76 | June 2020 | motherandbaby.co.uk

WORDS EMILY THORPE PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

Enjoy your first evening

together as a family!

ANGELCAREMONITOR

Bringingyourbabyhomeforthefirst

timecanbeanexcitingbutanxious

time.Forthefirstfewweeks,you’ll

findyou’rewithyourlittleone

constantly,then,whenit comesto

movingontothestagewhena baby

monitoris needed,putyourtrustin

Angelcare– it’sbeenparents’eyes

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st

by’s

night at

home

Prepare

your first

meals now

You’ve probably dedicated a good

amount of time packing and checking your

hospital bag, but it’s worth thinking beyond

this to your first week as parents. It’s highly

unlikely you’ll have enough brain space to think

about what to eat so, instead, treat yourself to a

Chef on Board First Week Food Box. You’ll get

14 individual meals for you and your partner

to simply heat and serve. Dishes include

lasagne, stroganoff and fish pie.

£64chefonboardcom

Be prepared for lots of feeding

It’s common for newborn babies to want to feed often, up to every hour

during those first few days – your little one has a small stomach and if you’re

breastfeeding, breastmilk (or colostrum) digests very quickly, so she’ll want to

drink even more frequently. These early feeds can last anywhere from 10 minutes

to 45 minutes, which can feel intense when you’re not used to it. Make sure you’re

comfy and just soak up those newborn cuddles while she’s still so small!

Dim the lights

As you can imagine, your womb was a

pretty dark place, and the world can

appear very bright as your baby’s eyes

get used to their surroundings – even if

her eyes are closed for most of the day!

To help her out, where possible, keep

the lights in your home dim, to gently

ease her into this vibrant new world.

Sleep when you can

Your newborn will sleep a lot when she’s tiny, up to 18 hours in every 24. The

problem is, she won’t sleep for more than three hours at most, even during the

night, which means you won’t either! But, don’t worry, this is a phase your baby

will pass through and it will get easier.