In preparing for Baby Freitas #2, there were some things that we wanted to do differently, while also building upon the things that worked well in preparation for our first baby. For our ʻohana, preparation for baby not only includes the “practical” moving of furniture to create space and checking things off of our checklist, but also a different kind of preparation that may include (creating new) family traditions. Part of our planning and preparing for Baby Freitas #2 came from our discussions and learning from the Birthing a Nation class (by the Ehuola ʻOhana) that we were so honored to have been part of.
One “project” that I thought of in preparing before our first baby’s birth was to make a pareau that would be baby’s pareau. There are multiple purposes that the pareau could be used for: for me to wear during labor, for different stretches during labor, to cloth baby after birth, to wrap the placenta, etc. I never got to doing it before baby #1 was born, but I was determined to make it happen this time and felt extra encouragement after having participated in the Birthing a Nation class. While I would have LOVED to have made a piece of kapa, that is still on my “to do” list of classes I need to take to learn more. But, with the help of my friend, I was able to use traditional and natural dyes.
Here’s a few pics of Baby Freitas #2’s pareau <3…
How do you prepare for baby? What are your family traditions?