Bright Ideas | Practical Stuff

Onesie stickers are month to month stickers that allow you to capture your baby’s growth. Onesie stickers can make a great baby shower gift. Give them to friends and family and month by month they can share their photos keeping you up to date on their growth. Purchase these from Sunshine Babies

Asking for laser therapy on your nipples from your physiotherapist is highly recommended. Ask for this while you are still in the hospital as it helps prevent sore cracked nipples enabling you to give breast feeding a chance.

A baby time capsule is fantastic gift idea for a baby shower! Time capsules can be ordered online and are available locally. Parents fill this keepsake with memorabilia from baby's birth day and first year.  The capsule is then sealed until a special day - years in the future - when baby has grown up.

Photos don’t always accurately depict your baby’s size. Here's a cute way to document the story of his growth. For the first year of his life, take a picture of him every month inside your washing hamper. As the months progress, you will notice how much more space he's taking up. Years later you will find it hard to believe that he was ever that small.

As the excitement and anticipation grow towards your impending due date, don’t forget to test everything you have packed away in the cupboards waiting for baby to arrive.  Have everything plugged in and ready to go. The last thing you want is a frantic dad trying to install a car seat while you are waiting to take your precious gift home.

To get rid of swollen feet, relax on your bed with your feet up. Place two damp face clothes on your feet. Have a fan softly blowing on you, so that when is blows on your feet it cools the face cloth even more and then in turn cooling your sore swollen feet. Picture courtesy of memake

A picture is worth a thousand words. Get a friend or someone who can keep a secret to take a picture of you holding a chalk board with your due date written on it. What could be better than presenting it to your partner as you tell him about your special news. Picture courtesy of chic&cheap nursery

Buying a new wardrobe for 9 months is expensive for most. Try starting a “preggie bag” with your closest friends that is full of all your old preggie clothes.  When a close friend is pregnant, she then gets the bag full of clothing. When she has had her baby these items go back in the bag (only the good items and a few new ones she bought). The bag is then passed on to the next pregnant friend.

Invitations are the best way to let people know that there's something big brewing. Personalized invites and decor are a great way to set a baby shower apart. Celebrate the new arrival with these personalized printables from Sunshine Lemons.

If you need to remember something like an important appointment for example, try leave notes in obvious places like your purse, your car, on your fridge, next to your bed and in your bathroom. We also suggest keeping a small diary and pen with you at all times.