Becoming Sociable At three months of age, your baby is really beginning to take her place in the world. She actively seeks the attention of those closest to her, smiles and vocalises to communicate her pleasure. But as her social world expands, she faces the challenge of predicting other people’s behaviour and this can sometimes make her anxious.

Your baby’s growing social awareness.  At three months, your baby smiles in response to other people’s smiles, and may even vocalise her pleasure at seeing people she recognises. She is growing more social by the day. She has learnt to differentiate between those close to her, and may show her recognition in the facial expressions and the sounds she makes. Babies tend to behave differently towards the various important individuals in their lives, adjusting the way they attract and hold attention accordingly. As your little one matures, learns more about the world and settles into routines, she may find new experiences more difficult to deal with. She has been getting used to her parents and other family members and, to some degree, can predict their behaviour. She knows what to expect from her main caregivers, but strangers are a different story. So don’t be surprised if your little one seems unsure and fusses when she now meets a new person. This is perfectly normal. The more alert and communicative your baby becomes, the more her social world expands. And, as a result of this, she faces new challenges on a daily basis. Be patient, and if you feel she is overwhelmed or over-stimulated, take her aside for some quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of the visitors.

Are you ready with all your baby must-haves? Have you shopped til you dropped and ticked off all the items on your list? Or are you still baffled by babygros and cotton cellular blankets?

Shopping for your newborn A FEW MUST HAVE’s Time for a little shopping trip. You may think it’s a bit too soon to be worrying about baby’s wardrobe, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Your baby may arrive earlier than expected – so best not leave everything to the last minute and prepare a shopping list. Here’s a list of items you will need for your baby’s early days. How many items you end up opting for will, to some extent, depend on how much washing you are prepared to do!

• Newborn nappies
• Cotton wool
• 2 or 3 soft, baby-sized towels for bath-time
• a bath thermometer
• Muslin squares (always useful to mop up baby dribbles or leaking milk!)
• A well-fitting mattress for the cot, moses basket or carrycot you plan to use at first.
• Several cotton cellular baby blankets (so that you can easily adjust the number of layers covering your sleeping baby to prevent overheating – remember a folded blanket counts as two layers).
• Several cotton sheets
• 6 or so front-fastening cotton stretchsuits, babygroes, or all-in-ones
• 6 or so cotton body vests (long and short-sleeved with poppers)
• 1 or 2 cardigans
• A few pairs of socks or booties
• a couple of cotton hats
• 2 pairs of scratch mittens
• a baby shall or small pram blanket for baby’s journey home.
Don’t go overboard with your shopping list for your baby’s wardrobe. Baby items are designed to be irresistible, especially to impatient mums-to-be, so it’s Best to stick to your shopping list. But remember that your newborn will quickly outgrow his clothes, and you may also receive many more items as baby gifts after the birth. Buy the basic essentials now, and get the rest when you need it. You’ll have a much better idea of exactly what is useful once your baby has arrived and you have embarked on the exciting new job of caring for your newborn.

Recovering after having a baby takes time, even more so if you’ve had a Caesarean. Here’s how to take care of yourself so you heal, and feel better, faster.
Look after number one, plus one

Once you’re home from hospital, delegate as much as possible to your partner, relatives or good friends. Concentrate on your baby and yourself. ‘It is important that you remain mobile and active, but with time built into your day to rest for long periods. You should not be lifting or pulling heavy objects, or doing any unnecessary cleaning,’ is Allyson’s William’s advice.
Lift lightly

Don’t lift anything heavier than your baby for up to six weeks so that your tummy muscles have a chance to heal. Your tummy will also suffer less strain if you get up by rolling on your side first, drawing your knees towards your chest, then sitting up and using your hands to push yourself up to stand.
Have a laugh

You’re probably not aware of how much you use your tummy muscles until they’ve been through surgery. So to help lessen the pain or discomfort, hold a soft pillow against your tummy for the first few days, or beyond if you need to, when coughing, laughing, breastfeeding… and doing a poo.
Inside story

On that subject, to make it easier to go to the loo, drink lots and eat plenty of fruit to help keep your stools soft. And to cut down on painful wind – another unpleasant side effect – give fizzy drinks a miss for the first few days at least and drink peppermint tea instead.
Easy exercises

Even if you can’t do much more after your Caesarean than lie or sit down at first, keep all your down-below bits in shape by doing your pelvic floor exercises. These may feel uncomfortable at first but they also help to support your back and your abdomen. ‘Pelvic floor exercises are the most relevant ones to do at this time, as they strengthen the pelvic floor, which supports the abdominal organs including the bladder, says Allyson Williams.‘Your community midwife will be able to give information on other exercises to do when you get to six weeks after the birth. It is not possible to start exercising before this time.’
All about you

To help you heal, take good care of yourself. That’s not easy with a new baby, so ask for help with chores, shopping, cooking and looking after older siblings so you can focus on you and your newborn. Eat nutritious snacks and meals and drink plenty of water. Get as much rest as possible, relax and take a soothing bath if you can at the end of the day. Literally, put your feet up so that you’re lessening the strain on your tummy muscles and letting them heal up.
Healing touch

Smooth cream or oil into your Caesarean scar to help it heal and fade and to keep it soft so it doesn’t itch as much. Gently massaging the scar once it’s healing well and your stitches have dissolved may also help flatten it over time. You can get specialist caesarean scar lotions or try Bio-Oil, from chemists, or a cocoa butter cream. Massage and reflexology are thought to be helpful for post-caesarean recovery. So find a trained practitioner and indulge yourself – you deserve it.
Feelings

Your emotions will be all over the place after having a baby. You’ll be tired, and may be weepy or depressed, and recovering from a Caesarean may also affect how you feel. Talk to your health visitor or doctor if those feelings don’t pass within a few days.
Keep on moving

Go for a walk every day to get your circulation going (important after surgery), strengthen your muscles, have some fresh air and get out of the house. Ask your partner/friend/relative to go with you to push the baby in the buggy or carry him or her in a sling for the first few days after you’re home, or longer, if you still feel a bit wobbly or uncomfortable.
Straight up

Sitting or standing upright may make you feel as if your stitches are going to pop. Don’t worry, they aren’t, so although you may want to hunch over to protect your tummy, try and straighten up gradually to stretch and strengthen your abdominal muscles and protect your back.