Reflux and Cow’s Milk allergy or Intolerance

It is very hard to see your baby “vomiting” after every feed. It started when she as around 2 months and got much worse at around 3 months. In the beginning, I imagined that this was because she would feed so quickly that she was overfeeding and for that reason, she needed to spit up, but when the projectile vomits started after every feed I decided to check it out with a Lactation consultant.

One thing that she notice was that my baby was slowly putting on less weight than before. Where her average was around 200 to 300 grams a week she had put only 500 grams in 1 month and that was a sign that something was not right. She was eating half breastmilk and half Nan HA formula, as I did not have enough milk.

Some babies are happy spitters meaning that they reflux but they are ok with it. However, my baby would anticipate the reflux coming and getting very upset and scream so the GP tried changing her formula to a more hydrolyzed formula (Aptamil) but still the symptoms were similar so she started on Losec medicine before feeds, which makes the acid reflux less acidic. She would still reflux but with less pain. However, as a Mum I did not want to keep her on a medicine for too long so I started researching and found out that Cow’s milk could cause Reflux and other symptoms that she had from birth but I did not think they were related. She had body rash, loose poos (which are not common when babies are having formula), she was very gassy and had lots of colic, she was always wheezing and making breathing noises, she winged the whole day and would not sleep at all. Those last two continues until today but that can be still reflex of anxiousness from the inflammation and pain she felt in beginning of her life. (There is a symptom checker here: http://www.neocate.com/help-for-parents/tools/symptom-checker/).

I decided to try as much as I could giving her more breastmilk, I started a dairy free diet, and that was it. In 1 week, she wanted more and more my breast (I was now on Boobies Bikkies and Motillium, and this made my supply increase). Still she was hungry so I went to a pediatrician he put her on Neocate formula which is an amino acids only based formula. She really loved and actually started refusing the breast. I guess that it is very hard to be 100% out of lactose and she felt much less pain on Neocate so I transitioned for 1 month and now at 5 months she is on Neocate only. Her skin is clean of the rashes, her poos are great, her gassiness is gone and she is a much happier baby. 

It is very hard to see your baby refusing to breastfeed but I know that it is for her own good in the end. I miss our night feeds and cuddles, but I still try to hug her tight while giving her the bottle now.

Two of the reasons for that milk allergy/intolerance (I state both here, as we are not sure what she has yet and there are big differences between those two) is being a genetic condition or the fact that I ate LOTS of dairy while pregnant. I really craved it and ate a bit too much. Either way now I need to make her feel better and help her not be anxious because of the pain and to sleep more. 

I am here for her and I want her to know that.

A mum that will do anything for her baby after 30

#neocate #mumafter30 #boobiesbikkies #cowsmilkintolerance #cowsmilkallergy #reflux

After 3 months and I am back...

Today it has been 3 months exactly that I do not write on my blog…

I decided that I needed to focus only on my baby and me during this last 3 months as things were going a bit out of whack.

 I learned a lot and had many different issues that I could not expect. I have been riding this roller coast with issues around breastfeeding, allergy to cow’s milk, reflux, sleep deprivation, excessive crying, catnaps, baby hyperactivity and planning to go back to work. Still going through this with a smile on my face, actually not always, but with a strong mantra that this all will pass, new challenges will come, and I need to take one-step at a time.

I am even seeing a physiotherapist to support me on the hardest skill that my baby is teaching in my life that is that even if we PLAN – Nothing is under my control. I am a bit of a control freak, I do my research, I plan, I prepare and usually all goes to plan. However, not in the motherhood life, that is not real but I will share more in the next posts.

I am just glad that I am able to share this all here and if I am able to help 1 mother like me I feel like I will have accomplished something. We do not live in villages like in the past where woman would live together and learn from each other while the men would hunt. Now most of the time we are at home alone while partners are at work, so now internet is our village and I think people need to be more honest and share the realities here so we can really be able to support each other.

From a Mum learning a lot in 3 months

#momafter30

In the picture: Me and my baby losing one sock at night… yes she will be like me never have pairs of socks. The joke is just to make us laugh, but I cannot complain of my husband as he is always here to support me after he is back from work ;)

Wonder Weeks, are they real?

We hear so much about Wonder weeks so I decided to download the app (Wonder Weeks) to try and follow to see if they really happen.

