Win an Eva and Oli Maternity Bag
To celebrate the arrival of Courtney’s new little bundle of joy we are giving away a fabulous maternity bag by the great French Company Eva and Oli!
I have written about Eva & Oli before — they make great clothes for kids and the maternity bag is great — big enough to stick everything you could ever need into it, easy access side pockets, and it turns into a laptop bag once you’re finished with nappies (trust me, the day will come). But what I really like about it is that it looks fab, it is funky and does not look out of place in a chic Parisian café, which is more than you can say for a lot of maternity bags!
Here’s your chance to win the bag! Just leave a comment below by Sunday, May 31st with your top tips for dealing with a newborn and the best tip will win!
- Emilie
LEAVE A COMMENT
40 COMMENTS - Add your own
Oh, what a lovely bag! I want one soooooo much!!!
My tip for dealing with a newborn… is simply to give as much love as possible to the newborn, hug him or her, and carry around! Greetings from Poland!!!
cute bag! My tip is to swaddle snug and cuddle cuddle cuddle.
great bag! My tip for dealing with a newborn??….love fiercely and the rest will take care of itself
Have a heart to heart with your newborn when things get too much for them. Lay your baby on your chest with their heart on your yours and breathe slowly and rhythmically to calm your little one (and yourself). Enjoy your new little life. Congratulations.
hi to all!
This is really a lovely bag!
I think tha my son Filippo (3 month old) will be happy if I will win it!
ciao ciao
ps: you have always nice posts and cute objects to win!
top tip:
listen to your heart and relax- your baby will enjoy to have a loving and confident mum and will relax as well…
and go out a lot…
mum-side: you get out of the house, get fresh air and your body will love it as well
(I liked to make a break in a nice cafe, take out a good book and enjoy some time for myself with my sleeping baby)
baby-side: fresh air and specially sun will pamper your baby and get him strong…
—–> buy a nice sling so you are more flexible and HIP
and yes…the bag is lovely- perfect for number 2…!
Love
Peggy
Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
…sorry…I forgot the tip!
I love put to sleep my son giving kisses on his forehead (face) and between his eyes.
I think he likes because he fall to sleep in a few seconds!
baci baci
lots of love, lots of hugs and (last but not least) lots of talking – may seem like a very bizarre monologue at first but (nearly) always works…
What a perfect giveaway with #2 on the way!
My tip: Accept all the help that’s offered to you! This is no time to politely turn down a free dinner or an offer to babysit older children. It only means more time one on one to get to know your new one!
the five S’s…
swaddle
side/stomach position
sucking
swinging
shushing sound
All from the book Happiest Baby on the Block.
Honestly, it will help you keep your sanity!
It’s okay to ask for help from family and friends.Your baby will survive without you and you will have your body for yourself for a moment.
Great bag…my tip is to burrito wrap that cute bundle of joy and make sure you sleep when you can!
Would love to win – I am expecting twins…any tips for newborn twins, yikes?! I suppose I will try to heed my own advice!
What a beautiful bag – would be perfect for my second, arriving around Christmas time
)
My tip: carry your baby in a wraparound or babysling – it will feel your love and warmth and at the same time you have your hands free…. so it’s win win…
LOVE <333333 the bag…
TIP: Swing from side to side, sing your favorite song. No American Idol judges to tell you you can’t sing. My song of choice was “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” for my daughter Emma. She is 7 months now, and every time I sway and sing her to sleep, she recognizes the song, smiles and SLEEPS!
Hi,
I am 5 months pregnant, so I don’t have any of my own real experiences to share. I however was there when my nephew was born so I could give tips from that experience. I’m definitely on the look out for a diaper bag so, here they go:
-Make sure to sleep when the baby sleeps, otherwise you won’t be able to catch up on your rest
-Only listen to peoples advice who you feel comfortable listening to, if you don’t want to offend anyone, take it in one ear and out the other
-Try not to have your mother and mother in law come visit at the same time, it could get frustrating
-Feeding is a really nice time for mother and baby to bond, remember that
-Don’t let having a baby take over your life, of course it’s a big change but that doesn’t mean you can’t do things you used to do pre-baby
-Giving your baby formula isn’t a bad thing, some mothers feel guilty about it, but no need to
-Enjoy your baby, they grow so quickly
Thank you,
Milli Ahuja
I really need a new bag and this one is perfect!!
