RE: Baby Needs (Full Version)

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cindybode -> RE: Baby Needs (6/5/2008 8:22:57 PM)

Please, please, please make sure you have a thermometer! I can't tell you how many parents call me on the advice line and then can't take the baby's temp when I ask them to. [&:]



Mrs.Wifey -> RE: Baby Needs (6/5/2008 8:32:46 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: purejoy

For me, a stroller is a need. Especially in the fall, I know we will be out and about so much. And/or a wrap. I'm hoping to get or make a Moby-type wrap, but I also have shoulder/neck/head issues, so I definitely want a stroller for longer amounts of time, too.


You might consider a Soft Structured Carrier, they place weight on your hips instead of on your shoulders and neck as much as some of the other carriers.

Our essentials-

A variety of baby carriers
Crib/pack n play
Stroller
Car seat
Bouncy seat
Nursing bras
Thermometer(although I already had one)
blankets and clothing



Mrs.X -> RE: Baby Needs (6/5/2008 8:34:04 PM)

I totally agree with Cindybode! THIS one is great because you won't put it up the baby's butt too far because it has a stopper.



Auben -> RE: Baby Needs (6/5/2008 8:45:31 PM)

Things I considered Must-Haves:

sleepers
onesies
a few cute outfits
hat
diapers, wipes, etc
diaper cream
infant motrin (like it better than tylenol)
nose snorter (which you get from the hospital usually)
diaper bag or bag to be used for baby things
sling
blanket or two
waterproof pads
car seat (doubles as baby seat in house)
bed or crib

This seems to be my bare minimum. I had less than that when my first son was born. I think we bought diapers and a tower bookshelf (for clothing, etc) on the way home and my in-laws had to buy us a car seat.



Auben -> RE: Baby Needs (6/5/2008 9:05:20 PM)

Along with a thermometer, a nice medicine syringe is handy.



Georgia-Peach -> RE: Baby Needs (6/5/2008 9:23:29 PM)

I think people have pretty much covered it all. I am not sure if I missed it, but I know in those first few months we used Mylicon drops a lot. It took us a while to figure out what things I ate upset him so those were big time lifesavers.

Something that I absolutely loved having and Hunter loved as well was a Johnny Jump Up. It hangs in the door way so it doesn't take up much space and can be moved easily from room to room. It is not something the baby will use until he has good control of his head and neck. Anyway it was a lifesaver for us and worth every penny.



Brandy -> RE: Baby Needs (6/5/2008 9:27:29 PM)

Oh my gosh Chelle you made me choke on my cereal I started laughing. Johnny Jump up's are banned from my house.. I have to laugh though because it's really older siblings that got them banned.

Watching my cousin try to sling shot her younger brother was pretty much the clincher.

Erin can I add a question/sub question?

What did you guys find indispensable in your diaper bag outside of the normal things?



cindybode -> RE: Baby Needs (6/5/2008 9:27:49 PM)

You should be aware that motrin isn't approved for infants less than 6 months old. Also, no fever reducer should be given to a baby less than 12 weeks old unless instructed to do so by a medical professional . . . and "medical professional" in this instance does not include a pharmacist. No offense to all the pharmacists out there - they're great at what they do - but they are not qualified to give medical advice, especially when it comes to pediatrics. I've had some really bad advice given by pharmacists.



Georgia-Peach -> RE: Baby Needs (6/5/2008 9:34:25 PM)

quote:

What did you guys find indispensable in your diaper bag outside of the normal things?

Good question! Those first few weeks/months my diaper bag always had diapers, wipes, Mylicon drops, diaper trash bags, extra nursing pads, burp clothes, 2 pacifiers (back when he used them), a change of clothes, a blanket, and hand sanitizer. I am sure there was more, but that is all I can think of.



PrincessDonna -> RE: Baby Needs (6/5/2008 9:35:11 PM)

quote:

You should be aware that motrin isn't approved for infants less than 6 months old.


Or ask your doctor. Mine okays it when my kids are around 18 pounds...or 3-4 months for my moose babies. I much prefer ibuprofen to tylenol also.



ChelseaRae -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 12:59:45 AM)

Erin, as far as thermometers go a good auxila (armpit) one would be better than a rectal one, you will get more accurate temperatures far easier.

My list of can't live without things:

My recliner! We didn't get a rocking chair, we got the recliner instead and I spent many a night sleeping in it with her, also endless hours nursing... it was a lifesaver! Ours was a gift, I know they can be expensive but I couldn't have a baby without one I'm pretty sure!

My mirror for the car. I hated not being able to see her and love that mirror!! I give one as baby shower gifts all the time now.

Lots of receiving blankets. I got a bunch of on sale flannelette and cut it into various sizes.

A swing! We didn't get one for Mary but we certainly will be for our next baby. You might not have a baby like Mary who only wants to be held and rocked but I don't care how expensive it is, for our next baby we will have a swing! It isn't a need but I know it would have made my life a lot easier

My sling. Mary hated being carried facing into me so I didn't get to wear her in my snuggled in my Moby but I could put her in my ring sling kind of on the side so she could see out. She was in that thing from the time she was born until she learned to crawl just about! I could also nurse in it which gave me a lot more freedom!!