My baby is only 8 weeks so I only had a chance to go over 2 of those weeks and here is my experience:

Week 5 – This is the first leap the baby starts to have sensations and is aware of the world. On this week my baby really was more alert looking everywhere and seems that she could recognize some people. She did cry quite a bit as expected on his wonder week but also started to sleep more at night ;)

Week 8 – This is the second leap where baby recognize patterns. I am on this week and I will can tell she does recognize it and also now screams to get things done quicker. She wants a feed quicker; she wants to be picked up quicker. This is a very challenging week. She also found her hand and sucks it all the time, even spits the dummies for it. This week she also started to play on her floor mat with toys and she loves it.

So far those wonder weeks have been very real. Here is a full list of the leaps and the weeks and what to expect. Is it’s nice to have an idea of what is going on when all is fine and a wonder week starts and brakes the cycle, at least we are more prepared.

A Wonder Mum during a Wonder Week

#wonderweeks

Wonder week table found at: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/84/4b/a2/844ba21403c31adcfa46274814c70b8f.jpg

Which are the different kinds of formula? What to give to your baby?

As I had some issues breastfeeding I had to complement with formula while I was getting my milk supply back. (I used Motillium, Fernugreek, Oats and Brewer’s Yeast to do so.) I still need a bit of formula to top up but I am happy that I would say I am giving 80% breastmilk and 20% formula now, which before was almost 80% formula).

Because I needed to give the formula from the beginning I tried to learn more about it and here is what I learned from pharmacists, midwifes and nurses, still this is just an idea and a professional support should be the best way to go:

-        Regular Formulas – 100% lactose / 100% protein – It can be organic or not and most of older kids can adapt to it quite easily

-        Comfort Formulas – 50% lactose / 100% protein – If the baby is getting some mild gut reaction (Lactose intolerant kids that will grow out of it later).

-        Lactose Free Formula – 0% lactose / 100% protein – If the gut reaction is severe with: lots of wind, abdominal pain, explosive stools, vomiting, nausea, discomfort and it happens every feed (The ideal would be to some tests to see if the baby is really allergic to lactose and also see if there is family history of lactose allergies).

-        H.A. (Hypo Allergy) Formula – 100% lactose / 50% protein – If the baby has lots of constipation and colic. For me this is the most similar formula to breastmilk when considering the protein. At a Dr. Howard W Chilton’s seminar, I learn that breastmilk has 100% lactose but very little protein (less than 1 gram per 100ml) and that made me research further and I realized that cow’s milk, which the formulas are made with, have around 3.5 grams per 100ml. This way this formula would give my baby around 1.3grams of protein per 100ml, making it very similar to breastmilk and being ideal for little babies.

-         Formula can also be or not GOLD – Meaning that it has Omega 3, which breastmilk also has, they just don’t know if this Omega 3 is absorbed or not but I would say it wouldn’t hurt having it.

A pharmacist told me: “Formulas are like medicine you just need to find out the problem and see which formula would solve the issue” And I agree with her not one kind of formula is good for everyone. The good thing is that doesn’t matter which one you choose the rules in the nutrients in Australia are quite serious so you can be sure that you are giving the best thing, after breastmilk, for your baby.

I choose NAN Opti-pro– HA GOLD – And my baby is very happy with it, no more colic, no more constipation, but again I only give it to her when she need to top up. My milk is always going to be the BEST for her J

A very informed MUM after 30

Tip: Nestle has a CARELINE number that you can call and get advice: 1800 468 8736

#nanoptiprohagold #nan #nestle

Nappies, Creams, Shampoo, Colic helper…what have I used so far?

As a first time Mum I decided that I would give everything a try, but for that first I tried to get samples of everything so I would not need to invest much first and then I bought what I liked the most. ( How to get some samples:Samples and Freebies Post)

Here are some of my favorites:

-        Nappies – Huggies are quite good and famous nappies and I was thinking to sticky with it but the newborn ones were a little too big for her (she was born 2,890 grams but very skinny and tall). So my first nappies were Baby Love Preemie which fit perfectly and couple of weeks later I tried the Comfy Boots from Coles which impressive enough were also good. Now my baby can finally fit on the Huggies one, but we decided to try the new Little ones (Woolworths Brand) which don’t look fancy but do the job well for the price which made me impressed. Luckily enough she didn’t have any allergies and by trial and error I could find the ones that wouldn’t leak at night, so I think this needs to be the way, try small packs and find the best one for you, also babies grow so quickly that is not worth to waste too much money, just buy on demand. And if you have a baby shower ask the guests to bring the second to third size as she is now 7 weeks and already on the second size at 4,500 grams.

