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Preparing the nursery

Breastfeeding gives babies the best start in life, but some mothers don’t find it easy. Connecting with other mums on the same journey encourages, motivates and even inspires us as parents. Mumslikeus is a community of breastfeeding mums offering information, real life stories, videos and interactive tools to help you along your journey.

Mumslikeus is an Aptamil initiative to support and encourage breastfeeding in Ireland. As Ireland has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe, we strongly feel this is part of our social and environmental responsibility.

We have created this online community to assist you on every stage of your breastfeeding journey. You can even receive emails summarising what to expect at particular stages of your journey so you are prepared and fully supported.

Nursery Decoration

Planning the nursery together is a great way for you and your partner to spend time together during your pregnancy. Designing a nursery for your new baby can be the most enjoyable and memorable parts of pregnancy. You can both get to decide on the layout you’d prefer and choose the colours, furniture and nice baby things that you want to decorate the nursery with.

Here are some ideas:

• Keep it simple, your baby will only be a baby for a short time, so try to go as easy as you can on the baby pastel pink and blue colours. Try to go for a colour scheme that you will be able to change.
• Self-adhesive stickers can add colour to a wall, but bear in mind that a lot of the time, your new baby will be lying on her back and gazing upwards. Attach a brightly coloured mobile with different shapes and patterns to the cot. This will help to stimulate the senses.
• Choose a cot with a drop side so as you don’t strain your back when lifting your baby. If you have a second hand cot, always check for flaky paint or splinters and make sure the drop side is in good working order. The gap between the side rails should be no greater than 8cm (3in) so there’s no risk of your baby’s head being caught. Always buy a new mattress for the cot. The mattress should fit snugly within the cot, and any gaps around the sides should be no bigger than 4cm (1.5in).
• Install a dimmer switch. A low-level light is ideal for night time and early morning feeds and it will also help you find your way around the room especially when you are tired.
• A room thermometer to keep a check on the room temperature, which should be kept at a steady 18°C (65°F) all the time to prevent over heating.
• A comfortable chair is a must on your nursery room furniture list. It will allow you to feed you baby. Make sure the chair provides you with an arm and back support and your feet should remain firmly on the floor.
• Changing tables are available and can be very useful. They also tend to be expensive. Alternatively, a wide chest of drawers which comes up to elbow height can be also.

The DO and DON’Ts when preparing your new baby’s nursery

DON’T strip paint if there’s a chance it dates back a long period of time, as the lead in old paint could be harmful to your unborn baby.

DO make sure that all the paint you use is non-toxic – look for one that says it has low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) on the tin.

DON’T ever climb up ladders when you’re pregnant – you could easily fall and hurt yourself.

DO put new carpet down and paint the room at least three months before your baby’s due to arrive to make sure that the nursery is free from fumes

DON’T forget to fix rugs down firmly to the floor and keep all flexes out of the way so you or your partner cannot trip over them.