself by doing too much too soon. Whatever you decide to do, don’t go mad in the first week you’re allowed to exercise normally. Build up gradually as if you’d not exercised before.

5.If you are not able to get back to the gym or to do whatever activity you used to do now that you have a baby to care for, investigate home-exercise programs and videos you can do while your baby sleeps or organise your partner or friend to watch your baby for a short time while you exercise. You will need to be a bit more resourceful and determined to fit in your exercise but you can find a way if you really want to.

6.Walking with your baby is always great – you both get fresh air and out of the house and you get fitter while your baby is soothed by the movement of the pram. You could also use a baby carrier to keep your baby close to you while you walk. This is especially soothing for a restless baby. Aim to walk for 30 minutes to an hour each day.

7.You may find yourself tempted to snack more if you are alone at home with your baby especially if you are used to being out and about at work every day. Make sure you have lots of healthy snacks around such as fruit and avoid buying unhealthy snacks so you are not tempted. You may be better to plan 5 or 6 mini-meals rather than snacking all day AND having your usual lunch and dinner.

8.Take the time to plan simple meals for the next few days before you go shopping. This will help you avoid the “What’s for dinner”/”Oh no, I haven’t defrosted it?” / “Better send out for pizza again” Syndrome. This is not the time to plan elaborate recipes but try and avoid too much processed junk food because you do have time for a simple omelette, pasta sauce, baked potato or salad

9.If you start a plan to get in shape and it all feels like too much, simply restart it when you feel up to it – there’s no need to beat yourself up over anything. Most women feel a bit tired and stressed with a new baby so don’t put more pressure on yourself. All in good time. If you feel really down remember and seek help - post-natal depression is very real and quite common.

10.Reward yourself. You’ve been through a lot – your body has changed, your hormones are in disarray. Whatever you do that helps towards getting back in shape (a walk, a healthy snack, your tummy exercises or whatever) give yourself a pat on the back. A few moments to yourself can be a great reward if you have someone who will care for your little one for a while.

Bonus tip: Above all relax into your new life with your baby. You’ll achieve nothing by worrying about your shape. Take time to rest and pamper yourself as much as possible. Sometimes you can feel quite neglected because your baby makes so many demands and this in itself can lead you to eat for comfort. Take care of your own needs. Ask for support from your partner. If you look after yourself by eating healthily and keeping up some gentle exercise you’ll be fine and your weight will naturally rebalance itself over time.

You might try asking the pediatrician you have chosen to care for your baby, before the actual birth. See if they have a preference of brands or composition, since baby formula should be rich in protein, fats, sugars and sodium.

Most baby formula manufacturers try as hard as possible to mimic the mineral and other composition of natural breast milk. While that’s not completely possible, forumulas have come a long way in the last few years, in meeting the nutritional needs of newborn and growing babies.

Once you choose a baby formula that is going to meet their food and calorie requirements, you’ll need to decide what type of formula will work best for your lifestyle and your budget. Most formulas will come in powder, concentrate, or ready-to-serve.

Powder is the least expensive, but there is the extra work of having to mix it up prior to use. Concentrate is less cumbersome to mix, but does require that you add water. Ready to serve is there whenever you need it, but it is also the most expensive option.

If you would like to balance economy and convenience, try using the powdered form and mixing a small pitcher of it, to fill a small number of bottles. The stirring motions will help to disperse bubbles that may gather as you whip up one for a hasty feeding.

Just to make sure you’re covered for emergencies, or when something happens that you don’t have any powdered mixed, keep a couple of cans of either concentrate or ready to use on hand. That way, you can satisfy the baby as quickly as possible while eliminating some of the stress of trying to keep up with their appetite! Be sure to use these extra cans before their expiry dates.