What do we NEED?

[MissMorgan]

I am so confused and more to the point overwhelmed with what we need and don't need for our first baby. I'm sure my needs will differ from other's but I just feel clueless right now!
Okay so here's the deal - we plan on exclusively breast feeding, practicing natural infant hygiene (elimination communication), co-sleeping, baby wearing and I work from home...
I'm trying to come up with some sort of list but I just can't think! So experienced mamas.. What do we actually NEED?
So far I have on my list:
-clothes (duh, but what clothes... and I know I wont have to worry much since everyone wants to buy clothes for babies. I'm thinking shirts, not onesies, socks and legwarmers.. what else?)
-baby carrier (thinking sleepy wrap, moby, ergo?)
-breast pads of some sort, nursing tanks, nursing bras.
-car seat
-prefold diapers
-baby bjorn little potty
-wool puddle pad
-moses basket (naps? necessary?)

....and after that my brain just sort of shuts down. (I have a serious case of the baby brain!)
Thanks ladies! I find you are all so much help already and I feel so lucky to have found MDC!

[kimkim]

there's a pretty helpful thread that happened early on in this DDC that i thought was helpful. it's here: http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1187899
My big question is how much of each kind of clothes is the minimum? i hope to not do laundry every day...but i have no idea how many changes of clothes babies go through in each stage (nb/3/6/9 mo sizes) i have no idea what/how much to ask for in regards to clothes.
i'm not familiar with a moses basket. is it highly recommended? i'm trying to be simplistic in our purchases as well.

[onemomma]

The number of outfits needed is hard to predict. I have barfers. We go through a LOT of clothes and urp cloths. A lot. I'd plan for 3 outfits/day on the low side... with diaper blow outs and baby puke, that number can be much much higher.

[BlackSheepPDX]

Originally Posted by MissMorgan

So far I have on my list:
-clothes (duh, but what clothes... and I know I wont have to worry much since everyone wants to buy clothes for babies. I'm thinking shirts, not onesies, socks and legwarmers.. what else?)
-baby carrier (thinking sleepy wrap, moby, ergo?)
-breast pads of some sort, nursing tanks, nursing bras.
-car seat
-prefold diapers
-baby bjorn little potty
-wool puddle pad
-moses basket (naps? necessary?)

Here are my thoughts, coming from a very similar approach.

For clothes, I liked onesies or those long nightgown things, and legwarmers if you needed extra warmth. Those combinations seem easiest to access for the frequent on offs of EC (and cloth diapers). I liked onesies because they helped keep the covers contained, especially as DD discovered her hands. We weren't 100% EC, using prefolds with covers as "backup," which is good to consider as EC can get a little overwhelming at times, and it's good to be able to give yourself a break, especially overnight. The whole EC discussion is a great separate one though...I'm a total believer. We started at 4 months with my DD and will start earlier with this kid, but still won't be attempting "full-time" as I don't think it's necessary for success, and I have limited resources to give and maintain my sanity. Also, I made cloth wipes out of double layers of cut up old t-shirts which were GREAT, and I'm making more soon, as we use them for SO much around the house even now.

Babywearing: I have two Moby's, which were priceless. DH and I wore DD a TON, particularly because she wasn't having it with being put down to sleep by herself almost at all. Moby is very one size fits all, and super snuggly for baby. We had a cradle which we barely used due to DD's sleep preferences and a crib which also barely got used for a long time. I'm curious about a moses basket, but it would have a limited lifespan as baby starts to move/roll. We also have an Ergo, which we STILL use, with DD at 35 pounds. I got fabric and made non-stretchy wraps for doing back carries once DD hit about 6 months and 18/20 pounds, when she was too much to carry in the front for long and the Moby didn't feel secure for back carry.

One item we got a ton of use out of was one of those play gym floor mat dealies. Things to grab/look at, and a good thing to even bring along to other people's houses to have a clean, baby appropriate spot to park her.

