What is the minimum amount of supplies?

[Eruditia]

I don't want to jinx myself by starting to think about these things too early, but what in your experience are the minimums needed for basic supplies to keep a newborn happy, healthy and safe? (Sorry if this is repeating a thread that I should have found elsewhere on MDC--please feel free to redirect)

I'm planning on breastfeeding and cloth diapering. I've read somewhere that a baby goes through 10-12 changes in a 24 hour period--does that seem right? That would mean a person needs at least a 2 day supply and would need to run a load at least every day.

What about clothing? Are simple onesies the ticket for newborns? I'm assuming little heads, hands and feet should be kept warm too, but how fancy do you guys get with other items?

And clearly a sling is a good thing, but are there other major items? We're not currently planning on co-sleeping, although we're still doing research and may change our minds. If we don't co-sleep, what are the best sleeping options for a newborn?

The idea of walking into a baby store gives me INTENSE anxiety. I am so inexperienced that I can see myself getting talked into all kinds of unnecessary junk and forgetting the most important things. Guess I'm looking for a reality check here!

Thanks!

[Larissa]

I am thinking about doing cloth diapering for this one, although I didn't do it with my first. So, I can't help you there.

But the things that I needed with my newborn were lots and lots of the one piece footed sleepers. He spent most of his time in those sleepers for the first several weeks. And I used alot of blankets. You will probably get lots of blankets as gifts. Some babywash, lotion, gas drops, diaper rash cream....and that was about it. I also breastfed, so didn't have to be concerned with bottles or formula.

As far as sleeping options. I kept Martin in the bed with me until he was 10 weeks old, and then switched him to his bed. I think co-sleeping is a wonderful idea. I was unable to get any sleep with him next to me, so I finally put him in his crib...and he and I both slept better.
This time I plan on having the baby either next to me in bed for the first several weeks, or right next to me in a bassinet. I will figure all of that out once the baby comes home.

[ladymadelon]

my ideas:

cloth diapers...about 2-3 dozen, but try to find good used ones or use prefolds, because baby will grow quickly out of the newborn sizes. Best thing I ever did was borrow my newborn diaper stash from another cd'ing mom.

clothing...I like the gowns with the elastic at the bottom...trying to get feet and legs that want to curl up back into the legs of sleepers was too much for me. you'll get plenty of "cute" outfits as gifts, so skip those. Lots of blankets of different weights: some cotton, some fleece and a couple of knitted/crocheted. Some people like hats, but my babies heads shed hats like cat sheds fur. But this time, I will make a greater effort to have a few for going out, since this is my first winter baby. Lots of socks. Burp cloths, small washclothes.

CAR SEAT!! make sure it fits in your car, most stores will let you take the model outside and test it.

a sling, or two. a bouncy seat came in handy when I needed to put baby down for a few minutes (shower, cooking, etc). As far as sleeping, we co-sleep at night, but baby usually naps in (at first) a bassinet, then a pack and play. Some babies like swings and I know that some moms abhor them, but when I wanted to have a few minutes to eat or whatever, it was a great way to keep baby occupied.

SKIP: fancy toys, scented products, clothes that fasten in the back, shoes, fancy bedding.

My final advice is to buy whatever you can at consignment stores, etc. Except the car seat, that should be new. Save your money for when baby needs new shoes every two months! Borrow things like a bassinet, bouncy seat, and swing.

HTH!

[nannymom]

I am new at this to (and I totally know what you mean about not wanting to jinx yourself. Everytime I buy something I feel like I am setting my self up for a loss. It is totally irational, I know!) but I have some experience since I nanny and have a neice and a nephew.

I agree with what everyone said about lots of sleepers and not buying anything that snaps in the back. I have ahd lots of luck at yard sales finding comfortable one peice outfits and I even found a fleece snow suit for any trips out side in those early weeks. I also think tiny socks or even old fashioned booties are good idea if you live some where really cold.

We plan to cloth diaper and fortunatly my sister is a cloth diapering fanatic and is holding on to all of her supplies for me. There is a diapering board here at MDC and I am sure if you went there and posted that you needed help getting started the moms there would be happy to advice you.