Wipes – I just use the Huggies as I got lots of it and I have this box that I love which is very handy to use. But I wouldn't mind trying other brands later.

-        Rash Cream – On my bounty bag I got some Sudocream and so far she didn’t have any rash. I use it 3 times a day specially before long sleeps and she adapted quite well.

-        Body Cream – At week 5 she developed some pimples that went all over her body, the nurses said was just a hormonal reaction and would go down by itself at her 12^th’week but I still tried to help using the Curash Healing Cream and her allergy is almost gone at 7 weeks so I guess was worth trying. Also her skin gets super soft with it so I keep using it.

-        Body Shower – I use Gaia Sleep Time as it helps her calm down after the bath and sleep longer at night (I will have a post about sleeping after)

-        Blocked Nose – I use the Flo Baby saline solution and I also started using the Snotty Grotty spray in the room. She used wake up quite congested and this seems to make it happen less often.

-        Colic – As most new babies she had quite a bit of colic so I waited the first month (which is recommended) and from the second I started giving her Colic Calm when she was feeling pain and it really does the job... I can hear the gas coming out so quickly ;)

-        Congestion – Because of her first formula she got congested so I gave her Coloxyl Drops, it did help, but the best thing was change her formula (I will have a post all about what I learned about formulas from an expert).

So yes I tried many things and would try even more if meant to have my baby happy. Every baby is different so you need to find what works well for yours J

A Mum that loves to try after 30

#babylove #huggies #comfyboots #littleones #sudocream #curash #gaia #flobaby #coliccalm

Breastfeeding – Nothing prepared me for this

I can say that breastfeeding is much more painful than the labour pain.

In my view the labour will end, you will have a bundle of joy in your hands and you will easily forget all the pain. Now you can start enjoying motherhood, but wait… nobody talked about how hard and painful breastfeeding is.

I can only talk about my experience but I did hear the same from other mums about this too. From the first day the pain of the baby latching was unbearable, it was like someone was needling my teats, a strong burn pain that would only go away around 15 minutes after she started feeding because the teat would become numb. But as soon as I would take her out the pain would be back irradiating all the way to my shoulder and back sometimes.

No, I am not trying to scare anyone but to alert that you should also have a Breastfeeding plan and have some tools from the beginning. I added some “supporting tools” slowly so I think I suffered much more than necessary. I am on week 7 of my baby and now I can start to feel some relief so here are somethings you can prepare and do:

-        Use the lactation consultant from the beginning. As I had one in the hospital she helped me to learn more about the “art of breastfeeding”, specially how to correct latch. Which I used the techniques later when I was able to handle the pain in a better way

-        Start from the first day trying to feed, some people even recommended me to start expressing on week 38 so I could already get a hang of it and my milk would be ready for the baby (this I didn’t try but will try with the second baby for sure).

-        Prepare lanolin cream, gel pads and soft bras and take them to the hospital, this way you can start using those props from the first feed, not letting your teats become too hurt.

-        You can also use a silicon teat, but that is for a bit later when you milk flow is good, I wouldn’t use in the beginning as it may be hard for the baby

-        Invest on a good quality breast pump. I have the medela swing which is hands free (has a top that I can wear the machine) and I can take milk from both breasts at once. I tried the Avent for the first 2 weeks and I wouldn’t barely take any milk out. The Medela gives me 90ml in 15 min. The hospital can also rent the Medela medical grade which was great in the hospital.

-        Have some formula ready in case you need to use. (I am still giving around 30% of formula as I don’t have enough milk, which is another issue I had because you can only have enough milk if the baby stimulate it (and because of the pain I wouldn’t let her do it for too long), but slowly my milk is coming back as now let her feed for longer.

