5 ‘Unconventional’ Things I did as a First Time Mama

They say nothing can prepare you for motherhood. This is true. But there’s also this new mama bug, that makes you want to get all the things, only to realize after the baby that you really could have saved those $$$.

You may have heard me say that I’m a big believer in investment versus spending. That’s how my brain is wired. If it’s fleeting,not going to last/a trend/non-reusable, I’m not putting my hard-earned money on that. I might put some ‘free money’ to try it out. Might, as the operative word. But more often that not, I’ll pass.

With everything in life, you’re in an advantageous position when you do what you can to prepare yourself. I only say this to the Glory of God, that motherhood is my dream job. It’s always been. So,yes, I definitely prayerfully considered, and had a really good idea of what I wanted and what I didn’t need- as much as it depended on me.

If you’re a crunchy mama, then this is convention for you, as it is for me. Haha.

1. Cloth diapering: cloth diapering has definitely come a really long way since our parents had us. There are so many options including the kind our mamas and grandmamas used. Our 2 top reasons for going cloth: 1. Eco-friendly/reusable and 2. Saves money.  The initial cost may seems a lot (as compared to disposables), and that’s why people always wonder how in the world that’s cheap. But remember, these diapers are growing with baby. From 6-8lbs to 35-40lbs. Ya, you can definitely count me in on that. And so far, we are loving it! The brand we use is bumGenius. We settled with the pockets- although we have a few AIOs. My reason for pockets is because they are easily customizable. With bumgenius, the microfiber doesn’t really hold up when babe grows and obviously pees more. So we recently got some hemp inserts as well. We have these from Thirsties and these from Hemp Babies. But honestly, my favorite are the ones from thirsties. It’s incredible how much they are able to absorb. Our Babe wears them overnight with no trouble/leakages whatsoever. I think we’ve had a leaking incident once or twice. But that’s because we didn’t place the inserts well. I love those inserts! Such a good investment.
2. Co-sleeping: and with this, I mean babe’s crib is next to our bed. I am a breastfeeding mama, who feeds on demand. So this is what works best for me. Especially during growth spurts when the babe is eating (what seems like) every 30 minutes, I can’t imagine getting up as much to walk all over to the nursery to feed. And if I am going to be sleeping in the nursery with her, because of night feedings, she might as well be with us. When the time is right, and we are both ready, she will have her own room. For now, everything points to the fact that this is an awesome idea for us.
3. No Rocking Chair: A rocking chair costs anything between 100-400 dollars.  I always knew i didn’t want a rocking chair. It just isn’t something that struck me as a NEED. It will serve a purpose if we get it. But we are also fine without it! What was needed was a good chair to support my back when I would sit and breastfeed, and that’s what we got. But honestly, a regular dining chair and step-up stool does the trick! Not aesthetically pleasing, but you don’t have to get too deep into motherhood to find that what you NEED is what WORKS and LASTS! and not what’s trendy! ;). Some mamas swear by it, some say you could really use that money for something else. I am with the latter team. I am glad we didn’t get one because as soon as she could, our Babe started pushing her legs against anything, and I really want to allow her the freedom to do that.
4. Team No Nipple Cream: I just was never comfortable with any list of ingredients I came across. I don’t know why. But then, thankfully,  I came across Mama Natural, who recommended good old coconut oil and a good brand of infant probiotics! I just want to say, that saves lives! Plus for me, it’s a win win situation. Babe is getting a good dose of probiotics, and the relief that combo gave me in those early days of nipple soreness… I couldn’t be more grateful!
5. No Baby Food Makers: Our preferred way of feeding our Babe is definitely not 100% pureed food for who knows how long. I am not of the opinion that babies can only eat watered down food in a specialized machine. It’s not worth the investment if you ask me. To be honest, I don’t believe there’s a genius puree recipe, a stick/immersion blender, or high speed blender can’t make. You can use that for several other things in your kitchen. And if you want one for babe’s food only, an immersion blender is STILL is an excellent, less expensive option that WILL grow with babe, and save you kitchen space. You certainly don’t need a one-purpose-only gadget sitting on your counter.

So, there you go! I hope this helps a mama-to-be! Here’s my advice: Assess your baby list with a mind of needs over want. My sister told me this, and I’m sharing too:

some people are getting paid to market lots of baby stuff. so don’t get caught up in trends. Also remember to keep your trendy ‘wants’  minimal because your sweet Babe may surprise you by hating it! haha! She wasn’t wrong!

Always in Love,

Nana.