After 17 months of stuffing mine to the top, it really needs a change!!
My tip: Enjoy the first days of a baby and of you as a parent, those days are so magical and beautiful that you will always remember them with so much love…
Always remember the things you like to do and incorporate them to your new life with the baby, in this way you’ll be happy and fullfiled and so will he/she!!!
I love your blog and daily tips!!
Greetings from Barcelona!!
Listen to your instinct – there are a lot of great ways to raise a child and take care of a baby. What works for one mom may not work for another.
With that said…
I adore dream feeding. I did it with my almost two-year-old daughter and my one-month-old is doing it right now. We put the baby to sleep at a normal bedtime hour and we feed her twice in the night with bottles of milk – her suckling reflex lets the baby swallow the milk and she goes right back to sleep. It lets the baby get used to sleeping through the night and takes less time (for me at least) than waking up a baby and nursing. Plus, it lets my husband do one of the feeding shifts while I sleep.
Lovely blog, btw.
Hello !
My best advice is to follow your instincts and not to listen too much of all the stories everybody bombards you with.
Ciao xx
While I keep hand sanitizer or wipes with me at all times, I share my baby every chance I get. It never ceases to amaze me how much joy and happiness holding a newborn can bring others. Friends and family will be the most important people in you and your baby’s lives and there is no better way to bring them closer together.
Learn as many sweet lullabies as possible – even if you think you are bad at singing.
They calm the baby as well as you!
Ooo! This great bag may just incite another round of baby fever!!
Congrats again, Courtney!
Love the bag.
My best advice is: sleep whenever you can… never feel guilty about a messy house, not making dinner, not getting your to-do list done. Just enjoy the new baby , rest and do whatever makes you and your family happy! The first few days/weeks/months pass too quickly!
I am not entering the competition but my number one tip is: Always have a big pashmina with you where ever you go. It can be used to cover up for breast feeding, it can be used as a blanket, a sun shade and even a rain cover at a pinch!
A tight swaddling is a must!
I’m due in Dec. with my first so I have zero advice, but I do appreciate all of the advice and hopefully I will have some to give soon!
Ditto with the last comment. I’m due in October and the tips and advice written here are very helpful and insightful. Thanks!
This bag is so awesome! The tips I have I’m sure you’ve heard before… but when the baby sleeps, you MUST sleep. Baby’s feel of your vibe… and if you’re cranky, the baby will somehow sense that. Also, ask for help… husband, parents, inlaws, friends… ask!
My tip – best present we got was for bath time – a big sponge to lie them on. Little babies are so slippery when they are wet and this sponge let us lie the girls on it and gently wash them without fear of them slipping into the water (you only fill the bath to the top of the sponge). It made bath time so much easier and less stressful.
thanks!
don’t ‘forget’ to enjoy these very special first weeks with a new baby! and take your time to get to know each other!
life ’s good!
Lovely bag! My tips: For teething, put baby’s binkies in the freezer – have several and alternate so they’ve always got a cold one. Worked WONDERS for me! My kids were terrible teethers…And buy some Pujbaby.com products – the sling, shoes and tubs are just HEAVEN to use and make life so much easier!
love the bag.!!!. i have a beatiful 7 month baby boy , that has made me happier than i ever imagine.
some of my tips:
-breastfeed, is great how it will bring you and your little one even closer not to mention all the benefits the baby gets
-sleep any moment you can.
-try to set a routine its easier for you and better on the baby,include your partner as much as you can.
-enjoy every second , every sensation, every moment, time passes so quickly.
-dont stress over little things.
-you will learn, it will get easier day by day.
-dont let hormones take over your mind
well there are many tips i can give that worked for me, but remember every baby is unique so is every parent, follow your instints and be happy ,happy parents make happy babies.
