"I am having a baby soon, and I am wondering from all you moms out there, what things do I really need. I find it hard to take things I read or hear from magazines and things like that seriously. What equipment could you have not done it without. How many onsies/sleepers of each size did you really use. How many bottles. ect. Thanks mommys :)"
Jill
31 comments:
I wouldn't recommend you go overboard on the newborn sized clothes, unless small babies run in your family, my kids didn't even fit into some of the sleepers i had, they were too tall. And they grow very fast in the beginning, so if you get too many, you might not be able to wear them all on your baby. Do you know what you're having?
All you REALLY need are a set of boobs, somewhere for baby to sleep, some diapers and some clothes and blankets...what is going to make your life more convenient is another story ;)
A good collection of receiving blankets I can't say enough on...they are great for swaddling baby, use as a burp cloth, change pad, peek a boo toy, you name it...and the way they can spit up, you can't have enough! I breastfed so I can't touch on the bottles and how many you'll need but seeing what my friends went through, it looked like a lot! Diapers...I would probably start off with one pack of newborn and one pack of size 1 because you don't know what size is going to fit them and for how long. Wipes are a must and and they double for lots of things too. Clothes...a few sleepers and onesies and some socks in 0-3 months to start as well as a couple of hats. I wouldn't get too much clothing because you're likely going to be given TONS! One other thing that I always give in baby gifts is a bottle of gripe water. This stuff should be named nectar of the Gods, I swear! It's an herbal remedy (baking soda and dill...but make sure you get the alcohol free kind) that is a cure all for gas and hiccups. Worked wonders!
Some other little things you might want to have on hand are a head to toe baby wash, face cloths (we didn't bother with "baby towels"...a regular one was just fine), and some lotion and some zinc cream or vasaline for baby's bum.
Cabbage leaves are also great for engorgement (which you will probably get even if you don't breastfeed). Keep them in your fridge and strip one off and stick it in your bra to relieve pain. They're perfectly shaped ;)
Then of course you need a car seat, but that's kind of a given since they won't let you take baby home otherwise! And my new favorite thing is a sling. I just got one for this baby and I can't wait to use it! Going to make my life a lot easier!!!
My biggest necessity was receiving blankets!! Tons and tons and tons of them! I went through probably 20 a day! No joke, my son spit up alll the time. Or pooped out the back of his diaper and onto the blankie he would be swaddled in! My son never used newborn diapers or clothing in that size! But he was big! 10lb10oz. He was born right into 3 month size and size one diapers. Also about bottles, are you not planning on breastfeeding? Breastfeeding is the best milk! So convenient too! No mixing or heating or sterilizing, NOTHING! It may get awful frusterating the first few weeks and you will probably get very discouraged, but by the time you are past the 2/3 week mark you are in the clear and you and baby will most likely have a routine! There is a lot of support for breastfeeding mothers these days! Or ask someone to be your support go-to gal! Someone who has done it before obviously!
I would stock up on onesies in size 3 months! Even if they are a little too big at first, at least they won't be too small! And you can use them for a little while!
Well when Noash was new I always had at least 8-10 onsies... Wore them on him constantly so that way if he or she gets hot. You always have a backup to take shirt off and just wear onsie. I breastfed so didnt use bottle. Now one thing i didnt use much is recieving blankets... Everyont told me to get a wack of them but i didnt use. They are good for babys who spit up alot so I would at least have 5-6 on hands at all times. Sleepers at first are not always the prettiest ad cuttest but most comfortabler since they are still always crunched up and we want those little guys confortable since they just came out of most comfortable place ever!!! Well, I hope this helps from one mom to the other... Good luck.
Ohh yes!! The sling! I had a snugabye cradle carrier which also could be used for baby to face forwards out from your chest, or snuggle into your chest. One of the best inventions ever! Also, when my babe was four months I started using an excersaucer! They are a great relief for sore arms and a lot of babies love it! You don't have to buy baby gear brand new! There are always things in classifieds, or friends may want to lend out! As long as gear was made after a certain year and no broken parts!