For the diaper bag in the beginning, I always had two. I had one in the car with extra clothes for both of us, snacks for me, diaper cream, extra clothes for Mary, disposable nursing pads, toys, chapstick, hair ties, saftey pins, plastic bags etc. I carried a smaller one with me that had diapers, wipes, change pads, blankets, and some toys. That way I always had everything but didn't have to carry around a suitcase. There were several occasions I was very thankful for that extra set of clothes for me!



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 1:07:19 AM)

quote:

Erin, as far as thermometers go a good auxila (armpit) one would be better than a rectal one, you will get more accurate temperatures far easier.

and they are safer...NO ONE (IMO of course) needs to be doing a rectal temp on a baby unless absolutely 100% necessary. Even with safety measures it is way too easy for baby to move and that thing to really hurt them. Oral temps or under the arm are just as accurate if done correctly for the age of the child/baby.



manda59 -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 3:59:07 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Georgia-Peach
Something that I absolutely loved having and Hunter loved as well was a Johnny Jump Up. It hangs in the door way so it doesn't take up much space and can be moved easily from room to room. It is not something the baby will use until he has good control of his head and neck. Anyway it was a lifesaver for us and worth every penny.




Same for us, with my ds.

He'd go in it every morning and every afternoon for about half an hour. I'd put on music (often reggae, he loved it!) and he'd happily bounce and dance around on his own while I was actually able to get on with something.[:)]



3cappuccinosmom -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 6:57:42 AM)

quote:

Baby "needs" depend much on the parent and baby. So I'd suggest getting just the most basic of things for now, at least if purchasing new.


I agree. Stick with the basics and if you find you are missing something, pick it up then.

I'm giving away my swing. Only one baby of mine even tolerated it. Giving away my highchair too. They eat on our lap until they can sit at the table. Binkies none of them were interested in. My last two were born so big that they would have out grown a bouncy seat before I got much use out of it. Baby baths and bath seats I found to be more of a bother than a help. No room for a crib. We just didn't have room for much baby equipment at all, actually.

Needs are pretty basic. Mommy, milk, clothes, diapers, bed. [:)]

Some of the "wants" that I found extremely helpful:

Really good butt paste. Desitin with zinc in it seems to work for my kids.

Gentian violet. So it's bright purple and it stains [8D] but matchless when it comes to yeast infections and lingering sores.

My collection of baby carriers/slings.

A good umbrella stroller.



manda59 -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 7:28:46 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Brandy
Oh my gosh Chelle you made me choke on my cereal I started laughing. Johnny Jump up's are banned from my house.. I have to laugh though because it's really older siblings that got them banned.

Watching my cousin try to sling shot her younger brother was pretty much the clincher.




Thing is, it's so portable that you can put it away when "unhelpful" visitors arrive.[:)]



granolagirl -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 7:56:45 AM)

These are wonderful. My DD is 15 months old and I still use them. I keep one on her changing table, downstairs in her changing "bucket" for laying her down on when I change her so we don't get any mess on the carpet, and I take one when we go visiting anywhere.
If you are going to get a travel changing pad, I highly recommend just throwing this one on your registry. I found it to be very helpful when I had to go change her during church or when you are out somewhere. You don't have to lug the diaper bag with you into the restroom.
Also, if you plan on buying lanolin, I would recommend this instead. I found the lanolin to be thick and goopy..also not something I was comfortable with the baby having to "taste" and ingest. My personal preference though. This stuff is a bit pricey but I think I got mine cheaper. I only used about a third of this 1 oz. but you may be different.
Also, pbaribeault mentioned a sleep sack. This was sooo wonderful and I used mine for DD until she couldn't fit in it anymore (after 7 months or so).
I know you will get a lot of clothes. If you get a lot of newborn sizes or 0-3 save the receipts and exchange them for bigger stuff. I found that all I really needed was a number of these and we were all set for hanging around the house and sleeping. You will need different stuff for outings but the gowns were wonderful..especially for diaper changing.
Bouncy seat was a life saver for me also. I would strap her in there when I took my showers and play peek-a-boo with her from behind the shower curtain.[:D] The swing was a waste of money. I just used it to put her in when I was getting stuff done in the kitchen but a bouncy seat would have worked just fine. She didn't care about swinging.
I also found that the gym/playmat was a waste of money too. Mine didn't care for it and they are costly. IMO.
I could go on and on but I think everyone else pretty much covered it.
All babies are different so a need for you may not be a need for someone else. You will just find out as you go along. I HIGHLY recommend hitting up the yard/garage sales and taking hand-me-downs as much as possible.
I wish you many blessings with your little one and I hope all goes wonderful with the birth, Erin!



artemis -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 7:59:23 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: 3cappuccinosmom

quote:

Baby "needs" depend much on the parent and baby. So I'd suggest getting just the most basic of things for now, at least if purchasing new.