From another mum of 3- I think I managed to keep the worrying to a minimum by the 3rd round and followed my instinct a little more.I wish I had the same confidence the 1st time. So my advice to new mums would be enjoy more, fret less!
Nobody had all the answers, my parenting mantra is “do what works for us”. With a new baby, the housework will wait. Find a baby group that you enjoy going to, you will make great friends as you watch your babies grow.
Don’t believe that everyone you see knows more than you do, is a better mummy than you are or has it all under control. They are probably looking at you and thinking the same!
Most importantly,enjoy it, the time goes so fast.
Every baby is different. Everyone will try to give you tips and advice, but you really need to go with your motherly instinct! Do what feels right to you and for your child!
My helpful comment would be to consider hiring a private midwife if it is your first child, you live in Italy, and are having a child in the month of August! I decided to hire one at the last minute and she was a godsend. With her help (and my husband too of course) much of the pre-labor was done at home, she was available 24 hours a day before and after the birth, she helped in the delivery room where I gave birth naturally, she responded to all of my questions and concerns with up to date responses, and was just an amazingly calm and gentile presence. She also helped me sucessfully overcome an incredibly stressful breast-feeding situation and helped me to become a confident new mother.
Recycle wool sweaters into changing pad liners, burping/wipe up cloths, breast or diaper soakers etc. Felt wool sweaters in the wash and cut into the shape you need. I found a huge man’s sweater that made a nice changing blanket/ burping cloth. Its amazing how absorbent wool is and it acts as a nice barrier if you are out and need to change your baby on a friend’s bed or sofa.
I am waiting for a very important response…crossing fingers for tomorrow results! I really hope to receive this lovely bag as a lucky gift!
happy mums have happy babies, so my top tips are all about taking care of mums to be…
1. buy yourself a nursing bra to be proud of – elle mcpherson ‘la mere’ nursing bras are THE BEsT! they give great shape and are made of a lovely lace so you don’t feel like a frump as you get used to wopping your boobs out in public. i wore mine all through pregnancy as well, although be warned, i changed shape after the birth (up in the cup, down in the back), so hold off to buy a drawer full.
2. get yourself some nice, loose fitting pyjamas that you can breast feed in (i like m&s boys/mens pyjamas myself). i spent the first 6 weeks almost entirely in my pyjamas so it’s good to have severals sets of practical (flannel for winter/cotton for summer) ones you can live in!
3. feel good feeding outfits – during pregnancy, when your boobs and tummy have grown a bit, but before you’ve really gotten titanic (probably between 3-5 months) you’re probably a similar shape and size to what you’ll be immediately after the birth (bigger boobs, more belly than you’re used to) – go shopping and buy yourself a couple of really nice tops that make you feel and look good but are easy access for feeding. (my staples are button through blouses and tunic tops, both layered over loose vests). those hormones are going to wreak havoc with you, so feeling good about yourself is really important!
4. stock up your freezer – it’s hard to wrap your head around before baby comes but in those first few weeks, when your world has been turned upside down, there really is NO TIME to prepare good meals. and every breast feeding mum will tell you how important it is to eat regularly and well. i often cook up a bit more dinner than needed and freeze it in meal sized portions that i can easily whack in the microwave for an easy hot lunch (ratatouille and soups are my faves).
5. read about breast feeding – since having my own problems with breast feeding i started an unofficial poll. only 2 of the many mums i’ve spoken to (more than 30) had ‘absolutely no problems’ with breast feeding – that’s not great odds!! feeding becomes a HUGE part of your new life as a mummy and if it’s difficult you can be faced with not only a sleepless and miserable baby but excruciating pain, dreading feeding and a huge blow to your self confidence as you struggle with something that is supposed to ‘come naturally’. i found the book ‘What to Expect When You’re Breastfeeding … and What if You Can’t?’ by clare byam-cook a life saver.
Although alot has been written about parenting tips and do’s and don’t’s, no book can tell you what feels right when it comes to your baby. I say follow your instincts—and understand that every Mom’s instincts are a little different.