When to pack the hospital bag, and what Ibadan wards ask for
Week 36 is the usual answer. The better answer is: pack in two stages, and start with the paperwork.
Updated 28 October · 6 minute read
Read the pieceThe journal
Short, practical pieces written on the shop floor for families in Ibadan. Nothing here replaces your midwife or doctor; it fills in the practical gaps.
Heat, power cuts and a newborn: keeping the first week calm
Ibadan afternoons are warm and the light is not always on. A few small preparations make the first nights much easier.
Updated 14 October · 5 minute read
Read the pieceBriefs
In brief
Six quick answers we give at the till most weeks.
Nappy sizes, simply
Newborn fits up to about 5kg. Most babies move to size 1 by six weeks. Buy one pack of newborn and two of size 1.
Mosquito nets for cots
Choose a net that zips all round, not one that drapes. Wash it monthly and check for holes after harmattan.
Car seats from day one
The ride home is the first journey. Have the seat fitted a fortnight before and practise with a bag of rice.
Sterilising without power
A large pot of boiled water does the job. Our sterilising box works in a microwave or with a kettle.
Gifts that get used
Muslins, size 3 to 6 month clothes and a rechargeable fan are the gifts mothers tell us they used most.
Postpartum comfort
Pads, loose underwear, a cushion and help in the house. Ask your midwife about anything that worries you.
"The best preparation is a calm list and a charged power bank."
From the shop floor, Agodi.
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Tell us what you wish someone had told you before the birth. The most asked questions become journal pieces, written with care and checked by a community midwife.
