Bathing better than pethidine as pain relief during labor: Survey

Bathing better than pethidine as pain relief during labor: Survey

My Favorite Pregnancy and Baby Things

Since Oprah is doing her favorite things, I decided to share some of my favorite pregnancy and baby things that I have come across my years of pregnancy, raising babies and being a doula. Sadly, I am not rich like Oprah, so I can not hand these out to everyone but if you're a pregnant friend or family member you may expect to recieve something off this list as a gift.
Enjoy!

1. Burts Bees Baby line~ mmm this smells so good, I always recieved lots of comments on my good smelling baby!

2. Mothering Magazine~ I discovered this fabulous parenting magazine during my first pregnancy 17 years ago. I wish I had saved every issue but I especially wish I had applied more of the valuable information in raising my children. It contains evidenced based information that is hard to find elsewhere!

3. Organic Red Rasberry tea ~ Great for strengthening your uterus! And yummy too! My favorite pregnancy ritual was drinking this tea and reading pregnancy books such as this next favorite.......

4.) Ina May's Guide to Childbirth~ Ina May is THE leading midwife in the U.S. If you want a natural childbirth, this is a must read!

5) Dr. Sears Baby Book~ And another great read in preparing for your baby and one to go back to when you have questions is this invaluable baby book by Dr. Sears. He is an experienced pediatrician. I wish they could all be like him!

6.) Birth Ball ~ This is every doula's best friend! And if you're pregnant, it can bring great relief for your pelvic area. It can ease the pain of contractions, back labor, and help bring the baby down during labor.

7.) Infant nightgowns ~ I love these for the newborn period. They are easy to put on a squirming baby, and make diaper changes eaiser as well. I'm picky about buying the higher quality gowns, such as Carters, because the the lower quality ones' necks are too big and hang off the baby's shoulders.

8.) Gymboree Cotton Blankets~ These are extra thick and soft, and just feel great when you have a baby wrapped up in one. High quality, ours held up through tons of washings.

9.) Carters Flannel Blankets~ These usually come in a 4 pack and I recommend having at least eight! They are great to swaddle baby in, throw over your shoulder to protect your clothes from spit up, and I loved them for a nursing cover. They don't slide off your shoulder, and are light enough to use even in hot weather.

10.) Lasinoh Cream~ Girl, you gotta have this!! One bottle should be all you need. It helps protect your nipple during the beginning stage of nursing and is safe for baby.


There you have it! I hope this helps any first time mommies who are overwhelmed with all the products out there, and mommies who have been down this road before. Some of these I didn't discover the first time around, and some have withstood the test of time. Stay tuned for my Just the Basics list of what you need when you're on a very tight budget.