Those are the few things that come to mind for the early months.

[MJB]

That sounds like pretty much everything you'll *need*. You need some sort of diaper pail or bag to put the dirty diapers in at home and a smaller wet bag for when you go out.
As far as clothes, my boys didn't puke often so 1-2 outfits a day was fine, but some others over on the July board have said they go through many changes of clothes a day. I'm planning to have 5 tank tops, a couple skirts/shorts (1-2 of each), 3-4 gowns, a few dresses, and a swimsuit. If it is unseasonably cold (in KY in July/August, unlikely) we have pants/sweaters from my winter babies. I wasn't planning on socks or hats since it'll be hot out, although we have plenty of baby legs if she needs them (still in use by my big boys). The newborn size isn't something my kids can wear-- they are in 0-3 months from birth until 1-2 months. Oh, and don't forget sun hats!
For baby carriers, you won't be able to use the Ergo right away. I personally am not a wrap person, and like to use a pouch for the newborn period (like a Hotsling or Peanut Shell) and a mei tai once they hit 6-8 weeks. Even if I was a wrap girl, it just wouldn't be feasible in 90 degree weather!
We have a Moses basket that I used some with my oldest, rarely with my second, and probably will not use this time. We're planning to use a Montessori bed in our room for her, which is where she will nap (she'll sleep with us most of the time). I used the Moses basket in place of a baby bucket with my first-- in restaurants and so forth-- but with my second I was better at babywearing and just kept him in the sling when we were out.
For bathing are you planning on taking the baby in with you? If not, you should get a baby bathtub. We also have a mesh sling we used to shower with my last babe.

[franjapany]

okay, here is one thing I never thought of before DS was here:

Breastfeeding friendly clothes! It's not too hard in summer, but it never occurred to me beforehand that I would stop wearing loads of the stuff I had, because it just didn't have easy breast access. I never was a big fan of 'pulling up', so I started looking for tops that had wide necks, were super elastic etc. Lots of cute stuff I had I didn't wear anymore, bc it was just such a pain to get to the source

just some food for thought looking at things from the mama angle.

[JamieFay]

I agree that your list sounds like everything you'll need. I don't do EC, so I can't comment on what might work well for that, but I do suggest having LOTS of cloth wipes (made out of whatever materials you prefer) because they are great for everything. Or, buy a BUNCH of newborn prefolds. Again, you can use them for everything.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my moby wrap. Especially for newborns. You can keep them all snuggled up to your chest and they feel so secure. I recommend getting a light colored one, especially since it's going to be summer time. I bought a black one (b/c I'm a black kind of girl) and it got a bit hot in the sun even in September and also showed things like drool a lot. I personally hate pocket slings. I think a moby wrap and maybe a ring sling are a great combination. I know people who hate those and swear by the pockets, so I think you may have to play around. Word of warning, the moby wrap takes a little getting used to, but is well worth the effort.

As far as changing clothes, it depends. I think it's safe to have enough basics for 2-3 outfit changes a day, just to be safe, if you don't want to be doing laundry a lot. I also have to say that gowns are great for newborns, ime. My babies all liked to keep their legs together and feel the skin on skin, plus it made diaper changes so much easier (and would probably be easy with EC, too?)

For sleeping, the only thing I ever used is a flat co-sleeper that just basically was a mat with hard sides to give baby a defined sleeping area while in bed with two adults. I only used that for DS2, though. All other babies slept in my arms or a bassinet at the side of the bed (which got hardly any use). For naps around the house, my little one always slept on a bed that I made on the couch (of course, under supervision) or a swing that we got with DS1. It doesn't acutally work (swing) anymore, but most of my kids enjoyed the way it held them, so we'd use it for naps during the day. I wore DS2 a lot in my moby wrap, also.

