What must haves will you have when your baby is born? - Page 2

[tzs]

Originally Posted by diana_of_the_dunes

A book, laptop, DVD player... Something to do while nursing what will feel like eternally. Even though I generally only nursed every 2 hrs, I felt like it was all I did. And it would take 20-30 minutes each time. I was BURNING through books and magazines.

oh yeah!!!!
we had a stint of cluster feeding every 30 minutes which would last until early afternoon. i watched so much people's court i should have gone to law school!

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Norasmomma

For sure, baby nail clippers are an essential, I can't bite their nails

I tried using baby clippers once. They suck! They're dull as a butter knife. Don't you know you're more likely to cut yourself with a dull knife than with a sharp one?? I just use my own clippers on him - my nice sharp ones. I physically can't bite them, so it was never an option.

My essentials list:
Boppy - I couldn't nurse without it.
Moby - he lived in this for the first 3 months.
Car seat
Diapers/wipes
And a number for a good IBCLC. Not LLL, not your MW, an IBCLC - ask around for a recommendation. It took me 6 weeks to find a good one, and by then the damage had been done (and was irreversible).
A good swaddling blanket - I like Aden & Anais. Those things designed for swaddling never worked for us, a simple blanket worked the best (but it has to be big enough, which most receiving blankets aren't).

Everything else is a bonus. Even most clothing is superfluous for the first week or two unless you're in a cold climate and are going outside. Being swaddled, held or worn will be plenty, and skin-to-skin is far preferable to clothing for keeping a baby warm.

[star*mora]

as you said - car seat

stretchy wrap - we loved the sleepy wrap
lots of receiving blankets
cloth wipes
30+- fitted dipes and 3 or 4 diaper covers for longer stretches
lots of sleepers
coconut oil or baby lotion of your choice
nursing pillow
we really didn't use much else other than sweaters and hats for cooler weather for ds2

and i kept closed captioning on for watching tv with no volume and nursing

[Shera971]

There are lots of great ideas here and I just wanted to highlight one important thing that I couldn't live without:

nipple cream (lansinoh)

It literally saved my breastfeeding relationship with DS1. At the beginning my nipples were so horribly cracked and bleeding that I was going to give up b/c I was in so much pain. But then a lovely nurse said "oh, here try this stuff" - pure heaven!

[1blueheron]

nak

lots of good suggestions, and i second those "mom care" items (good books, one-handed freezer food (think burritos!), pads, stool softener, ibuprofen).

also, our house is very cold in winter, so warm baby mittens and a space heater were important for us.

if family's chomping at the bit to get you stuff, i think the best thing they can do is amazon gift certs! that way you can fill in the gaps as you need to w/o having to leave home.

for me, more important than "stuff" was getting everything in the house organized - freezer stocked with homemade food, bills were set up on autopay, prepaid or had envelopes prepped, all cleaning and baby supplies right where they're needed (sometimes with duplicates in different rooms), addresses for thank you notes/birth announcements put into computer so i could print labels...that kind of thing.

[vulnerable]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama

ITA with tzs about carriers. I was coming in here to say that if you have any back problems at all, you might want to consider getting something other than a sling. Even with my tiny newborn (she was 6 lbs 3 oz at birth), a sling that only goes over one shoulder was killing my back after only a little while. I use a non-stretchy gauze wrap personally; have used it since Cecilia was teeny and still use it now at 3 months!

I cant agree anymore! My daughter was 5 pounds when I brought her home and it killed my back and shoulder. I have bad back problems as well and I think carrying her in a sling caused my back to get worse which required a spinal fusion. I found a wrap at a fair that was handmade and worked perfectly for a long time.

I would say a swing.. mine had colic and it was a lifesaver!

