Postpartum Confinement a Chinese Tradition

We stumbled upon an article written by Serina Huang about Confinement. Postpartum Confinement - the Chinese concept of 'sitting through the month' - remains popular in Chinese communities all over the world. Although it sounds extreme to not leave the house, eat certain foods and for example not bathe for a month, it does make you think about the little time and sheer exhaustion mothers in the 'Western' countries face after having a baby. Mostly just 3 days of hospital is all the time they get to recover. 

Read the entire article about Postpartum Confinement here. 

My guest blog on The Babee Blog by Babee Covee

Preparing for Delivery! What to Pack.

How to prepare for delivery? Having your ‘gear’ ready a month before your due date will give you some extra peace of mind and keep you from having to pack everything in that hectic last minute.

For a delivery in the hospital you need:

Items for mom:

• Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, deodorant, lotion)
• 2 T-shirts or nightgowns (front-buttoning)
• Slippers and warm socks
• Bathrobe
• Stretchy underwear or panties
• Nursing bras
• Breast pads
• Clean, comfortable clothing
• The manual ‘The First 8 Days of Being a Mom’

Items for the baby:

• Onesies
• Little pants, socks, and sweater or a Woombie
• Jacket or babycape and hat
• A safe baby car seat (check the internet for safety information on different types of car seats at www.nhtsa.gov or call 1-800-424-9393)

Items for the hospital personnel:

• Insurance papers
• Insurance card
• Hospital admissions papers (most hospitals will let you file the paperwork a month or two before)
• Birth plan
• Your pediatrician’s name and contact information

Items for your partner:

• List of phone numbers of family and friends
• Calling card if your hospital doesn’t allow cell phone use
• Photo camera, video camera, batteries, memory cards
• Snacks and drinks for your partner, and you if allowed
• Money for parking
• Books, magazines
• Music (iPod, CDs )

If you are planning giving birth at home you will need most of the above mentioned items. And you will receive a list from your midwife what to have on hand at least a month prior to your due date.

Guest Blog written by Gea Meijering, The First 8 Days of Being a Mom.
This and more you can find in the manual “The First 8 Days of Being a Mom”. 

 Link to the guest blog on The Babee Covee Blog

And the winner is ...... First Daze & Nightzzz

Congratulations. The winner of our giveaway of the complete Mom's First Days Kit is First Daze & Nightzzz.

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Winners giveaway Pam Diamond and Tami Kirk

We are giving away a Mom's First Day Kit!

• Breast Soother, a warming and cooling therapy for nursing mothers. 
• Feme Pad, to cool and soothe postpartum soreness (you know down under). 
• Single use Nursing Pads, a box full of absorbent lining. 
• Lanolin Breastfeeding ointment.
• All in a canvas tote bag with multiple pockets.

Not really something you dreamed of all your life. Well maybe the tote bag a little. But when you just delivered a baby this might just be what you need.

We are giving this entire Mom’s First Day Kit ($80 value) from Smartchoiceswomen.com away. All you have to do is like us on Facebook and share this giveaway on your own Facebook page. 

If the Kit is not something you need, maybe a friend could really use it and you have a stellar baby shower gift. 

Sassy maternity wear?

Looking for something nice to wear with your big bump. Look no further. www.prelegant.com sells a whole line of maternity wear for the office and at home. 

Maternity Fashion from Pregalent