For BF, A nursing bra is important in the beginning but I NEVER bought nursing clothes. I always wore 2 layers, a tight fitting, low cut tank top under a loose, lightweight shirt. The top layers goes up, the bottom layer goes down. Covers all skin and the shirt on top covers most of your breast if you're modest about nursing in public, too. A manual breastpump may or may not be helpful for a first time nurser (it was for me, but I had a exceptionally difficult time establishing a BF relationship with my oldest).

It's amazing how LITTLE you actually need.

[limette]

[/QUOTE]

It's going to vary. I had a baby in December and one in April and this is what I used.

From your list:

-clothes (duh, but what clothes... and I know I wont have to worry much since everyone wants to buy clothes for babies. I'm thinking shirts, not onesies, socks and legwarmers.. what else?) We did onesies and sleepers. Socks don't stay on, still don't get the point of legwarmers...
-baby carrier (thinking sleepy wrap, moby, ergo?) I made a ring sling, cost me $10, hardly ever used it though. If we went out either dh would carry them or we'd use (rarely) a stroller (gift).
-breast pads of some sort, nursing tanks, nursing bras. I made breast pads out of flannel, and bought a couple of nursing bras from Walmart, didn't bother with nursing clothes.
-car seat- definitely
-prefold diapers - I bought 24 prefolds (not newborn size) and 6 wraps. I had to go a size up at a year for dd1 and for dd2 she needs the next size up after that at the same age. We got lots of toddler size cloth diapers (AIO's) from Freecycle)
-baby bjorn little potty- whenever you need one
-wool puddle pad- ?
-moses basket (naps? necessary?) We got one handed down to us, but never used it. Naps were always on me.

You also need baby wipes if you are diapering. We just bought a pack of 24 baby washcloths. I keep a spray bottle by the change table to wet them. Diaper pail.

Change table if you're diapering. This is debatable. Ours is always used for diapering.

Really everything else is debatable. We didn't use burp cloths until dd2 who was a projectile vomiter. We did use soothers with dd2 as she also had silent reflux and sucking constantly kept it from bothering her.

Like I mentioned previously, we have a big stroller and rarely ever use it. Never used a thermometer for the kids or baby combs or the nasal aspirator.

We cosleep so no crib. We were gifted a swing but the kids never liked it.

I do want one of those baby bouncer chairs this time. I just think that with two kids and a baby I might have to put the baby down once in a while!

You really don't need much.

[dannic]

My list:

onesies
sleepers
sun hat
sling!!
dipes/wipes
carseat
light blankets (AC homes are cool on babes)
nursing bras
nursing cover up (I don't like to show off in front of teenage boys ,lol)

[BlackSheepPDX]

We did onesies and sleepers. Socks don't stay on, still don't get the point of legwarmers...[/QUOTE]

As far as I'm concerned, sleepers are a PITA. I hate having to get their legs completely in and out of their clothes every time we potty/diaper. Legwarmers plus onesie equals essentially the same coverage/warmth.

For cooler weather, there are some clever nursing tops, turtlenecks and long sleeves and such, with empire waist divides that pull up in the middle of the shirt to make access much easier. That over a nursing bra is GREAT. I think I got a few good ones from "motherwear.com."

A friend gave me a bunch of print flannel "blankets' that were lightweight and pretty and great for carrying around to toss over my shoulder if I needed more privacy nursing.

On the sling issue, yes, you should try out some different styles. Yes there is a little learning curve to get confident with the wrap/Moby styles, but I found the weight distribution to be SOOOOOOO superior to a one shoulder type style.

[MammaB21]

I think your list sounds good. I didn't need anything big last time and probably wont this time either. No crib or bassinet, no changing table, no swing, no highchair. I did have a stroller that we used for crowded places.

My list is:

-Cloth diaper stash.
-NB disposable dipes for first poops. (My first time with cloth so just in case)
-Baby wrap (probably moby. Used a sling last time and wasn't very pleased)
-Carseat (we're thinking of going straight into a convertable seat)
-Nursing pads and supplies for me.

