Wednesday, June 26

All the Stuffs - Getting Ready for Baby

Before B was born, I read lists online and in magazines of all the things you "need" for a new baby. Huge long lists of things. But it turns out you actually don't need that much for a new baby! So I just wanted to share some things I've learned, a few things I would truly recommend having, and a couple things I'm hoping to pick up for #2. And I really don't mean for this to sound like a commercial, it's not a sponsored post or anything. Just trying to be helpful with things that have & haven't worked for us!
gotta have it
  • A sleepy wrap. Or some kind of baby carrier. But stretchy wraps like this are especially good for squishy little babies. It lets you keep you hands free while keeping baby close and comforted. That's win win. I'm especially planning to use it this time around so I can have my hands free for B! But just FYI, stretchy wraps are really only good until baby is about 15-18lbs, so you'll need to plan on moving up to something more structured after that.
pic via amazon
  • Cloth diapers. Any kind you like (you can see exactly what we've used and how they work here, here, here, and here). I've also picked up some used newborn diapers as I've come across them for #2. Hopefully those will hold him/her over until B's old one-size diapers fit. And seriously, I feel like this is one of the best investments we've made in parenting. We spent under $300 to diaper B from 2 months through potty training, and now we can use those same diapers again this time around. I can't even imagine how much money this has saved us over buying disposables.
  • Nose Frida. This is the snot sucker to beat all snot suckers. When you have a little squish with a stuffy nose, that's a pretty big deal. So throw away all the little bulb syringe things you've tried before and just get this bad boy. Snot = history.
pic via amazon
  • A nice camera. We've never taken so many pictures! And we love being able to take great quality pics that we can cherish forever. There are lots of options out there, but we've been loving our Canon Rebel. And if you want to step up the look of your photos, we especially love this lens.
  • A white noise machine. We didn't get one until B moved to his own room, but it would have been helpful even before then. We all know a sudden noise can wake a baby right up, but having a constant, soft background noise can help ease them through sudden noises and make them less likely to wake up. We bought this one and have been happy with it so far. The rain sound is our favorite.
  • A video monitor. For reals. We didn't even register for one (just went with the sound kind) but once B was here we took that thing straight back to the store and upgraded to video. It gives so much more peace of mind to be able to see the baby. Not that it stopped me from going in to check, too. :) And to be fair we barely used it before he was over a year old because he slept up in our room, but it's even better now that he's bigger! We can see if gets out of bed, or if he's laying there awake. Totally worth it. The one we have even has the option to add more cameras (like if you have kids in two rooms) and view them all on the same handset!

  • Nursing stuffs. Bras, a pump, soothies, lanolin, a good pillow, and a big cup to keep nearby. Snacks don't hurt either. You'll probably be sitting for a while. It's also great to have a good, reliable book like this one by La Leche League. And if you have a La Leche League nearby, you should totally check it out. Great mother-to-mother support is priceless!
  • A good app. When you have a new baby, you're tired. And it's hard to keep track of all the important things like how many wet diapers baby has or which side they nursed on last. It's also helpful for spotting patterns in your baby's habits like if they tend to nap at a certain time. We used this one but there are lots out there so find one you like! ***I am 100% supportive of nursing on demand and DO NOT recommend using an app to schedule feedings. Baby knows when he's hungry and the healthiest, safest way for him to grow is for you to follow his cues about when it's time to eat. La Leche League has tons of great info on this!***


not so much
  • All the clothes - Every magazine had itemized lists of what kinds of clothes to get. Onesies, t-shirts, pants, shorts, zip up jammies, baby legs, and on and on and on. Here's what I found to be true about baby clothes: you don't need most of them. In the summer B was naked (except for a diaper) most of the time. He wore a onesie sometimes. We had lots of cute shorts and shirts and outfits, but when it's hot and I'm changing a diaper every couple hours, naked just worked when we were home. In the winter he lived in zip-up jammies almost 24/7. None of that snap nonsense. Go for the zippers. It cuts diaper change time in half. When he was first born we loved those newborn sleepers with the elastic at the bottom that you can just pull up for a change. So while you do need some baby clothes, try not to sweat it too much. :)
  • Bassinets - B was in our bed half the time and the rest of the time we just used the bassinet attachment on our play pen. It's one less thing to buy and one less thing to store. 
  • The big gadgets - swings, bouncy seat, play mats. We had one of each and B didn't want to touch any of them. They just took up a lot of space. The best advice I've heard is to try borrowing these from a friend first to see if your baby will actually enjoy them before you invest the money (and space!) in them.
  • Other stuffs - things like wipe warmers or diaper genies. Save the money, you don't need them. :)
on my wish list
  • Gauze wrap. I'm planning to make my own using gauze fabric from Joann's. It would be super light and airy and seems like it would be a great alternative to the stretchy wrap, which could get a little warm in the summer months.
  • A double stroller. I know don't need this yet, I'm not sure how soon we would even use it. I just expect at some point we'll want a stroller that can hold both our kiddies. I've heard great reviews about the City Mini and have been drooling over it. But ohmygoodness it's a hefty chunk of change. We'll just have to see if I get lucky on Craig's list or settle for a cheaper alternative. :)
  • A co-sleeper. It' like a mini crib that attaches to the side of your bed for baby to sleep in while it's tiny. That way he/she's right there during the night. No more ups and downs for mama (or dada - thanks N!). Plus they convert to a play pen so you can use them long-term and it's not just an extra thing to store. I love the idea but I'm a little on the fence about actually getting one. First of all, they're expensive. Plus I know if you make sure you do it safely you can side-car a regular crib and attach it to the bed. The only down side there is it would take up a lot of room. The other option for us is to stick with what we did with B, which was use the bassinet attachment on our pack and play to fit him in our room. The down side to this is we had to get up to get him during the night which is not super fun. We also ended up letting him sleep with us part-time. 

  • Bed rail. You know, those things that keep kids from rolling off the bed. When B slept with me, I was always afraid he would roll off the bed after N got up in the morning (which he did once!) so I would pile pillows up beside him. This time I definitely want something sturdier. Fortunately I just found this one on a local yard sale page for $5! So let's just check that off the list.
  • Milkies Milk Saver. Super handy when you're leaking. It catches that extra milk so you can start a freezer stash! Yes please!
  • My Breast Friend Pillow. From what I hear it puts a Boppy to shame. And I'm so excited because I just got a hand-me-down from a friend! Woot! :)
  • Pumpin' Pal. Supposedly the most comfortable way to pump! It's a flange that will fit almost any pump on the market, available in 3 sizes. Since I had trouble getting a good fit last time I'm planning to try these out and see if I have better luck. If you order the full set through their website they have a full money back guarantee if you don't like them. Or you can order a single size from amazon, but then you only have amazon's return policy if it doesn't work. :)

I think that pretty much sums it up. I know that there are lots of opinions out there (some people might love a diaper genie) and no, not everything on my list is totally necessary. It's just our favorite things. :) I'd love to hear your thoughts too! What do you love and what can you live without? What's at the top of your wishlist?

2 comments:

  1. Cloth diapers, This comes in handy when you have babies and toddlers. That's right. The diaper grows with your baby. You can use them from birth up until they are potty trained. Great Stuffs! Thanks

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