As for hardware we plan on using a sling (although I am having a hard time chooseing one) and we also plan to use a swing b/c I also like to ocasionally put babies down and you know eat or what ever. we are planning to co-sleep but are still going to buy a crib or at least a pack and play just incase the baby is willing or perfers to nap alone. I also think i am going to buy a moses basket since I will be bringing the baby to work with me part time and he/she will neeed a place to sleep while we're here.

Good luck.

[MountainLovinMama]

I'm looking for cloth diapering advice too - we did not cd with #1 (or not much, anyway), but I am committed to cding with this one.

As far as sleeping, we used a Moses basket right next to our bed for the first few months, and that worked really well - she was right there, an arms reach away for nursing and cuddling. Co-sleeping in the same bed did not work well for us - and still doesn't. I always get romantic ideas about it, but dd likes to sleep sideways to us, and has always kicked her way through the night!

The basics - dd liked to be swaddled, so we used lots of blankets and onesies underneath when she was tiny. With a Dec baby, especially if you live in a cooler environ, I would recommend a fleece cover for the carseat - we used that all the time with dd. It fits in the carseat and zips up to cover the baby, and can be zipped open or off if you are in a warmer room or environment. So, if baby falls asleep in transit, you do not have to disturb him/her to layer up or down, or to get him/her in or out of the carseat. I am not advocating sticking the baby in a carseat and leaving him/her there, but if you have to drive (I took dd to work with me, and with #2 will be carpooling to drive the older sibling to preschool), it is nice to let baby sleep without having to move/layer/disturb him/her.

As far as the sling, we loved our bjorn when she was tiny (comfy, easy to nurse in - I wore her all the time, with a jacket over both of us when we were outside), then moved to a hip hammock when she got bigger and could sit up on her own. We still use it from time to time - and dd is 32 lbs!

[Kerlowyn]

I am the ultimate minimalist when it comes to infants :LOL for DS#2 I had:

36 infant prefolds and 10 newborn Prowraps (these will last until 6-10 weeks then you have to go up to the next size)
24 cloth wipes
squirt bottle for diaper wipe solution

12-15 Onesies
7-8 open bottomed gowns
7-8 one piece sleepers
2-3 'outfits'

4-5 swaddling/receiving blankets
a baby chair
carseat
DH built a co-sleeper

I bought it all second hand from resale/thrift shops. It was all I needed for the first 6-8 weeks. I bought additional things as I needed them, instead of buying things I thought I would need and then not use. Eventually I bought the next size up diapers and a swing, used. We got a porta-crib as a gift from DH's work and we never used it. We also bought a Kelty Kangaroo Baby carrier and loved that!

I did pick up baby toys here and there too...

[supervee]

I can add: bulb syringe for snuffly winter noses and nail clippers. And a boppy pillow; great for those 24-hour nursing sessions. Flannel blankets are very handy, can't really have too many. Depending on how drafty your house is, a few indoor hats for the winter months.

[taradt]

we are minimalists too

for cloth diapers i decided to go with one size ones, sure it makes for humpty dumpty butt in the beginning but i have been using the same diapers for 26 months and they still look great. i did get a few prefolds for emergency (didn't get to the wash ect...) and a few "cute fun" ones

i agree with the boppy a friend made me one and it was my best friend for 6 months...

we had a chair i could put the little one in, but it wasn't used much. i have a whole horde of slings/carriers (we all have our addiction ;-p) and plan on mostly using a wrap carrier and a fleece pouch with the new one in the beginning. we co sleep so i can't help yo uwith that, we borrowed a moses basket with our first and she hated it, wanted to be with mama (who can blame her)

for clothes i like the cloth sleeping bags for night and for a winter baby i am looking into one piece footed things. i never used the onsie shirts with my daughter but probably will with a winter baby. i have a few cuter outfits from when my daughter was little that we used for going out, but then she was a spring baby and we were out all the time.

i agree with getting things consignment, i do that for almost everything, except for diapers and carseats.

i could never get that bulb syringe thing to work, i will have to ask more questions when baby gets here this time ;-p

tara