You should have a swing.Sleepers that loo like nighties ( not bottoms to them ) are great. Easy to change diapers. I have alot of them.Diaper Caddie ( Toy R Us) you put it on the side of your changing table. Holds Wipes, diapers, lotions. LOVE mine.Just some advice, when you take your baby home, don't wake them up to eat every 2-3 hours. Let baby sleep. He/she will wake up when hungry.Bad habbit to get into. Don't let baby "play" in the crib, for sleep only. It may confuse your baby and you might have a hard time getting baby to sleep. A friend of mine did that and now her baby will not sleep in the crib.Goodluck. When you go into labour, Laughing gas is great.I laughted through all my contractions.Never felt a thing.
ok you guys are making me want to ask so many questions, and i cannot beleve the fast replies!!
Ask away Jill!!
I did :)
I will not be breastfeeding. I think that I was 7 pounds when I was born and the babies (not sure boy or girl) dad was 9 I think. Soooo, are those big babies? I must sound so clueless to you all.
OK, Somewhere to sleep, did you people use basinettes or cribs?
We co-slept with our first for almost 2 months and then switched him to a crib. This time around, we have a bassinet but whether that gets used or not remains to be seen.
I used a bassinet for both of my kids for a couple months but if you don't have a lot of money to dish out for both a crib (which you will need eventually) and a bassinet, then I'm sure you could make the crib plenty cozy for your new baby. Some people opt to have the baby sleep in with mom and dad too :)
well to be honest with you all, I really don't have a whole lot of money for a whole lot of stuff, and that's why I asked what is absolutly-cant-live-with-out baby stuff.
so you people didnt use swings... or mobiles..... and all that other stuff, that you "MUST HAVE"
I used a swing. But I think it is something you can live without. I did not use mobiles however, and I don't think it really affected the way my kids went to sleep :) So I would say you can probably leave those items off your list :)
what about baby powder?
I didn't have a swing and we survived just fine. :) We had a mobile only because it was a gift, but it didn't make any difference what so ever.
Your necessities are going to be what you need to meet baby's basic needs which is feeding, warmth, comfort and safety...so whatever you need to feed baby with, some clothes and diapers, blankets, something to sleep in and something to wash with. Everything else is pretty much frivilous or convenience items.
Baby powder you absolutely do not need and if you have a girl, it's actually not recommended to use baby powder (especially any kind containing talc). Talc has been linked to ovarian cancer and powder use in newborn girls has been linked to causing yeast infections.
If you're short on cash, check out some yard sales! You can find all sorts of things at them from baby clothes to baby gear for a really decent price.
I had a swing, but it was a luxury, and I was having to buy new batteries every once in awhile.. and that gets costly. Never used a mobile..
Baby powder is good to have, especially to help keep their lil bum dry from moisture, but it's just temporary, and you can always use a towel to completely dry them.. not a necessity. They also say baby powder can be dangerous if a babe breathes a cloud of it into their lil lungs. Head to Toe Baby Wash is good though. They don't need actual shampoo for a long while! Vaseline is great to have and Zinc too!! I found that the cheaper brands worked just the same. Except Sudocream is realllly really good. And Penaten too. But that is useful if your baby has a bad problem with bum rashes and redness. Regular zinc cream will work just fine if no problems.
I did not breastfeed, so I'd recommend getting 8-10 bottles. I used the playtex bottles which are great. Eventually your baby will be up to 8 bottles a day or so, and to have a couple extra is a good thing (incase you forget to wash them which we always did).
I can't say enough about receiving blankets either, get tons. I actually got a lot from yardsales. I had a lot of onesies as well, and the swing for us was a huge necessity!
ok I will get 10 bottles just to be safe. how many onsises, should I get, and blakies etc. I am lookin for numbers so know.
Fisher Price makes a new swing, that PLUGS IN!! YAY!! It's pretty cute too.
I'd get like 10 onesies and 10 sleepers in newborn (0-3) size that way you've got enough to do you for a couple of days. I'd also go with like 10 receiving blankets at least. Remember though that while you are going to try and be prepared, you are going to be bombarded with gifts and hand-me-downs which are GREAT! When are you due? Have you had a baby shower yet?
I dont have a lot of family around me so I don't thikn I will get a whole lot for free. I am due in 3 months so i want to make sure i have everything i need by then. so, hooded towls I am wondering about too.
Hooded towels aren't necessary. A regular towel will work just fine as long as you don't rub baby too hard.