I do the same tank top under a shirt trick. Pull up the outside, pull down the tank and the only thing exposed is what goes into babes mouth. It works great, especially when I'm not too eager to show off my PP belly pooch.

My baby clothes stash will be pretty simplistic. I'm gradually picking things up second hand. Mostly onesies, gowns, and romper type outfits. I like the ones that button up and around the legs so legs don't have to go in and out you just unsnap. Plus their cool for the hot weather and comfy for baby. I figure that is all I'll need at first. I can always get more if I need to after baby comes. I'm sure he'll spend most days in just a dipper since we don't have air conditioning.

[MonP'titBoudain]

Your list is good. I went through and commented where I had some thoughts, but I wouldn't add anything to it for the first few months. Eventually we used a booster seat with a tray that straps onto a dining room chair, but not til about 6 months, depending on the kid.

Originally Posted by MissMorgan

-clothes (duh, but what clothes... and I know I wont have to worry much since everyone wants to buy clothes for babies. I'm thinking shirts, not onesies, socks and legwarmers.. what else?)

We EC also and I have to say, baby nightgowns rock, especially for the newborn phase. T-shirts & kimonos are good too, but harder to come by. I chopped off the snaps of all my lo's onesies (we inherited gobs of them, plus theyr'e super cheap at garage sales). That's probably the cheapest way to go (modified onesies) cause you'll be given bnunches of them plus they're often a quarter at the thrift/garage sales. We use lot's of them, but with a summer baby, that's all they need for a while. Then, adding a sweater and some legwarmers will get you into cooler weather and hold you over til you have a clearer idea of how many clothes you'll inherit, how quickly your lo will grow, etc.

And legwarmers: if you sew at all there are a couple quick, very easy tutorials for modifying women's knee socks. This makes them ridiculously cheap. We used several pairs with EC. I was able to make 6 pairs for $14 and 30 minutes of time. Pretty worth while IMO!

Originally Posted by MissMorgan

-baby carrier (thinking sleepy wrap, moby, ergo?)

Love my Moby for the newborn phase, but it does get hot. Not sure how that will work in mid-August. Love the Ergo, too, but we don't really use it til closer to 5 months or so, depending on head control. Used a ring sling lot's with ds (#1), but almost not at all with dd (#2). Short story: get something that appeals to you, but maybe find a way to try several different kinds of carriers. It's a pretty individual sort of thing.

Originally Posted by MissMorgan

-breast pads of some sort, nursing tanks, nursing bras.
-car seat

On the car seat: someone mentioned just using a convertible. While this is appealing, newborns are safest in infant carriers. They are simply held better. We have borrowed infant carriers from trusted friends who weren't using theirs until our lo's have outgrown them. This happened at about 4 months with both kids: one in length, one in weight! Then we moved them into the convertible that they stay in for a loooooong time Ask around, see if there's anyone who maybe has their infant seat in storage!

Originally Posted by MissMorgan

-prefold diapers
-baby bjorn little potty
-wool puddle pad

From an EC perspective, we used all 36 of our infant prefolds a couple times a week in those first few weeks of learning and could have used more. We never used the larger sized prefolds and I'm planning on chopping many of them down this time around. We didn't use the bblp until dd was able to sit independently (around 4 months for her), but we did use a plastic bowl that someone brought a postpartum salad in! I didn't use a puddle pad at all, but plan on making one out of thrifted sweaters this time. We didn't do nighttime EC until much later, and I'd like to experiment with trying earlier this time and having more nakey butt time. You might want to wait on the puddle pad until you are past the adjustment period to see if you even want to do nighttime EC.

Originally Posted by MissMorgan

-moses basket (naps? necessary?)