My tip is to be mentally ready that the first month as it will hurt, our skin is sensitive and not ready for this, so it needs to be damaged and heal again, this is the only way for breastfeeding to become less painful. But don’t put too much pressure on you, if you can’t do it formulas are very good at the moment and your baby will not be hungry if you can’t breastfeed, just don’t give up while you can as it will for sure be rewarding later.

A sore Mom After 30

#momafter30 #breastfeeding #medela #lactationconsultant #pain

My experience in the public hospital

After some research I decided to try the public hospital in Australia. If I was having the baby in Brazil it would be different as the public system doesn’t work well there, but in Australia it seemed to be the ideal choice for me. Firstly, because all the services were free but also because I heard amazing feedback about their services, specially about the Royal Hospital for Woman in Randwick where I had my baby.

The antenatal that I had was with a GP shared care which meant that I went to the hospital every second consultation and at the end as I had some back and SI joint pain, I was going once a week for Pilates/physio class which helped my pain a lot.

Before you have the baby you can have a hospital tour and I would highly recommend it, so you can feel at home when the time comes and know all you need to take or not on the day.

On my special day I stayed during 8 hours at the delivery room which was very well equipped with all the medical needs but also with Pilates ball, bathtub, floor mats, chair for my support person and lots of space for me to move around.

After I had the baby I went to the rooms where firstly had a double room for a couple of hours, but as I applied as private patient on the public hospital ( using my private insurance) I was transferred to a private room. The only difference was the space, the privacy and also the fact that my husband could spend the night with me which for me, being a first time mom, was essential.

The midwifes at the hospital were great, always supportive and checking if I and my baby were doing well. Also the staff in the hospital in general were always very polite. About the food, which everyone asks, I can say that is not that bad, yes it had little salt but you can put more and the variety was also ok. I was going to spend only some days there so I didn’t worry, just ate what they served and in the end became friends with the kitchen people that would save me some apples and bananas (as some foods were limited). The tip is to be nice to everyone, a smile goes a long way.

Another great service they have is the breastfeeding class and lactation consultant while you are at the hospital, they have a room with comfy chairs where moms would meet to feed their babies from the first day. This way everyone could see how hard it was together and not give up, which I didn’t yet but I would need a whole post about that later.

I can’t fault any service or people at the hospital, it was for sure an amazing experience and I will be for sure going back for seconds ;)

A happy Mom after 30

#momafter30 #royalhospitalforwoman #rhw

Record Labor (5 hours), No Pain Relief and a Happy Outcome – It is possible.

I have low tolerance for pain, I am afraid of surgeries and hate needles.

I did all the courses/treatments I possibly could to help my labor as I had in my mind that I would need to cave to at least one of my fears. Either would need pain relief, have a C-section or would feel the pain. At the end I decided that feeling the pain would be my plan. Yes, plans change but at least I would try as the baby needed to come out.

At 41 weeks I was feeling ready, I did the Juju Sundin’s course, the Royal Woman Hospital Course, acupuncture, physiotherapy and chiropractor treatments, kept active with Pilates, Walks and Aqua Aerobics and read all I could about the birth.

I was booked to be induced on 01/Jun at 9am but at 8:30pm on the day before my baby decided she would come out on her on “Thanks Stephanie J”

Here is the timeline and what I did:

At 8:30pm I had all ready to go to the hospital next morning and I started feeling some belly pain “like I needed to go to the toilet but I couldn’t.” I imagined that was just me being anxious.

At 9:30pm The pain wouldn’t go away, so out of curiosity I called the hospital. They said I could or not be on an early labor but would take long so I just needed to go to sleep and wait. I took a hot shower, jumped on my Pilates ball for pain relief and just tried to sleep.

At 11pm I had the expected “diarrhea” and instead of going away the pain now started to be more constant (1 minute strong for 3 no-pain). I called the hospital and they said the progress couldn’t be that quick but if I really wanted I could go there to check.

At midnight I checked in in the hospital and I was already 6cm dilated. I kept matching the pain and now I was sure I was in labor. I moved a lot, jumping on the Pilates ball, hips back and forth and side to side. My family also helped me a lot reassuring me and doing movements with me.

At 1am I started vomiting and my water broke and right away I had the urge to push. The midwife said to hold and not push as for sure was too early to push. I kept moving and doing all I could to match the pain and she decided to check and I was already 9cm. She started preparing all as my progress was being too quick.