[N&M]

I second most of what's been posted, but here's a few things I couldn't have gotten through the first week w/o or wish I had in advance:

-Boppy (one of the few items I purchased in advance, and received a hand me down--so I had two. This was great b/c I had an bedroom boppy and a family room boppy. No need to carry it around, which was a blessing since my hands were full of baby!) I could not nurse well w/o the boppy for the first few months.

-Good-sized swaddling blankets, not receiving blankets. I used the Under the Nile organic cotton ones--even my MW commented on how generously sized they were. We survived just fine with 4 of these.

-Nasal bulb thingy-magiggy. Newborns get very frustrated when their nasal passages are even a little stuffy, which happened to our dd whenever she cried. So glad my aunt had included one in the little medical kit she put together for me (which is also a necessity).

-Diaper cream--I really like the Weleda one.

-Lansinoh--get a tube (not a huge one, just a small one for the beginning). I had one very sore nipple from day 1. My MW had given me a few sample packets that I was rationing waiting for my tube to arrive. Some people never use it, but it's one of those things that when you need it, you need it now!

-If you are in a cold climate, I highly recommend a zip-up fleece car seat cover. My car seat was a hand-me-down, which thankfully had been used for a winter baby the year before and was given to me with the fleece. I never even thought about that (I had a home birth), but was sure glad my good friend had!

-Also, if in cold climate, since you are expecting in January, some kind of warm bunting. I did not have any warm outdoor clothes for her, and was scrambling to order some after she arrived. Oh, and some soft, cotton hats, too, if it is cold.

-If cloth diapering, I second the wool covers rather than PUL. Just as effective, way more breathable.

-Some sort of sling/carrier. I agree, it is hard to know what will work for you before the baby is here. But I would recommend having something on hand, even if it turns out you learn you need a different one. My brother gave us his favorite sling, the New Native one, which we used b/c we had it on hand. While she/we didn't love it, it was better than nothing until our neighbor lent us her ring sling and we discovered she loved that.

[Knitting Mama]

As far as swaddling goes, Cecilia is still swaddled at night and for most naps. We use SwaddleMe swaddle blankets. They're awesome because they have Velcro and are basically foolproof. I could never get a very tight swaddle from just a blanket, and Madam Houdini Arms always got out of them ridiculously quickly. SwaddleMes have been lifesavers!

And for Boppys, yeah, I have a couple. One's the house Boppy, the other is the car Boppy so I have one with me when we go places!

[akind1]

Nail clippers, for me, were a no-go after I got DS once on the finger. Look for cuticle scissors in the nail section of any store, these are sharp, curved, and allow alot more control and you can see what you are doing. I find it far easier than clipping.

As far as carseats go: we have a convertible (Combi Cocorro) which the only negative thing I can say about it is that I don't like adjusting the strap height, which I have only just did recently, and DS is 7 months old. It has a really cushy infant insert and is good from 5 lbs +. We took DS home in it from the hospital, and he was 6 lbs 14 oz. We also have a bucket (read infant carrier sort of carseat) for DH's car. it is convienent for shopping trips and restaurants pre-high chair age. BUT we could have got along just fine without it. Fact of the matter is, we needed a 2nd carseat for DH's car, and it was on clearance at Target, so we got it. Now when #2 comes along (whenever that is), all we will need is a 2nd base for my car, and a convertible seat for DS for DH's car.

I love my moby wrap! it is great! though I have seen a brand outthere somewhere that doesn't require any tieing which is the same idea . . . and the Ergo for when baby is around 4 months+, though I am so tempted to get a Boba for when he is a bit bigger.

Muslin blankets (Aiden and Anais is the brand I have) - they work well for swaddling as they are lightweight and huge, light blankets in the summer, and if you NIP and want some discretion for latch on and off, they work well for that too.

I have a stack of flannel receiving blankets that I have never used, ditto crib sheets (still have on the one I put on there when we set up the crib) DS only sleeps in it for naps, mattress protectors, sheet savers, etc.

it is handy to have some sort of portable changing station

bouncy seat I didn't think I'd like, but we have used it a lot, the swing takes up too much space and is never used.