Never had one. My newborns have mostly preferred to sleep in contact with me. Around 6-8 weeks, they were more comfortable falling asleep in or transferring to the Amby bed, but even then they mostly napped in the carrier and slept next to me at night. We also inherited an old school bouncy seat (no bells & whistles) that we used a lot for showers for me when the babies are a little older (3 months-ish?). I love our bouncy seat, but wouldn't ever use one unless it was devoid of blinky, noisy, vibrating crap, lol! And we've always bathed our babies in the kitchen sink. I hated the baby bathtub!

hth! You need very little. In my experience, it's best to have less than you think you'll need and fill the gaps as you discover a need. And if you want to talk more about ec specifically, feel free to ask!

[MJB]

Originally Posted by MonP'titBoudain

On the car seat: someone mentioned just using a convertible. While this is appealing, newborns are safest in infant carriers. They are simply held better. We have borrowed infant carriers from trusted friends who weren't using theirs until our lo's have outgrown them. This happened at about 4 months with both kids: one in length, one in weight! Then we moved them into the convertible that they stay in for a loooooong time Ask around, see if there's anyone who maybe has their infant seat in storage!

It's not at all true that newborns are safer in infant carriers. There are many convertibles that will fit an average sized newborn quite well. In addition, many convertibles have safety features that infant seats lack. Bottom line is any seat that fits the baby well is a very safe choice. I'm a carseat fanatic and my newbie will be in a tethered, rear-facing SK Radian XTSL convertible at birth (until about 4, when we have to turn her forward-facing in it). Preemies and low-birthweight babies are the exception to the rule, and there are certainly convertibles that are unsafe for a newborn (the Britax convertibles, the Safety 1st Complete Air) but many seats, including the Radian, the MyRide 65, and the TrueFit will all fit the majority of babies at birth and come with infant padding.

[MammaB21]

Originally Posted by MJB

It's not at all true that newborns are safer in infant carriers. There are many convertibles that will fit an average sized newborn quite well. In addition, many convertibles have safety features that infant seats lack. Bottom line is any seat that fits the baby well is a very safe choice. I'm a carseat fanatic and my newbie will be in a tethered, rear-facing SK Radian XTSL convertible at birth (until about 4, when we have to turn her forward-facing in it). Preemies and low-birthweight babies are the exception to the rule, and there are certainly convertibles that are unsafe for a newborn (the Britax convertibles, the Safety 1st Complete Air) but many seats, including the Radian, the MyRide 65, and the TrueFit will all fit the majority of babies at birth and come with infant padding.

I'm the one that mentioned the convertible. We're looking into a Radian as well. OP, you can check in the Family Safety section here for more info on car seats and their safety ratings. I got a lot of info there when trying to decide on a car seat for the new babe.

Mostly, I'd like to save money and resources by not having to buy multiple car seats for this babe. DD is on her 3rd seat in 4 years. Also, I don't like how heavy the seats are when carrying them in and out of a car.

ETA: If you do want to go with a bucket at first, borrowing is a good idea. Just make sure that the seat hasn't been in an accident and that it isn't already expired. In other words, it's something I'd only borrow from someone I really trusted and knew for certain the history of that seat.

[MonP'titBoudain]

Originally Posted by MJB

It's not at all true that newborns are safer in infant carriers. There are many convertibles that will fit an average sized newborn quite well. In addition, many convertibles have safety features that infant seats lack. Bottom line is any seat that fits the baby well is a very safe choice. I'm a carseat fanatic and my newbie will be in a tethered, rear-facing SK Radian XTSL convertible at birth (until about 4, when we have to turn her forward-facing in it). Preemies and low-birth weight babies are the exception to the rule, and there are certainly convertibles that are unsafe for a newborn (the Britax convertibles, the Safety 1st Complete Air) but many seats, including the Radian, the MyRide 65, and the TrueFit will all fit the majority of babies at birth and come with infant padding.