I agree. Stick with the basics and if you find you are missing something, pick it up then.

I'm giving away my swing. Only one baby of mine even tolerated it. Giving away my highchair too. They eat on our lap until they can sit at the table. Binkies none of them were interested in. My last two were born so big that they would have out grown a bouncy seat before I got much use out of it. Baby baths and bath seats I found to be more of a bother than a help. No room for a crib. We just didn't have room for much baby equipment at all, actually.

Needs are pretty basic. Mommy, milk, clothes, diapers, bed. [:)]

Some of the "wants" that I found extremely helpful:

Really good butt paste. Desitin with zinc in it seems to work for my kids.

Gentian violet. So it's bright purple and it stains [8D] but matchless when it comes to yeast infections and lingering sores.

My collection of baby carriers/slings.

A good umbrella stroller.


This is the list I need! We live in a one-bedroom apartment and while there's a chance we'll have two bedrooms by the time our baby is born in December, I still doubt we'll have much space. It makes the definition of "need" much more stringent [:D]



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 8:23:43 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: granolagirl
If you are going to get a changing pad, I highly recommend just throwing this one on your registry. I found it to be very helpful when I had to go change her during church or when you are out somewhere. You don't have to lug the diaper bag with you into the restroom.

the only problem with something like that is....IME of course (which with four kids so far is numerous experience)... you can not always tell what items you will or will not need for baby when you go to change them. I have been known to just grab a few items from the diaper bag, then get in there and find they needed much more then just a diaper change, and then you can't just leave to go get what you need cause you have a naked baby laying there. I say just take the well stocked diaper bag with you (or an older kid who can run back out to get what you need[:D])

Someone up there said a diaper bag for the vehicle stocked with change of clothes, shirt for mom, and the other basics. I can't tell you how much we have needed that at times!!!!! I had to learn that the hard way....and hubby had to learn the hard way to LEAVE IT in the vehicle!!!! I can't tell you how often we have had to detour to a store to pick up a cheap outfit because we were too far away from home, baby had already gone through what was in the diaper bag, and there was no way they could just go naked (or not dressed) the rest of the day while we were out.




lexie -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 9:08:32 AM)

Top of my list - batteries.

It all depends on you. We didn't buy much before Dd came, just the basic necessities. Then we made a bunch of trips to the store to pick up stuff as we thought would be useful.

I'd say half the things suggested here, we didn't actually need, not to say others won't need it, but be careful of buying everything right away.

A few things that I enjoyed having:

*a baby bag for the car seat - it fits the seat and then zips up to keep baby warm in cold weather. We would dress Akeelah in a warm sleeper and thin jacket and pants, then place her in the bag, put a receiving blanket in there, zip up the bag, and then put a quilt over top and then make the trek through the cold Canadian winters. When we got her to the car, we would unlayer her.

*a bottle cleaning brush
*a baby chair that vibrates - Akeelah loved hers when she was very little and it helped soothe her when she was cranky



granolagirl -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 11:54:26 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: peculiar_lady2


quote:

ORIGINAL: granolagirl
If you are going to get a changing pad, I highly recommend just throwing this one on your registry. I found it to be very helpful when I had to go change her during church or when you are out somewhere. You don't have to lug the diaper bag with you into the restroom.

the only problem with something like that is....IME of course (which with four kids so far is numerous experience)... you can not always tell what items you will or will not need for baby when you go to change them. I have been known to just grab a few items from the diaper bag, then get in there and find they needed much more then just a diaper change, and then you can't just leave to go get what you need cause you have a naked baby laying there. I say just take the well stocked diaper bag with you (or an older kid who can run back out to get what you need[:D])





I suppose we were lucky that DD saved her "blowouts" mostly for the times we were at home. [;)] And that she almost never had diaper rash as an infant.



PrincessDonna -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 12:14:09 PM)

If you're going to buy a bouncer, I highly recommend THIS one. Hannah still uses it as a rocker when she's watching TV, so it is good for over 3 years of use even with only one child, unlike regular bouncers/seats that you are lucky to get 6 months out of.



manda59 -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 12:54:23 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: lexie
Top of my list - batteries.



I can safely say that there was absolutely NOTHING we had for either of our two children which required batteries.

But then again, that was back in the Dinosaur Age, evidently [;)] <creeps back into cave>



Georgia-Peach -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 1:04:53 PM)

Yes, batteries is a necessity for us too more back when he was using a swing everyday. Now not so much, most of his toys don't require batteries so we haven't had to invest much in them.



SweetLittleErin -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 1:09:45 PM)

I registered (no guarantees I'll get it ...)for a swing that also has a plug in. It looked useful to have that option.



Georgia-Peach -> RE: Baby Needs (6/6/2008 1:10:45 PM)

That is awesome! Ours was a borrowed swing and it didn't have that option, but that is cool.



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