Arm's reach cosleeper we used until about DS's 7 month birthday. then we got a mesh rail for the bed, and he just sleeps with us.

As far as clothes go: we didn't have really any newborn stuff, as we thought DS would be bigger, so we started with 0-3. Turns out, that stuff was too big for nearly a month, so we bought and borrowed newborn things. It doesn't hurt to have a few on hand, if you don't use them, you can pass them down to some one else or consign them.

For you: nursing bras! I love Bravado Designs myself.

as far as the bottles go, you may want them eventually, even if you are a SAHM, it is nice to be able to go out longer than it takes between feedings, by yourself, or with your DH, at some point. That said, if you do SAH, you will want at least a manual pump, unless you are good at manual expression. I WOH 2 days a week, and a pump is a must have. It also helped with engorgement in the first week or so (I was so engorged, my nipples were flat, and the pump relieved the pressure and drew out my nipples enough for DS to latch)

so shortlist:

carseat
carrier
sleeper
clothes
diapers (cloth or sposies)
nursing bras
nursing pads
muslins
pump/bottles
bathwash (no tub, I just used the sink)
nail scissors
wipes (fabric or disposable)

Things you do not need: wipe warmers, baby monitors (though if you are in a big house, or will be on a separate floor from the baby, a video one might be handy), travel system, crib sets (at most you need sheets), I am sure there are tons of others, but it will come to you, once you have the baby, what is actually handy for you to have, and what is not.

for example, swings are lifesavers for many parents, but for us, a waste of space and money. I am glad we bought ours on Craigslist second hand. and the crib. If my dad hadn't built ours as a heirloom type piece, I would chuck it and just put a twin size bed in DS's room. shopping cart/high chair covers nice, but not necessary, and one more thing to lug around. High chairs . . .we don't have a dining table, so this seems pointless, but I can see where it is great for some. etc.

[jennybear]

Not sure if anyone else has recommended it, but keep lots of "feel good" stuff on hand for you. My mom bought me a couple of great yoga pants and tops and some really cuddly socks and it was heaven those first few weeks. I liked being able to be in super comfy clothes, but also felt more put together than being in jammies all day (something about taking a shower and getting dressed made me feel much more competent, lol).

Maybe treat yourself to some nice lotion so your partner can give you a foot rub while you're nursing the babe. Just pamper the heck out of yourself if you can!

And if people ask if they can help, tell them to bring FOOD! That was an amazing gift for the first few months. DH was off for three weeks but between the two of us we still couldn't quite manage cooking. Help with laundry and cleaning should also be accepted. Basically, if people ask what they can do, put them to work. Seriously.

And nursing tanks--Target's are great.

Something I had trouble remembering was that all of the stuff baby needs is readily accessible--it's not like you have to be fully stocked before he/she is here. I felt so much pressure to get everything before DD arrived when really, DH ended up popping out quite a bit to the store and it was no big deal. I would caution you to go minimal on the purchases until you know what you need/want. For instance, I stocked up on breast pads, Lanisoh cream, etc. and never needed any of it.

I just realized very little of this is addressing your actual question. Oops. Good luck--such an exciting time!

Oh, and for the babe: something to swaddle with. Aden & Anais blankets are the best.

[Yaliina]

NAK.

I agree with everybody- you don't need much. My 2nd is one week today.

I'm finding that the Boppy is my best friend- I actually use it as lumbar support turned around backwards, more than baby support (except right now, it allows me to type with 2 hands).

Lots of onesies (or jumpers, for babes born in winter) & socks and hats.

Dipes & wipes, of course.

Water bottle for you.

I do like my ArmsReach CoSleeper my mom got me after I told her I didn't think I'd need it. We use it as a changing table, storage, and safe place for babe so I can run to the bathroom when DH is otherwise occupied.

Carseat is obvious.

Camera.

Everything else is completely optional, IMO.