Preparing for Baby #2 ~ Mamma Care!

A couple of weeks ago, we shared some of the gear that I consider essential for the first few weeks of a wee babe’s life. Today I wanted to share a few ideas for the new mamma, even if it’s not your first time to the rodeo. It was hard to break these ideas into two posts, because some items in the baby post may look like they’re for the mom (hello, nursing tanks), but really, few moms are excited to wear those things ~ we’re wearing them to give the little ones easy access to their food. Likewise, I have a few things on today’s post that seem like they are for the baby, but when you really think about it, we’re using them to make the mamma more comfortable, and that’s so important.

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I think that the best thing a mom can do after a pregnancy is to relax, make yourself comfortable, and give your body the time to heal. You’ll see that my priority items really focus on those ideas. I also believe that addressing every aspect of mamma care is equally important (from physical to mental), so don’t think of this list as being in any sort of order ~ all items would come first if they could!

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Preparing for Baby #2

As the months and weeks wind down, we’re starting to *think* about how we’ll prepare for our new little guy. When I was pregnant with Alex, I really enjoyed reading other people’s lists of necessary baby gear. Just as each pregnancy/labor/baby is different, so are these lists. Some are over the top with gadgets and gizmos, others are relatively tame. Luckily, Calder and I are on the same page about many things, and minimal baby gear is one of them, so I thought our list might be helpful to other minimalist parents.

Today I wanted to talk about what we needed/will need for the baby in the first few weeks after his arrival, and I’m leaning heavily towards the notion that you don’t need much for a few reasons. I think some expectant parents may find it useful to hear a voice saying that those long lists of “necessary” baby gear, may not be necessary. You don’t have to empty your wallet in order to prepare for a baby. We care deeply about our impact on the environment, and by default, the more you buy, the bigger your environmental footprint. That said, so much early baby gear gets lightly used, and you may be able to find some great second-hand sources for clothes, furniture, swings, and seats; that choice saves you money and saves resources.

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When planning for the new baby’s arrive, I keep two questions in mind : 1. what does an actual newborn do/need? 2. if we don’t have it, but find that we need it, can we easily buy it?

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