I think it is good to use the cloth diapers…though we didn’t really have an option…I am not going to try to wash them in a sink or tub and we don’t have a washer in our apartment, nor do we have the money for a service. On the plus side the diapers now are a little more biodegradable than they used to be. I remember when my eldest nephew was born, his diapers were plastic!

And they are tiny aren’t they! I made sure to keep Babyhead’s last newborn diaper (clean of course! It was the last one in the pack before we went to the bigger size.) in his keepsake box. OH! You will want a keepsake box and a baby book to record all those moments and keep little things. We kept Babyhead’s and Podling’s hats that they put on them when they were born, the footprints they made us in the hospital, that kind of thing. The baby book is just a good place to write keep memories of those early days. Babyhead has one with a bear on it that his aunt bought for me, and I got Podling one with flower fairies!!

As far as breastfeeding…I think there is a stigma attached to it since there will be times you will have to bf in public…I know here the country is polarized and you have militant for or against. Even my own mother told me not to bf in public and if I had to then to make so to go to a private place. Of course, I would go somewhere private anyway bc I am just not comfy with strangers being able to see part of my boob, but I felt it was out of line for my mom to make those comments to me. I think in today’s world we are made to feel ashamed of our bodies and because of that people aren’t willing to give a little when it comes to feeding our babies. Breasts are seen as sexual objects, not feeding equipment. Either that or people are just creeped out about bodily fluids.

Pack your bag now! That way you can get the most needed things in there and then add stuff here and there as you think.

Here is my list of essentials:
Robe or house coat.
razor (for shaving armpits, i couldn’t stand not shaving!)
lotion (your hands get dry from washing them so much)
hair brush
hair ties
hair shampoo & conditioner
toothbrush and paste
slipper socks
some old underwear (in case they don’t give you any disposable to wear)
Going home clothes for you
going home clothes for baby including a receiving blanket

And don’t forget anything you would need for your hypno-birthing. I say bring all that stuff like razor and shampoo just in case you end up with a csection and have to be in the hospital a few days. I made the mistake of not packing that stuff with Babyhead and DH had to go home and get it for me. By the time I was able to shower I hadn’t had a shower in 3 days!! After laboring and then being cut open…I really needed to feel human again! So, of course this list can be changed as you need it…but it is to give you an idea of what you **might** need. Always prepare for the worst (c-section in the hospital) and worst case you just have to bring that stuff home unused!

I am so excited for you!!