Calling all moms! I need some help... Now that we have crossed the half-way mark, I've given myself permission to finalize a baby registry, buy some of the necessities, and officially start the "nesting" process. BUT, it seems I'm learning about some new product or "must have" every day. At the same time, I'm really trying to think simply when it comes to STUFF. I'm also in the process of forming a "to do" list of sorts before baby... I want to be productive/prepared, but I don't want to set unrealistic expectations for myself.
So... will you help?!?
I've put together a little poll plus a few questions you can answer in the comments section below. Anything you can share would be MUCH appreciated! (This may even be helpful for some of my other proggers*.)
You guys are the best!
I've added in the results in red for those of you interested. (3.14.11)
43% said gifts, and 38% said they bought it new
60% used a basic sound monitor
65% said neither... which I thought was very interesting.
47% used disposable diapers and a Diaper Genie; 21% each for Diaper Pail and basic trashcan
42% used a stuffed bumper, and 32% used flat
This was almost evenly split for 2 or 3 with approximately 30% of the votes each... But, I think I'll still go for four since I hate doing laundry!
61% said they had "just enough", and NO ONE said they had "too little."
61% of moms used a basinett when baby first came home; 33% said he/she went straight to the crib in the nursery
Only ONE vote for "on the due date." The rest were pretty evenly split with "within a week" and "more than a week early" being slightly higher. (I guess we can blame that on good ole induction!)
89% of moms had a medicated birth in a hospital.
59% said within the first days/week, and 31% said the second the baby was born
What could you NOT LIVE WITHOUT in the first few weeks/months?
What did you have but NOT NEED?
What books do you recommend about pregnancy, labor, parenting, etc?
What did you do (or wish you had done) BEFORE baby that you certainly don't have time to do now?
(BTW: I tried a million different free sites to find a poll-maker that would work for me. I settled on Modpoll and am really happy so far. *Just in case you'd like to try this in the future yourself.)
I couldn't live without a stocked "nursing survival kit" at all times. Lansinoh-Lanolin Cream 2 tubes, disposable breast pads 2 boxes, Hydrogel pads, hooder hider, nipple shield, "My Breast Friend", 2-3 nursing bras for daytime, 3-4 sleep nursing bras, cozy nursing friendly PJ sets, Medela pump-n-style pump & the phone number of a good lactation consultant!
ReplyDeleteWe had and didn't use the baby wear around your neck sling, some babies love it, Kane did not.
Of course you know I HIGHLY recommend Happiest Baby on the block, it is a book however the DVD really brings the concept home.
I wish I had more time to give my nails the attention they need. I was always a do-it-yourself nail painter and now it's always my last priority. Once I get done filing, there's never time to paint, so sad! haha
Have fun making your registry!!
I second the lanolin cream - I was not told how painful breastfeeding can be - and it was a definite adjustment for me! I still remember sitting with my toes curled for the first 15 seconds of each nursing session to get over the pain of my baby latching on... but it got better (when I figured out what in the world i was doing!) =) Large swaddling blankets (there are some great gauze ones at Target that I am getting for this 2nd baby) were also a must!
ReplyDeleteWe did "Babywise" with Lillianne - she was textbook and we had a lot of success with the scheduled eat/wake/sleep cycle. I also really, really recommend - www.prayerofhannah.blogspot.com. I used this website all.of.the.time to get information from a group of moms that post on a variety of topics. The blog is led by a group of seminary wives/mothers who offer great biblical advice.
Cherish the quiet time that you have getting ready in the morning, showering, using the bathroom or soaking in the tub....I can do none of those things now without little hands and feet following me =)
How fun! So I adopted my daughter (took placement of her at 9 months) so I don't have new born advice but here is some of our must haves for her:
ReplyDeleteAt least 4 sets of sheets - depending on how often you will have time to wash them. Its nice to at least have 1 back up in case you need to do a middle of the night bed change.
Pack in Play- I used this for Zoe to sleep in when we first were placed with her, I transitioned her from next to my bed, to the foot of the bed, to the hallway to her own room!
