Preparing to welcome a new baby in the not-too-distant future? Worried about what the coronavirus outbreak means for you and your newborn? Then you’re not alone!
With our new baby due in less than month I can’t help but wonder – and worry – what it all means for me and my baby and how things will have progressed by the time he or she arrives.
Since writing my post on Coronavirus: just how worried should we be? coronavirus has quite literally come to our doorstep with the kids’ school affected and several people quarantined in Brighton and Hove where we live.
Since then things have settled down locally, but at the same time they’ve escalated globally. So, what do we need to know? I’ve teamed up with the experts at Milton, which has been used by hospitals for more than 70 years and is the go-to brand for sterilising baby products, to get the low-down on how best to prepare for a newborn in the wake of coronavirus, and we’ve got a bundle of Milton sterilising products including their hand gel and surface wipes to give away too!
5 ways to prepare for a newborn in the wake of coronavirus
1. Wash your hands often & well throughout the day
It might sound obvious and something we should all be doing anyway, but the most effective approach to protecting ourselves and our family is through systematic hand hygiene and thorough cleaning of surfaces says family GP Dr Laura Lenihan, who is also preparing to welcome a newborn this year. “Whether it’s the latest coronavirus, influenza or rotavirus, hand washing is the most important and effective way to prevent transmission of germs,” she says. “Regular hand washing, particularly before or after certain activities, is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and prevent the spread of germs to others. Using hygiene products, like Milton sterilising fluid can improve the results and keep us all, including our children from getting sick.”
2. Keep surfaces clean and germ free
Milton sterilising fluid and Milton sterilising tablets are clinically proven to kill 99.9% of germs (that includes bacteria, fungi and viruses) to create a home cleaning solution that is effective on coronavirus. Both products are easy to use and can be made up with regular tap water.
3. Use hospital grade sterilising products
“Following the latest WHO guidelines on the new strand of coronavirus, Milton recommends using Milton antibacterial hand gel, Milton sterilising fluid and tablets to stop the transmission and spread of the virus,” says Milton’s marketing and sales manager Christine Chevalier. “Milton’s range of hygiene products have been used in clinical environments for over 70 years and help protect families against bacteria and viruses and preventing the spread of germs.”
4. Mix more concentrated sterilising solutions than you normally would
According to Christine when it comes to sterilising more concentrated dilutions must be used to fight against the coronavirus. Milton suggests mixing 1.5 caps (45ml) of fluid with 1.5 litre of cold water and to make the solution from tablets, place one tablet in 1 litre of cold water to leave surfaces germ free after a minimum of 10 minutes.
5. Don’t panic
With sensationalist headlines and coronavirus dominating the news it can be so easy to get carried away with ‘what if’s’ and imagine worse case scenarios, especially when you’re hormonal and already feeling vulnerable. But there is currently no evidence that pregnant women are at an increased risk of adverse outcomes as a result of coronavirus, and it’s too early to know how – if at all – it can affect babies. There also seems to be a lot of misinformation flying around – for example, I’ve lost count of the number of social media posts I’ve seen questioning why people are stocking up on hand gel claiming it doesn’t kill viruses, but that simply isn’t true. Milton’s antibacterial hand gel, for example, not only kills coronavirus but the flu virus, norovirus and rotavirus too.
And if you fancy winning a Milton sterilising bundle for your home here’s how!
WIN a Milton sterilising bundle including hand gel & wipes!
We’ve teamed up with Milton to give away a sterilising bundle featuring everything you need to make sure your family and home are protected as much as they possibly can be.
The bundle includes:
- 1 x bottle of sterilising fluid
- 1 x bottle antibacterial surface spray
- 1 x bottle of baby bottle cleaner
- 1 x bottle of antibacterial hand gel
- 1 x pack of antibacterial surface wipes
To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is comment on this blog post saying who the bundle would be for, visit me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, visit Milton on Facebook or follow Milton on Twitter via the Rafflecopter form below.
The competition closes at midnight on Friday March 27, 2020 and is open to UK residents aged 18+ only. Terms and conditions apply. Good luck!
We were gifted all the Milton items featured in this post. As always all opinions are my own and based on my own honest experience.
It’s great to see some sensible ideas for coping with the corona virus, what’s the panic with the toilet rolls about? #thatfridaylinky@_karendennis
It would be for me and my family.
it would be for my family
It was so sad to hear in the news today that a newborn baby has caught coronavirus. I remember my eldest having Norovirus over his first Christmas and that was bad enough! #KCACOLS
Good tips – and the upside, if you don’t have other kids, you are most likely to be home and isolated with a newborn so quite low risk for the virus. #KCACOLS
Great tips, it can be hard to know what is true and hwat isn’t with so much information flying around. But it looks like you know what advice to follow to keep yur family safe! #kcacols
Great tips for worried new mums to be. Having your first child can be scary enough, never mind with all this going on too! #MMBC
Great ideas here. I’d definitely add stay away from as many people as possible #KCACOLS
Very useful tips at a scary time like this. I’ll share it with my friend who’s about to be a first-time mum.
This would be for my son’s young family.
for our family
Would be for my daughter and her family
My goddaughter
I would share with my family!
For me and my family x
I would love this for my sister who is pregnant with her first. She is so frightened and stressed with everything going on and she has suffered miscarriages previously so she is feeling a lot of pressure. I know this would really help her – being prepared is all we can do!
I use it to help keep my son’s items clean, he has Down’s Syndrome and a very poor immune system, although he is 9 he is double incontinent and still uses a sippy cup, I sterilise the lids to the cups as well as his cutlery every day to cut down on tummy upsets.
I’d give this to my niece who’s expecting her first baby in a couple of weeks time
My family
this would be for myself and it would come in very handy – thanks.
one of my friends x
The bundle would be for my daughter and granddaughter.
For my niece
Ideal for my daughter and new granddaughter who is arriving in April
Brilliant idea for a giveaway – would be great for my new born grandson
This great bundle would be brilliant for my new born grandson – Thank you
It would come in really handy in our household at this scary moment in time