At 1:30am I told her that the baby was coming and she checked and I was 10cm and really the baby was almost there.

At 1:40am with one big push baby Stephanie was out.

The midwifes said it to be a record labor and delivery. Best of all I kept my plan of no anesthetics. I knew when to expect the pain, which I handled quite well, matching it all the time with Juju’s techniques and knowing that I was helping my baby to come out, so it was a “happy” pain.

I wanted to be extraordinary and I feel like I was able to and if I can do it (having all my fears), anyone can J

I will share more about the hospital later which was also great. Here you can read about my labor at Juju Sundin's blog too: https://jujusundin.wordpress.com/2016/07/07/a-very-happy-mum-and-a-record-labour/#more-1554

A proud Mom After 30

#momafter30 #jujusundin #recordlabor #babybornquick #birthskills

Finally I am back… and my baby is born :)

After 1 month away having my baby and also adapting with the new life I am now back to talk a bit about my experience as a new Mom after 30.

To return I want to talk a bit about the hospital and the care I had in Australia as It has been an amazing experience.

Being a Brazilian I always had the impression that private hospital was the only way to go, as in Brazil this is the reality, but in Australia the public system works very well.

In a public hospital you have 12options to choose from, which are: shared care (with GP) and Midwife Group and I will try to give my view of both.

-        Midwife Group – You will have all your consultations with Midwifes, or Obstetricians if necessary, at the hospital. On the day of your delivery you will have one of the midwifes that you did your consultations in the hospital.  You will get a special delivery area that looks like more like your bedroom than an actual hospital and the focus is to be as natural as possible as if you are having the baby at home. For sure you can still ask for extra analgesia and if necessary a C-section but the focus is to have it all natural and the hospital is your only point of contact.

-        GP shared care – You will have your consultation between a GP of your choice (they will give you a list of GP’s closer to you that are registered with them) and the other consultations will be in the hospital that you will have your delivery, with the midwifes. If you have any complications you will see the obstetrician instead of the midwife, but this will be defined according to your situation in the 1^st consultation. On the day of the delivery you will get any midwife/obstetrician that is on duty on the day.With the GP you will do your regular checkup like urine, blood, vaccination, baby heart rate and medications that you may need and with the hospital you will have more of the plans and in depth checkups.

In both options you will be asked to have ultrasounds that can be done in the hospital or in private clinics depending on their availability.

I know more about GP shared care as I choose this option and for me was ideal as I had more flexibility to book the GP the day I wanted and also it was great to see a familiar face all the time. On the delivery day I had a midwife that I met on that day but honestly they were all so good that it didn’t matter it was an amazing experience and a very quick one ( only 6 hours labor) but I will talk more about my labor and days of the hospital in the next post.

A Mom after 30 with a baby in her hands ;)

#momfter30 #newbaby #gpsharedcare #midwife #royalwomanhospital #rwh

Baby is overdue, what to do now?

I am now officially overdue with 40 weeks and 4 days, which I hear is quite common when having the first baby and also being over 30. So here I have the perfect combo and the waiting game begins. I have been talking to many people and gathered some ideas to help the baby to come quicker without intervention. I am honestly testing and doing all of them for the last 2 weeks or so, not sure if anything is helping but I am at least trying:

-         

Spicy food – Many of my friends said that after their last spicy food, contractions started. So now “Tabasco Chili” is my new best friend in every single meal
Walk Walk Walk – I am walking at least 2 hours per day in the park, shopping mall and trying to avoid getting my car for small errands. It is tiring but I did notice that it helps me sleep as I get quite exhausted so I see an advantage there.
Going up and down the stairs and squats – Also trying to do as much as possible of it, so far the only up side of it is getting my legs strong, which can be good for carrying the baby later
Jump on the Pilates ball – This is my favorite as I am now watching TV while jumping up and down. This one of the techniques for labour pain too so I am getting a good practice.
Acupuncture – I hate needles but as it was recommended I did 3 sessions while I was 39/40 wks, but other than being relaxed I didn’t feel anything else so far, so I decided not to continue with it. I confronted my fear of needles but still was not good enough to make anything happen.
Writing a letter to your baby – I did it as friend recommended and I think even if doesn’t help her coming out, it is a nice thing to share with your kid when she grows up. I handwrote it so it has a personal touch and I will keep it to give to her later.
Making an official eviction notice for the baby – That was just a fun thing that I think made me relax and made me laugh which can also help.