Thanks for clarifying that! Sorry to mislead! I must admit, my research is about 5 years old now (though, I think the last time I looked any of this up was two years ago??) At that time, it was strongly recommended to go ahead and get both. Most convertibles (then available) did not fit a newborn sufficiently to meet my standards... or many others on the Family Safety forum. But, like I said, my research is old. I haven't had to buy a carseat to fit a newborn in nearly 5 years and shouldn't this time (barring recalls I haven't read about). But, it's good to know there are other, better choices available now. I always hated the buying twice something that could be one purchase (which is why we shared with many folks)! Thanks again! (and I strongly second the recommendation to visit the Family Safety forum for this info, the folks over there are very knowledgeable... and current!)

[isras1]

Your list looks similar to mine, we are trying to minimalist. Its worth a try, right? Unfortunately, we do not have a washer and dryer, so cloth diapering isn't an option. Does anyone have experience with using gDiapers?

Originally Posted by MJB

For bathing are you planning on taking the baby in with you? If not, you should get a baby bathtub. We also have a mesh sling we used to shower with my last babe.

For bath time: I am planning on getting a baby bucket (there are several brands to choose from) and a mesh shower sling for later use.

Originally Posted by franjapany

okay, here is one thing I never thought of before DS was here:
Breastfeeding friendly clothes! It's not too hard in summer, but it never occurred to me beforehand that I would stop wearing loads of the stuff I had, because it just didn't have easy breast access. I never was a big fan of 'pulling up', so I started looking for tops that had wide necks, were super elastic etc.

I am loving the idea of the Milkshirt Breastfeeding tank top



Additional stuff on my list, includes:

Items for the Changing Table
(which will be on the top of babe's dresser, we built rails/walls on the top)
~ diapers: I am told to plan on using 70-90/week for the first 6 weeks, then 50/week, sound about right momma's?
~ alcohol-free disposable diaper wipes
~ diaper rash cream
~ waterproof pad for baby to lie on during changing


Bath Time
- baby bathtub (the bucket)
- shower mesh sling
- 4 terry cloth bath towels
- tearless shampoo
- baby soap
- brush and comb



Baby Medicine Cabinet
- teething rings
- bulb syringe nasal aspirator
- baby nail clippers
- Gripe water

[matey]

I dont know what I'll need. I dont have a any summery clothes that will fit her. I am hoping I have enough onesies. I had so many things that I thought DS needed when he was born, and then there were things I never used, things I never thought of. I figure I'll just wait and see what happens.

I did buy a second hand cloth wipe warmer. DS HATED cold wipes. I am set on diapers.

Oh, i want a salt rock light. I want it for my room for diaper changes. i dont know if it will be bright enough though.

I'm just babbling, sorry, it's been a rough week.

[MissMorgan]

Thanks everyone! Your lists and input are SO HELPFUL!
I think I'm going to take the Moses Basket off the list as we have a little bouncy seat that someone gifted me a while ago (I have that and 3 onesies - ha!)
The shower sling looks neat!
AND I just found out we will be having a shower thrown for us so who knows what other stuff we'll get (AHH!! We have NO house space as is.)

[Aka mommy]

Oh good, you got a bouncy seat. I was going to ask what you intended to do with baby while you took a shower. I know many wait until spouses/so's are home. But for me that was not doable and i had to have my morning showers. DD would sit quietly watching me in her bouncy seat as she loved the sound of the shower. A bouncy seat isn't a must have, but some babe's like them and it was a lifesaver for me.

Otherwise my must have list is:
Cloth diapers, gowns and onesies, sun hats, a sling, breastpads and a breastpump.

[BlackSheepPDX]

G-dipes: We used them for travel when laundry wasn't going to be an easy option. They're ok. I've never used a disposable diaper, so I have no comments on the comparison to that. As far as ease of use a couple of things: 1. They're not as flushable as you'd like. We stuffed several toilets. Tough on the plumbing with regular use. 2. They get dirty and need washing pretty frequently. It's usually confined to the little plastic snap in liner that holds the diaper itself, but even that part requires washing out and hanging up to dry, and gets kind of stained and weird with only hand washing. If you don't have a washer/dryer, you should know there is still a bit of dirty stuff to be washed with g-dipes.