Newborn Essentials ~ for a farming life!
When I was pregnant, I found that every way I turned, there were lists of Newborn Essentials. Being a first time Mum, I avidly read every list I could get my hands on. I slowly realised that companies would write these lists with the same basic products and then add onto the list their top selling items, making first time Mums convinced that their products were essential. It seems silly typing it, but it took me ages to realise that not everything on these lists were actually essential. However, I thought I'd put together a little list of items I bought or was gifted, that were essential for me!
That being said, here is my version of Newborn Essentials, for a farming life!
1. A White Noise Machine! I personally didn't purchase one of these however I was gifted something similar which I'll talk about more below! Many sleep experts say white noise machines are the best way to settle a crying newborn during the day (other than a feed or a change or a cuddle of course!). However a lot of sleep experts also say that a washing machine is the perfect substitute if you don't want to buy a white noise machine. If like me you live on a farm and/or are living with a farmer, then you have no need to buy a white noise machine! Your washing machine will inevitably be continuously running, washing various shirts/jeans/expensive trousers that you were promised wouldn't be used for work. Hoovers also work great as WN Machines, which is great because that'll likely be in constant use too, clearing up excessive amounts of dog hair/horse hair/hay/straw.
2. Next up: Ewan The Dream Sheep. I love Ewan. He's great. I was gifted Ewan and although he isn't quite a WN Machine, he is quite similar. Ewan is a cute, cuddly sheep toy that can be attached to cot or pram. As well as playing quiet sounds of rainfall or wind, Ewan also emits a soft red glow whilst making a realistic heartbeat noise, which is designed to remind tiny babies of being in the womb! Like I said above, I was gifted Ewan and to be honest, I've used him since day one. Ted has always been a great sleeper (he started sleeping through the night when he was 2 weeks old), so I don't know if Ewan is the reason he sleeps so well, but let's just say, I am definitely not willing to stop using Ewan just to test that theory! Below is Ewan accompanying us on our first walk around the farm after leaving the hospital. We don't actually call him Ewan, unfortunately; we call him Creepy Sheep. He isn't creepy, but my partners Mum referred to him as that and it's kind of stuck!
3. Other than Ewan, a major part of our bedtime routine is a couple sprays of the 'Baby Sleep Pillow Spray by thisworks Baby Range' . It's a soft, lavender scented spray that I squirt on Ted's mattress before bed every night. (Side note, also works on overworked farmers worrying about how much the fat lambs will fetch at the market tomorrow)
4. A pram you could plough a field with. Choose wisely! I went for a Stokke Trailz, I loved the design and I loved the way it was built to handle any terrain. According to my partner, it's the New Holland T8 of the pram world. One bit of advice though, if you're going to be off roading a lot with your pram like I do, try and buy a pram with hard tyres. I made the mistake of going over brambles with mine and promptly got a puncture in the middle of nowhere. We bought hard wheels for it that evening! Pictures below show the Stokke in chair mode and carrycot mode; in the second photo you can see the picnic blanket that came with the pram attached to the front, super handy for days out!
5. A Gro Egg from The Gro Company! This is a cute little egg shaped room thermometer, that accurately tells you the temperature in any room. It also changes colour, helpful if you just quickly glance at it! Blue for too cold, yellow for just right, with a gradual shift between orange and bright red when it gets too hot! There is so much information out there about how many layers babies need to sleep in or how thick their sleeping bag should be. I bought my gro egg, and have always consulted the little chart that came with it to help me choose what Ted should be sleeping in. So many of the charts on the internet differ ever so slightly, so my advice is to choose one and stick to it. But remember to also follow your instincts; if you think baby is too hot or cold, check them! It's also a great thing to check the temperature at a quick glance if you're wondering whether your horse needs that slightly thicker rug during the winter!
6. Next on my list, from the same company as Number 5, is the Gro Snug. A cross between a swaddle and a sleeping bag, it is perfect for newborns (as long as they are above a certain weight, always check with the manufacturers!). For us, the Gro Snug was perfect, as soon as Ted was born, he was swaddled by the midwives in the hospital for our stay there (three nights). When we arrived home, I used the Gro Snug at night with the side poppers closed, so that it felt like he was swaddled in his top half but I didn't have to worry about swaddling him too tight around the hips, which took a lot of pressure off of me. Because the bottom of the Gro Snug is shaped like a sleeping bag, it means he could place his legs where he felt was comfiest. The Gro Snug is the perfect way to transition them into wearing sleeping bags, and as it comes in two thicknesses (Light and Snug), it's easy to choose the one that suits you and your baby the best. Also great if, like me, the closest your partner has ever been to a baby is a newborn lamb. The Gro-Snug has one easy zipper and no tiny little buttons or poppers to make things difficult for farming hands.
So there you have it, six little things that made life with a newborn (and a farmer!) just that little bit easier. Be sure to keep an eye on the blog in the next weeks as I'll be uploading a short series about transforming our house, as well as a surprise room tour!
Make sure you check out the links below for websites I found helpful. Or you can find all of the products I mentioned above:
Visit the Lullaby Trust for Safe Sleep Guidelines and more: https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk
Check out Mothercare's Guide to buying the right car seat: http://www.mothercare.com/advice-buying-guides-and-services/buying-guides/car-seats/car-seat-safety-guide/buyersguide-ms-carseats-sub1.html
The Gro Company: http://gro.co.uk/
Stokke: https://www.stokke.com/GBR/en-gb/home
This Works: http://www.thisworks.com/sleep/sleep-category/sleep-for-babies-and-children.html
Ewan The Dream Sheep: https://www.sweetdreamers.co.uk/product/ewan-the-dream-sheep-grey
