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CHAPTER 9

Practical matters

Getting ready for life with a baby is half the fun! In reality, you don’t need to pull out all the stops, and less is often more. There are a few practical matters worth putting some thought into, however.

MATERNITY LEAVE

It can be difficult to decide when to take maternity leave. Ideally, you should take a few weeks off before Baby arrives so that you can take it easy towards the end of pregnancy, but then you may have less time with Baby, which is just as important. However, you should try to take at least 10 days off before your estimated due date.

Maternity benefits differ from country to country. Currently, in South Africa:

•You are entitled to four months of maternity leave*:

–You can take this leave one month before your due date, or earlier or later, depending on your health.

–You may not go back to work within six weeks after birth, unless your doctor or midwife says that it’s safe for you to do so.

•Just because it is your right to take this leave does not mean that you will necessarily get paid. Your company’s internal maternity regulations will govern this, but legally they are under no obligation to pay you. You can claim a percentage of your salary from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).

•While you are pregnant or nursing, you may not do any work that is unsafe for you or your baby, such as lifting heavy items when pregnant, or handling dangerous chemicals. Talk to your supervisor to make sure this is heeded.

Remember, your employer also has rights, and if you’re thinking about not returning to work after birth, you will need to give your employer a notice period as stipulated in your contract.

* This does not apply to you if you work for the National Defence Force, the National Intelligence Agency or the South African Secret Service; you are an unpaid charity worker; you work in sales and regulate your own hours; or you work less than 24 hours a month.

BABY NECESSITIES

It can be rather overwhelming to prepare for life with a new baby. In the early years, babies don’t need much more than food, love, attention and a few important pieces of equipment. Although these can be expensive, you shouldn’t compromise on quality, and generally the financial impact can be reduced by spreading it over your pregnancy. Also, many of these items will hopefully be given to you by relatives, or lent to you by friends.

Here is a basic list of baby essentials:

Software

•6 vests

•6 cotton onesies or Babygros

•3 jerseys or jackets

•6 bibs

•2 caps

•4 pairs of baby socks or booties – maybe Granny can knit these?

•4–5 receiving blankets

•4–5 fitted cot sheets

•2–3 covering blankets for a cold night

•Fluffy toy

Accumulate a few packs of disposable nappies during your pregnancy, in various sizes, to lessen the financial impact – make sure they’re soft, absorbent and gentle on a baby’s skin. If you’re not using disposable nappies, you’ll need 30 terry or cotton nappies and five waterproofs.

Hardware (equipment)

•A car seat (this must have an SABS stamp and be the correct size for Baby’s age)

•Baby carrier pouch or wrap

•Carry cot

•Crib or cot (lead-free paint is essential)

•A camp cot is nice to have, especially for visiting friends and family

•Changing table

•Baby bath

•3-in-1 pram (the wheels should be sturdy enough to cope with fairly rough terrain)

•A nappy bucket if you are using terry nappies

•Musical mobile

Products

Use products that are baby-friendly and environmentally-friendly – preferably organic. Products that contain calendula or rooibos are usually gentler on a baby’s sensitive skin, although it’s important that the base is made from good quality, safe ingredients. Less is more, so use products sparingly; Baby’s skin also needs to breathe. Squeeze or pump-action bottles are a good choice because they’ll make your life a lot easier. These are some important products:

•Baby soap

•Baby shampoo

•Body lotion

•Buttock cream

•Baby oil

•Calendula lotion or surgical spirits to clean the umbilical stump and navel

•Cotton buds

•Cotton-wool balls

•Baby powder or talc (only to be used very sparingly)

After Baby has been born, don’t immediately remove all the vernix on his skin – this wonderful natural “cream” keeps Baby’s skin supple, nourished and protected.

CREATING YOUR BABY’S NURSERY

It can be such fun setting up your baby’s nursery, but there’s more to it than just pretty décor. Baby may not even spend that much time in the nursery in the early months, but it’s still worthwhile creating a beautiful space for your little one. Choosing a colour scheme can be fun, but although there are different theories on which colour schemes will help stimulate a baby, and which colours can affect a baby’s mood, this will ultimately boil down to personal preference. Irritable, distressed babies may respond to soothing colours; placid, calm babies may enjoy more stimulating colours. Why not have a neutral background and introduce colour in the form of mobiles and toys?

Top five nursery tips

1.Position the crib in such a way that your little one can see out the door. This way, when he’s old enough to sleep in his own room, he’ll feel less alone. Also, keep the cot away from direct sunlight, windows, heaters, lamps, and wall hangings, furniture or curtains that Baby could use to climb out of the cot.

2.Suspended mobile toys are not only a beautiful addition to a nursery; the movement may actually help to soothe Baby. However, once Baby can push herself onto her hands and knees, you’ll have to place the mobile out of her reach to prevent body parts getting caught up in the dangling cords, or Baby pulling off and placing small parts in her mouth.

3.Make sure the mattress fits snugly and don’t put a pillow in the cot. For safe sleeping, your baby needs a firm and flat surface.

4.A night-light is a wonderful element to add to your nursery. Not only are they very cute, but they can help comfort Baby and provide a gentle light for those late-night feeds.

5.The room should be well-ventilated, but try to keep Baby’s crib away from any possible draughts.

A word on cot safety

The crib should be painted with a lead-free product and preferably fitted with a new mattress and linen. It should also:

•Be deep enough that your growing baby can’t climb out.

•Not have steps or cut-outs in the headboard or footboard that could trap your baby’s limbs.

•Have a space between bars of no less than 2.5cm and no more than 5cm; this will prevent your baby’s head from slipping between the bars.

YOUR BIRTH BAG

As your due date draws near and your excitement mounts, it’s a good idea to have your labour bag ready and packed. Labour progresses quite slowly at first, so although you could probably pack once labour begins, you may be so excited that you forget important items, and some things will need to be bought beforehand.

For the labour ward

These are the most useful items to take along to the birth facility:

✓A comfortable, loose T-shirt for labour

✓Tissues – one’s nose often runs during labour

✓Elastic hair ties for long hair

✓Socks to warm cold feet

✓Lip balm

✓Fruit or a fructose drink for a quick energy boost

✓A water bottle with a straw

✓A facecloth, for a refreshing wipe of the face and neck

✓A comfort item from home

✓A homeopathic remedy for improved labour

✓Relaxing music for labour and the postnatal ward

✓Stretchy disposable maternity panties and maternity sanitary towels

✓Nightclothes, slippers, gown

For the postnatal ward

✓Bar of gentle rooibos or calendula soap

✓Deodorant and personal cosmetics

✓Breast pads

✓Cooling gel pads for overly full and tender breasts

✓Gel pad to ease discomfort in your perineum

✓Breastfeeding bras

✓Plastic bags for laundry

✓Clothes for Mom and Baby to come home in – one of your preggy outfits, as it will still take a while for you to trim down

✓A blanket to wrap your baby in on the way home

The hospital or clinic might supply these items:

✓Sanitary towels

✓Breast pads

✓Disinfectant for cleaning your perineum (stitches)

✓Baby clothes for the duration of the hospital stay

✓Ice packs

✓Infrared lamps for easing painful breasts or perineum

✓Disposable nappies for Baby

✓Cotton-wool balls for cleaning the navel and umbilical stump

✓Surgical spirits to clean the navel

✓Basic cosmetic items like soap and deodorant for Mom

✓Cosmetics for Baby like liquid soap, shampoo, skin lotion, buttock cream and talc