You really should check out the yardsales then! In 3 months you should be able to get a lot of stuff if you shop around. Second hand stores are also great for baby clothes and Value Village should open soon and they probably carry some baby stuff.
I wanted to mention too...if you're going to formula feed you should sign up for some free samples and coupons. The only one I know of right off hand is this site http://www.nestle-baby.ca/en/register/index because I signed up to get the free bag ;)
Why aren't you going to breastfeed? I see that money is an issue and breastmilk is totally free!!!!
yes i have signed up for those already, they are listed right on this site eh? lol
i don't know WHy i dont want to, i guess i just dont lol.
Have you done any reading on it? It's really rewarding and the best possible nutrition for your baby...not to mention convenient and free. I'd suggest at least giving it a try for the first few weeks. Even a little breastmilk is better than none.
Like everyone said you dont NEED much. Diapers, blankets, place to sleep, car seat and a couple PJs.
The only things I suggest buying new would be the crib and car seat. The rest you can get in yard sales and from ads. In 3 months you have a ton of time to get everything you need, especially with yard sale season right here (if it stops raining).
I got a swing for $30, it had already gone through at least 2 kids, its not hard on batteries somehow (maybe because its older??) and since my son has gone through 2 more babies and works just fine!
I was actually unable to breastfeed and people made me feel really badly for it. Try not to let that happen to you.
We did pretty well with 8 of the big bottles (the tall ones) a day, but if you can get a deal, snag a few of the little ones too, because baby won't eat a big one at first.
We used to make up all our formula for the next day before we went to bed at night and then we were prepared for the next day. Getting into a routine really helped us get through those first few months.
Also, they make you bring in your own diapers, but really all you need is one pack of newborn diapers because your baby will probably grow out of them before that. Our baby was 10lbs7oz so she really didn't use them anyway...
Things we used a lot were receiving blankets because you can use them for anything and a snuggly if you can get your hands on one. That let us hold baby while we did other stuff with our hands, but its a luxury that we couldn't even afford until well after our daughter was born.
Don't worry too much about baby toys or anything because baby can't see past their nose to being with!
My essentials list would be: 1 pack of diapers (you'll be able to get more after their born and if you get a size that's too small, it will just be a waste of money...), 8-10 bottles (and a bottle brush), some kind of baby soap - the "all body ones" are great, but you can pick up the "baby's own" soap at the dollarama... - a few cans of formula if you're not breastfeeding, 10-20 receiving blankets (because if you don't have a washer or have to use coin op, you can go through these really quickly) and a week or so worth of sleepers.
As for everything else, its all "extras". While wipes are nice, as long as you clean your cloths really well (or have a few 'yucky' ones for bums and other nice ones for faces) you'll be ok. Cribs aren't even required because for the first little while baby can sleep with mom and dad if you need to (we felt better about that at first and our baby seemed to sleep much better even though we had a crib...)Heh, when *I* was a baby, my mom and dad had me in a drawer... Yeah, we were pretty poor back then... :)
Also, a box of q-tips to clean off their belly buttons, but a box will do you for like the rest of your life :) They're also at the dollarama...
Wow, that was long... hope it helps!
Yes everything is helpful to me, thank you all!
We were blessed with a huge giving family so we didn't really buy anything for ourselves but we at least have two of everything ...Things i found most necessary other then the obvious (food, clothes,receiving blankets, etc)was a swing since Summer wouldn't not sit in anything else for more then 2 mins (and it gave me a few minutes to myself), and a front baby carrier was a life saver for me , as Summer was what we called a "cubble bug" and never wanted to be put down so I could carry her around the house to do chores and use it to go grocery shopping etc. . Another thing I really liked was a car seat cover so that she didn't have to wear any huge coats or anything and it kept her nice cuddly warm in the car ... Other then that we had everything but nothing else really got much use (oh especially bibs i got hundreds of them , and only used about two the whole time , rather just use receiving blankets other then at home ..)
The comment "I was actually unable to breastfeed and people made me feel really badly for it. Try not to let that happen to you"
Was the exact same for me! I had a horrible time recovering from my c-section and I could not even hold my daughter. I breastfed for about 3 days in the hospital and had to give it up. People made me feel like a bad mother. Honestly I think it's up to the person, I know they say that breast milk is the best for your child, but my daughter is just as perfect as another child who was breastfed!
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