A lot has changed in the world of having children. Parenting techniques have changed and now there are a LOT of different ways to raise your child. New research is constantly emerging regarding vaccinations, breastfeeding, and discipline. The way the hospital treats post-delivery mothers has changed greatly in the past 30 years. I remember when my mother had my younger brother. It was a normal, uncomplicated, routine delivery and yet her stay in the hospital after the birth was 5 days. When I gave birth to my children with normal, uncomplicated, routine deliveries, I was discharged within 48 hours of delivery.
Women are returning to the workforce a lot sooner than they used to.
The following excerpt is from a study conducted in 2014.
"We asked mothers in LTM II about their employment patterns after they had their baby.
Among those mothers who had returned to paid work, more than a third had returned by
6 weeks, and most (84%) were back to work by 12 weeks (Figure 8). This represented 57%
of all formerly employed mothers. They typically returned to the same work setting
(full-time, part-time or self-employed) that they had been in during pregnancy. Overall,
36% of mothers had paid work responsibilities by 12 weeks after the birth."
The fact that more women are returning to work and soon than past trends indicate only goes to show the different social climate new mothers are in.
And while advice from mother may get you quite a ways in navigating those early newborn waters, things have changed a great deal since she was in your shoes.
It is for that reason that I have compiled a short list of items that I either had or wished I had during each of my three pregnancies to help weather out the chaos.
Congratulations! You're Pregnant
While the book What to Expect When You Are Expecting is still my favorite go-to for just about anything pregnancy related, I do like Angie's Congratulations! You're Pregnant as a sort of quick reference guide. It also has a lot of recently updated information especially that pertaining to nutrition. For example, I am a big sushi lover, but decided to go without while I was pregnant. (Fear of raw foods and all) However, Angie shares that most forms of sushi are safe to eat while pregnant as long as the raw fish in it were flash frozen first which most major fishing industries do on the boat right after the fish is caught. The freezing process kills any parasites that could potentially cause sickness. This is good to know and just wish I had known during my last pregnancy. While there were some topics that I wish Angie had gone a little more in depth with, I do love the book, and as I mentioned above it makes for a great quick reference guide or even a bathroom read (yeah, I spent a lot of time in the bathroom with each of my pregnancies: morning sickness among other reasons.)
Breastfeeding Scarfs
With my first two kids I used receiving blankets, but they can be really annoying to carry around and seriously with a little baby do we really need to carry more things. I used to stash it in the already over-stuffed diaper bag and it would constantly get in the way when I would need to fish out a diaper or a wipe. Not to even mention that I live in the South and covering up my kids with a receiving blanket while they nursed would have both of us flushed and sweating from the heat. And while I loved the bonding time it gave me with my babies, it was rarely a positive experience for me or them when they needed to nurse in public.
That is where this breastfeeding scarf has changed the game for my latest child. I can wear it as an infinity scarf, scarf with hood, or even as a shawl over my nursing tank top. The material is extremely soft and gets softer with each washing. It is almost like butter made into cloth. It is very light weight and breathable and there is enough material there to create a large "tent" area so you are completely covered as you switch sides without having to readjust the cover.
I only wish they had came out with this sooner, so I could have used it with my first two children.
Snug Baby Monitor for Smartphones (Apple/Android)
This is an item that has been made possible due to advances in technology, and now that I have one for my third child, I don't know how I ever got along without it for my first two. This baby monitor connects to the house's wifi network and can be accessed through an app on either an Apple or Android mobile device. The monitor mostly stays in stand-by mode and can either be activated remotely through the app or is activated by either sound or by detecting motion. If the monitor activates itself it sends a push notification to the connected mobile device. Now I can actually get stuff done while the baby is laying down for a nap without having to go check on him every 20 minutes. The monitor takes a little while to set up both physically and on the wifi network. It can be mounted to the wall and the eye of the monitor can do a full swivel for a complete view of the room. Once it is installed and set up it works beautifully.
Resistance Loop Bands
As mentioned in my introduction, women with young babies are returning to the workforce. This creates an even great demand on a new mother's time. Add to that demand the added pressure society puts on new mom's to shed the baby weight and it is no wonder that new mom's can feel overwhelmed.
While I have stubbornly ignored all of society's expectations regarding my maternal stores (I am still about 20 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight and the baby is now almost 2) I have found an item that makes working out much easier than going to the gym.
These resistance loop bands come in a pack of five and have different weight resistance. They range from super light (about what you would need for physical therapy) to super heavy (really work on that muscle tone). The material feels strong and durable and I don't have any concerns about them breaking and snapping (although that could be an issue once they become worn). I love how they are compact and offer all the benefits of a home gym without taking up all that space. I also love how I could work out at home during the baby's nap, instead of trying to fit in a trip to the gym.
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