We had tons of blankets and really didnt need that many.
Diapers are a must but I found that some brands didnt work well for Zoe where others did so you might want to try different brands until you find the right one (unless your going with cloth of course)
Another MUST for me was a Munchkin Dishwasher Basket- I loved this it allows you to put all of the babies utensils in the diswasher without having them mixed in with our stuff. It seperates the nipples of bottles and has a basket for the rings to go in its is awesome, I always felt like they just got cleaner with the heat from the dishwasher.
I would say to take time for yourself and your hubby before the baby comes. There is nothing like spending time with your baby and watching your hubby blossom as a father but it is so easy to get caught up in the time with baby and not so much for yourself.
So excited for you guys what a fun time!
What a great post. I completed the poll and hoped it helped you. One thing is that I bought the complete set of the bedding and the peditrician told us to take the bumper off. I was so sad because it matched perfect and made the whole room. I wish I knew that before I spent a lot of money on the whole bedding set.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I could not live without was the swing for baby boy. He practically lived in it when he was a newborn.
We hate our diaper genie. The refills are very expensive.
Good luck :)
http://naptimeisnewhappyhour.blogspot.com/
www.jewelkade.com/cheryl
I agree with the first commenter about breastfeeding supplies. I also took a breastfeeding class when I was pregnant and found it really helpful. I had a hard, hard time with nursing in the beginning and probably would have quit if I hadn't been somewhat prepared for it from that class (everyone I knew made it sound like the easiest thing in the world - not true for me!).
ReplyDeleteI have a basic sound monitor, but I would really like to get a video monitor with baby #2. Sometimes it's hard to tell if baby is making I'm-awake noises or I'm-settling-back-in noises.
And I agree about Happiest Baby on the Block -- love that book!
I wish I had relished having meals with my husband more before we had a baby. For the first few months with a newborn, you just sort of eat when you can (usually one-handed). Then when you can have regular mealtimes again, you're busy trying to coax a little person to eat, too!
After leaving the longest comment of my life, I realized I forgot something. If you decide to go with disposable diapers, I would really recommend getting them through Amazon Mom. They are cheaper than anywhere else, and they deliver to your door for free. I'd be happy to tell you more if you're interested!
ReplyDeleteyou are so cute.
ReplyDelete1. LANOLIN. And a swing for the first few months. You can actually put them down and they are still be cradled AND rocked AND eventually entertained by the mobile.
2. You will inevitable get things you won't use... like a million washcloths or blankets. Everyone is very sweet in taking the time to make you little blankets, but the reality is that babies don't even really use them (can't put them in the crib) and you certainly don't need 10. I only ever used one to put over her in the carseat sometimes.
3. HAPPIEST BABY ON THE BLOCK (just watch the DVD... you can get it through netflix). And we read the Mayo Clinic Guide to Pregnancy while i was pregnant and found it really helpful.
4. Plain old coffee or lunch with friends. You can still do it, but it's much more interrupted and you can't talk/listen quite as intently. once they get a little older and into a routine it's just harder to be out ALL day long b/c they don't get as good of naps while they're out as they do in their own bed. Also, Jason and I were really good about having a date night every week for 4 years, but it is much harder to get out of the house/away from baby in the evenings now (you might not have this problem as much with family so close by).
One more thing i would recommend before baby comes - wait til you're in your 9th month and are just so miserable and then GO GET A MASSAGE!! Ask for it as a gift so you don't feel like you're spending too much of your own money. But don't wait too long b/c if baby comes early you won't have any time to do it after!
Make sure you get a baby swing!
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought my Diaper Genie was a waste of money. We had a cute garbage pail with a lid on it for just #1 diapers... but #2 diapers got tied up in a plastic bag and brought out to the dumpster in the garage. Those can just stink up your house too much to be left in there!
Carley
my sister and brother in law said the book 'baby 411' was recommended to them by their delivery nurse and they loved it!
ReplyDeleteHi E! So I'm still new to the mom thing, my son is almost 7 months...but here is what I've learned so far!