I guess those ideas can support the baby but she will come only when my body is ready and she really feels ready to explore this new world.

An overdue Mom After 30

#momafter30 #overdue #40wks

Some cool online support to use during the pregnancy

I found some apps and webpages that are very cool and informative. For sure you always need to take everything with a pinch of salt, but funny enough on some of the selected apps below that track the pregnancy I could really read about what was happening at that moment with me, so I would recommend it. They were all free but had paid versions that I didn’t even use it as the free versions were good enough for me. Sorry that I am not good with apple and I am not sure how to get the app’s link at ITunes but they are easy to find if you type the app name.

Pregnancy + (Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hp.pregnancy.lite)

This app let you track the pregnancy weekly with tips, images, weight and many interesting info that you can use like how to pack a maternity bag for example. This is best looking app in my opinion and does have a paid version which I didn’t even need to use.

Nurture (Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.glow.android.nurture)

This app has a daily tracking and you can tell it how you are feeling daily and will give you tips of how to improve your overall health. I liked this a lot when feeling insecure by different changes and I think is the one that really can support you all the way and help you remind to take your vitamins, drink water, etc. Also has a cool feature of a community for momos having babies and you can read nice comments and experiences.

Baby Bump (Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alt12.babybump)

This app has a day by day tip, but even being the simplest app I liked the information and the tips I could get from it. Also had tips for daddy once in a while.

Story of this life Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/StoryofThisAndersonLife/

I really enjoy her posts and she was my inspiration for why I started my blog as I think sharing experiences can really help others. I think she has a great humor and I like to see her videos and pictures she posts (By the way the picture I am using right now on my personal FB and also on this blog is hers as my due date is now gone - It was supposed to be 26/may/16).

A tech Mom after 30

#Momafter30 #pregnancy+ #nurture #babybump #storyofthislife

Competition - Like and Tag on our Facebook page for a chance to win

LIKE the Facebook page Momafter30 and TAG at least 1 friend on the competition post and have a chance to WIN a Pee-Pee Teepee. 

Competition ends on 28/May - Sat - 5pm and the winner will be chosen at random and announced on 28/May - 8pm. (Winner must live in Australia so I can send the product).


Facebook Competition post:

https://www.facebook.com/momafter30/posts/284219258584957 

A Mom that likes competitions after 30

#competition #momafter30 #peepeeteepee

News from the Pregnancy, Babies and Children's Expo - May 2016

As my baby is still not wanting to show her face (by the way today is my due date). I decided to go to this Expo to see what I could find of interesting for the future, there were many regular products like Nappies, Prams and others but I found some very interesting products that could be useful.

Booby Trapper – It is a great way to feed your baby with privacy. It is much bigger than others I saw in the shops and gives the baby more air flow. I really liked the idea of not having to hold anything other than your baby while feeding. (www.boobytrapper.com.au )

Pee-Pee Teepee – It is small cone for baby boys when doing their diaper change, to avoid possible accidents. Very smart idea so Moms of boys are a bit safer of a possible Pee-Pee shower. (www.bebabean.com)  

Mamaway Vest - 3 in 1 for when you are pregnant, carrying the baby and after you can just detach the zipper and use as regular vest. So is 1 vest that serves all the purposes. Also is very lightweight. (www.mamaway.com.au )

Cutesy Bottles – It is a 2 in 1 baby bottle with teats or spoon. I tested it and the food only comes out when you press the bottle, so it is perfect to carry the food, heat it up and it give on the go without having to change containers. They have small and large sized to cater for baby’s needs (it is also BPA Free). ( www.cutesy.com.au)

The Teething Egg –  Teething Egg is similar to the baby’s gums, so they love chewing and rubbing their sore and swollen gums against it. It is made of thermoplastic elastomer which seems to be safe for babies to use. (www.theteethingegg.com.au)

A Mom in love with innovations after 30

#momafter30 #boobytrapper # Peepee #cutesy #theteethingegg #mamaway 

Freebies for Babies and Moms

I did a good research about where to find freebies so I could try different products before buying them and here are some good ones:

