5 Ways To Survive The Hurricane Season as a New Mom

During last week, a few islands in the Caribbean were ravaged by Major Hurricane Beryl!
The south coast of our beautiful island, Jamaica suffered greatly. The extent of the damage was immeasurable and I know we all need to chip in to help our neighbours.

This Go Fund me link was set up by Gabrielle Johnson:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-rebuild-stelizabeth-jamaica

She has been collecting donations through the link above, to assist the residents of St. Elizabeth who were severely affected by Hurricane Beryl.

Please consider donating if you are able, it will be closed on July 22nd.
If you are unable to help financially, you can donate clothes, food, or anything at all.
As Mother Teresa said, Find your own Calcutta. This is it, helping our very own people.
Suffering is everywhere around us, we need not look far to see it.

As the 2024 Hurricane Season began with a bang, I thought this topic to be rather fitting.
Today, we’ll go through 5 ways to survive the Hurricane season as a new mom.

1. Battery operated Fans
2. Thermos
3. Mosquito Repellant /mosquito net
4. Light ( LED lights )
5. Prayer

Battery Operated Fans

This is 1st on the list because it is an absolute must have due to THE HEAT. This is no joke on our island and without a fan, dog nyam yuh supper , that’s a little Jamaica patois for my readers who are unfamilar. It means we should take care to preserve what we have so we don’t lose it.

I recently found out that the brand Windy makes battery operated fans and the cost was about 3,000 Jamaican dollars, approximately $15  USD which can be found in our local pharmacies here in Kingston. They are also available on amazon if you choose to go that route.
Bottom line is, a fan is absolutely essential for you and your baby if there is a power  outage during a hurricane.

Thermos

These days, not everyone may have a gas stove, so if the power goes out, there might not be hot water available to make your sweet babe some delicious formula. If you exclusively breastfeed then you need not worry about this.
However, if you have a baby who is formula fed then you’ll need a good thermos. I would recommend those old ones- you know, the ones your grandmother used. I find those are the best. We got one the other day and let me tell you, the water stayed hot for maybe 2 days.

Mosquito Repellant / Mosquito Nets

Here in Jamaica, where mosquito borne illnesses are endemic, this is also another one to pay keen attention.
Mosquito Repellants are necessary to keep those pesky buggers away from your infant and therefore prevents spread of these illnesses. Dengue in particular deserves special mention because it is responsible for numerous paediatric admissions and can be quite serious.
Prevention is better than cure as they say.
So to prevent, I recommend this repellant called Island Aromatics made here in Jamaica with all natural ingredients. It smells great, gentle on babies skin and is affordable ($600 JMD , and it is half the price of the American brands eg Off).

LED lights

This is a wonderful alternative to a candle. No need to worry about starting a fire, that is always a plus!
These ones I found on amazon are quite nice and have great reviews.
Here’s the link: http://Under Cabinet Lighting, LED Motion Sensor Light Indoor, 2200mAh USB Rechargeable Closet Lights Battery Operated, Stick On Magnetic Wireless Dimmable Under Counter Lights for Kitchen Stair, 2 Pack https://a.co/d/08Fps2HU

I’m sure they are sold here in Jamaica too so you can always shop at your local electrical store to see what is available. If you know somewhere, drop it in the comments below please.

Keep Calm and Pray

St. Francis De Sales teaches thats Anxiety is the greatest evil that can befall a soul except sin. God commands you to pray, but He forbids you to worry.”
They are so many teachings on worrying, yet still it is almost like it’s second nature. Like a Primal Instinct, for me at least.

Nowadays, I don’t worry as much and I give praises to God for his grace in giving me a change in the way I think.

A quick storytime for today, so during the time of my dad’s illness, I would worry a lot so one day my husband asked me a question. It was strange question given the mood at the time. I can’t remember exactly but maybe it was: how many children do you think we will end up having?

Haha! I laugh just thinking back.

Anyway my response was… John, how am I suppose to know that?
And then he said… exactly.
The point is we can’t see into the future so it doesn’t make sense to worry. As the saying goes, it gives you something to do but takes you nowhere.

Also, fear and trust can’t occupy the same space so choose to Trust in God.

Whatever he wills for our lives is what is best.

Summing it up

This is the first Hurricance we’ve experienced as an adult, and with two kids at that. Things have changed, drastically.
Some of you may be in the same boat as well, so I hope these tips help you.  Especially the first and last one!

As always, Thank you So Much for reading!
I really do appreciate you spending the time to read these blog posts.
If it did add some value to your life, consider sharing it with a mom you know or friend.

Great news today:
Our lil’ shop is NOW OPEN with its first item so head on over and check it out!

Talk soon,

Abby