Broodiness, Bonding and Brand New Babies

A couple of weeks ago I had a the pleasure of having a proper natter about all things newborn with my friend Lyndsay. We met through blogging before I had my children and she’s just had a baby of her own, though she was pregnant when we got together. I don’t think there are any more babies on the horizon for me, as my youngest approaches his second birthday and all the challenges that toddler-hood brings (the terrible twos and potty training, anyone?) it was so nice to sit and chat about those first few weeks of having a new baby, and all the associated ups and downs! You can read more about her IVF journey on her blog, Fizzy Peaches.

Talking to Lyndsay, and other first time mums it became apparent that most mums are so focused on how their baby will be coming into the world that quite often not a lot of thought had gone into what life will be like with a little baby! I think this is perfectly natural though! Also the first few weeks can be really trying, so maybe it’s best people don’t think about it too much! Personally I think if someone had spelled out exactly how little sleep I would be getting, and how much my newborn would feed and require nappy changes I might have changed my mind!

What nobody can put into words though is that instant and all encompassing love you feel for your baby the moment you set eyes on them. I was a little naïve in my first pregnancy, I had a C section which I knew I was having but I didn’t do enough research into my options during the birth. For example I didn’t know I could request skin to skin immediately, or to initiate breastfeeding whilst still in the operating theatre. For my second birth, also a C section I had a specific birth plan incorporating all these things and more (you can read about my Natural C section here) and the birth was a more calming experience and I felt much more at ease during the whole birth.

As we discuss in our chat which you can watch below I think that one of the most magical ways to bond with your new baby is to bathe with them; as in actually get into the bath with them! Not only does this save money on having to buy a separate little baby tub and stops you getting a sore back leaning over the bath it is actually such a magical experience! The first bath I had with Athena was just so special, warm water and some baby friendly bubbles and she fell asleep on me!


Another easy and frequent way to bond with your baby is during nappy changes, and there will be many of these a day in the first few months! It’s important to keep eye contact and to talk with your baby as you change them, it will help to feel less vulnerable when they’re suddenly half undressed and a bit chilly! You can make the process as swift but gentle as possible by using HUGGIES® Newborn Wipes to quickly clean the area being as kind to skin as possible and get them re-dressed, making sure you give them a nice cuddle afterwards!

Lyndsay and I also chatted about all the advice that people suddenly feel it is their place to give you when you are expecting a baby; how to feed them, when they should sleep, where they should sleep and so much more! My advice to Lyndsay was to trust her instincts, but to try to always be polite to advice givers to avoid getting into an argument! My standard answer was “oh, thank you I will bear that in mind” and then to swiftly change the subject!

Here’s the video for you to watch, there’s a fun little story in there about the famous ‘first poo’ and my experiences of it, struggling with cotton wool (#firsttimemum! – my baby care class teacher told us we MUST use cotton wool!) For my second baby I took wipes in my hospital bag to use instead of faffing with cotton wool and water and do you know what? Not one midwife batted an eyelid, so if you only take away one piece of advice from this post let it be that! HUGGIES® Newborn Wipes are perfect for the first nappy change, and all subsequent ones, they contain 99% pure water, are softer and thicker than other HUGGIES® Wipes and are free from alcohol, perfume and parabens so they’re clinically tested as safe to use from day one. To find out more about HUGGIES ® Wipes or to hear from their experts visit www.huggieswipes.co.uk.

This post was written in collaboration with Huggies®, all words and opinions are my own.

5 thoughts on “Broodiness, Bonding and Brand New Babies

  1. Ahh I loved watching this, it felt as though I was eavesdropping on your chat, you are both totally natural infront of the camera. Throw the books away would be my advice to any new mum too, I was so focused on doing everything “right” with my first that I forgot to trust my instinct, and I totally think that this contributed to my PND. I did laugh at the poo story, I think we all have a poo related story when it comes to kids! Good luck with it all!! xx

  2. I love this! I used to say exactly the same when people offered me advice, most people are just trying to help but it can be a bit overwhelming at times. Especially when you get different advice, you don’t know which way to turn. The minute I learnt to trust my instincts my confidence as a mummy grew. x

  3. Having a bath is definitely an amazing way of bonding with baby. I loved climbing into the tub with D and just relaxing for half an hour or so. I miss those newborn days.

  4. Oh fantastic, it’s wonderful to see Huggies has such a pure wipe on the market now! I never thought to bring baby into the bath tub with me, that’s a really good idea. I loved the video great to see you two in person & love your advice to follow your mommy instincts! x

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