-  Bounty Bag – You can go to a pharmacy and get a Mom to be Bag. Mine came with some Huggies nappies and baby wipes, Sudocream, Stretch Marks Cream, Panadol Teething toy, Comfort, 2 great maternity magazines and some others papers with information. (I heard each pharmacy may have different items. I got mine at Coogee Bay Road Blooms) Here is the list where you can find one - http://www.bountybags.com.au/uploads/Bounty_Pharmacy_List_20160101.pdf

- Bounty Rewards - You can also subscribe to their website and get some rewards by looking at promotions and answering surveys that can be redeemed later for gift cards - http://www.bountyrewards.com.au/

-  Gaia Products – You can contact them via the website and send them a postpaid envelope so they can send you some samples of their products – http://www.gaiaskinnaturals.com/wgform.php?controller=form&action=view&access_code=free_samples

- Baby Love – They offer a free Baby Shower pack with 1 pack with 30 diapers, 90pk baby wipes and a soft toy. All you have to do is register online with your baby shower dates and they will send you a voucher to be exchanged at Babies R Us:- https://babylovenappies.com.au/baby-shower-gift-pack/

- Huggies – You can ask them for samples of different size nappies to try when you sign up and there are also many promotions and competitions to participate online - https://www.huggies.com.au/promotions

- Mamaway – If you a RWH patient go to their Randwick store (Inside the Randwick Mall - Upstairs) and you can get a free Maternity Bra and Free 60 pack of nursing pads. All you have to do is go in person and ask them. It was that easy. This is a special 150 years celebration from Royal Woman’s Hospital. - https://www.mamaway.com.au/store_location

Some expos are also a great place to see some new products and get samples and I will have a post all about the Pregnancy and Babies expo that I went last week with all the news soon.

A Mom in Love with Freebies after 30

#momafter30 #bountybag #gaiaskinnaturals #babylove #mamaway #huggies

What does a newborn need after they are at home?

This is a good topic but a very hard one. I have been buying some things for the baby, but there are so many gadgets that honestly having a baby can become a very commercial thing.

My first tip is not to buy anything before doing a good research. I checked many websites, mother’s communities, visited many baby stores and and finally have all my things sorted. But one thing I learned was that babies don’t need much, they don’t care about the brand, color or latest trend. So we need to find what is really useful, safe and that you feel comfortable to use for your baby.

For most of the items I bought I decided to look at Kids Swap and Sell groups on Facebook from my suburb, Ebay and gumtree. This way I could save at least 40% of the prices that I would buy in store. I would check if the items were in good condition and recommended by the Australian standards and buy it. I did wash everything with good quality baby soap to make sure it was all clean and ready for my baby.

Other than the basics I got some small things that may be a little luxury but I had to try: Nappies Bin (with very expensive refills, so I will give it a try for the first months and see), Ewan the Dream Sheep, Baby Shusher And Oricom Baby monitor with breathing monitor (this is my first time Mom paranoid side saying the baby may not sleep well or have any problems at night), a Quinny Zapp Travel Stroller ( As we will travel in November to Brazil when she will be 6 months, so I need a good and small pram that can be consider a hand luggage to go around during connections and to use while there), Skip Hop Nappy Bag color coded with my City Select Stroller (both in purple) which by the way is also matching the whole room decoration in purple and pink. I will give my feedback about those and other items after I have a chance to use them.

But all this are just for our eyes, family, friends, etc. For the newborn eyes the most important thing for sure will be you. So we don’t need to really worry, just stick to your budget and make this “getting ready” moment a happy one J

A learning Mom After 30

#Momafter30 #Babyshusher #Ewanthesheep #Cityselect #Skiphop #Quinny #Oricom

Is your partner ready for the baby as well?

It is essential to have your partner ready for the new addition of the family. Most of the time everything is only going to be about the person caring the child for 9 months. Your partner can’t feel the pain, the joys and the movements from inside but in my view it is essential for him to participate on the journey, as after the baby is born things will change and he will be able to really feel the same emotions as you.

For my husband to be involved we decided to do a 8 weeks baby classes at the hospital. It was a bit tiring as we needed to attend every Monday night after work from 6pm to 9pm. And sometimes we almost gave up as we were a bit sleepy, but we know that this was very important.

We attended the RWH classes with a Midwife that covered from birth to 3 months of the baby, running from the body anatomy, birth to how to change a diaper and give a bath. Somethings can be common sense, but it is important to hear again so we can make sure we are in the right track.

But the best part of this course was the networking. We meet other couples that also were having their first baby and this helped us to see that were not alone in this new world. We even have a FB page were we can keep track of all the babies that are being born and organize meet ups. By the way I am the last one of the group to have a baby, all the couples already had theirs. Mine is the only one that wants to stay in the belly a little longer… she is too comfortable here.

While we wait, we also have fun, so me and my husband are trying creative ways to pass the time like this photo which we can’t stop looking and laugh at it ;)

A New Mom After 30

#momafter30 #rhw #babyclasses

How to prepare for labour and birth? Is it possible to be really ready?

LABOUR - This has always been a very scary part of the whole process, at least for me. I used to say to my Mom and friends that I would not have a baby inside my body because I was afraid of the pain, instead I would adopt a kid. And this was in in my mind for many years.

But when your mind is ready, things change. When I decided that I wanted to have a kid my fear really started to fade. I started researching a lot about the whole process and I felt confident that whatever happened would be the best for me and my baby. I may still adopt in the future but for now I decided that having a baby was doable.

I read many books (I may have more than 20 books at home that I at least started reading the first pages) but I really liked a book called: “Birth Skills” from a very famous physiotherapist called Juju Sundin. And after feeling that her pain management techniques for labour and birth were in my line with my thinking I booked for a half day course where she would put that all into practice.

It was a great morning, with a very small group of ladies and Juju, that was very energetic and helpful. The main thing that I learned on that day was: “Labour Pain is not sick pain; it is good pain – healthy pain”. This really helps me think about labour as a good thing. I will put all the techniques into real practice soon and then I will be able to say if it really helped, but one thing is for sure my confidence level now is very high, so this will give me a good support during my special time.

Also talking to many Moms I found out that the part that they remember as the worse was: “nothing”, they can’t describe the pain as they don’t remember it. As soon as they could see their baby’s face all the fear and pain was gone. Like if they became numb and the whole world stopped. I hope this is my experience too and I can say the same thing soon.

A very hopeful Mom after 30 ;)

#momafter30 #jujusudin #birthskills #labour

Mind, Body and Soul during the pregnancy

I am glad that so far I had very little pain and also felt very active during the pregnancy but three things for me where for sure essential.

Eating Healthy – When I found out that I was pregnant I decided to research more about what was good not only for me but also the baby and the main thing is to take a daily multi-vitamin proper for pregnancy (I started with Elevit, but later changes to Blackmores Pregnancy Gold as it was a better cost benefit). This not only supported the folic acid which is essential for babies, but also helped me not getting any flue or disease.

From the food side I ate a variety of food and did have some sweets, as mum’s will always crave it, but I tried limiting myself and also tried not to skip meals. In the first 4 months I had morning sickness and could only eat after midday so I did lose a bit of weight.

My GP said I would need extra protein, so I talked with a nutritionist that recommended me to add a Protein Shake into my diet, which was nutritious but also delicious (I love the Isagenix Dutch Chocolate one with 1 frozen banana and milk, it is like a milkshake and would help me a lot with my chocolate craving while giving me many nutrients). I added this into my diet (not replacing as we need more instead of less while pregnant) and that for sure also helped me feel good and energetic. (Some people may be against it, but for me it worked so I do recommend it).

Exercise - I continued to be active playing at the beach and I also started doing Aqua Aerobics twice a week. This is a very fun part of the day as I can spend time with my Mom that also attends the class and I am very “spoiled’ by the trainer and others in the class as they see me progress week by week. I am now almost 40 weeks and they always think that the baby will during the class ;) By being low impact it does really help me feel confident that I am not hurting myself or the baby and my body continues to feel awesome.

Meditation -  I also did some Meditation during the pregnancy recommended by my best friend which is also Reiki Guru, that for sure supported me mentally by being less stressed about life and work. Which may be even more important than anything else as when your mind, body and soul are in line, everything else flows J

A mom after 30

#momafter30 #blackmores #isagenix #aquaerobics #meditation