ReplyDeleteIn the first few weeks I could not live without:
-Breastpads (good ones that didn't make my breasts look funky through a shirt), lanolin, and nursing tanks! I lived in nursing tanks day and night b/c of engorgement-I didn't get fitted for a bra for a few weeks, so I just stayed in those.
-Moby wrap-It was so easy to use, it quickly became my husbands favorite thing, too. It was so nice to be able to cozy and hold the little guy on walks, errands, trying to get house stuff done, etc. My son loved it so much, and so did we!
-A bouncy seat, it was so great to have for him to sit in and ours had a little bar over the top with toys he loved. A swing, too...but after a month or so he didn't love it anymore (don't know why), some babies love them, though!
-The baby nightgowns. It made night diaper changes SO much easier! Not so much unsnapping so he didn't wake up as often.
-If you're breastfeed...a water bottle. By your side. At.all.times. I was SO thirsty!
What I had but didn't need? A bassinet. I wanted to be close to him all the time, so we could just pull it from our room if I was sleeping, to the living room, etc.
My favorite books for baby were What to expect in the first year and The baby book by Dr. Sears.
I wish I had really good pregnancy pictures taken and I wish I had kept a journal of how I felt. With my next baby I will definitely do those things. I'd love to look back and see how I felt and remember what everything was like!
I think that whole "sleep now" thing is a crock. It doesnt stack up for later. However, enjoy sleeping in on the weekends if possible. Gone are those days.
ReplyDeleteGo on a vacation IF YOU CAN. If not, oh well! its just harder later but can be done.
GET A BABY SWING (that goes in both directions)..freaking lifesavers...
NURSING:
ReplyDeleteSoothies by Lansinoh--gel inserts you put into your bra after nursing. I even had my husband put them in the fridge while I nursed either side. Very soothing for the painful beginning stages of nursing.
Lansinoh breast pads are also key--I lived in nursing tanks with those suckers inserted (still do!). It was also helpful at night to wear a "sleep bra" which is a little more comfortable and easier for nursing.
SLEEPING:
Of course this largely depends on what your little one decides he prefers. I thought we'd use a basinet in our room, but baby preferred being in our bed. We put him in a co-sleeper (by The First Years) for the first 3 months then we transferred to a crib after that. The co-sleeper was so easy for the frequent night feedings and for travel during those first few months (it folded up into a little padded "briefcase"). I even put small positioning blocks inside the co-sleeper during the early weeks to make the baby feel "protected" on either side. I took them out once he started to wiggle a lot at night and seemed to want to move about.
--Later, I used my Miracle Blanket a lot (2-3 mo). It helped my son stay asleep when he started to really flail his arms (startle reflex).
DAILY LIFE:
--Bouncer with overhead mobile or mirror was essential--it's a nice cozy place to set the little one while you make your morning coffee. If you're lucky he'll catch a few naps in that thing during the early weeks / first months.
--Dad liked the Moby wrap so he could multi-task with the baby. Baby did not seem to like being strapped to me, though.
--I could not live without my carseat/stroller combo. I was lucky to find a Quinny Buzz on craigslist that had been used maybe once or twice. I bought the matching car-seat (Maxi Cosi Mico). It's sleek looking, easy to fold down, and the seat of the stroller (which is ordinarily for older babies) switches around so it can face you (like a bassinet) for very young babies. I laid my son down inside with some soft blankets and took him on MANY summer strolls in that thing!
--I had a summer baby, so I also could not live without the Aden+Anais muslin swaddling blankets. Most stores only carry flannel swaddling blankets, which were too hot for summer. I used the muslin blankets to swaddle, shield out the sun in the stroller, etc.
-Carissa
I'd love to know the responses you got to the modpoll.com questions. Any way you would post them?
ReplyDeleteI am just now catching up on reading blogs that is why I am almost a week behind on commenting. Caden is 1 week old today :) and this is what I couldn't live with out:
ReplyDelete- Soothie pacifiers. They are amazing. He also has a Wubbanub he loves that has a soothie pacifier on it. "Soothie" is the brand.
- Mylicon gas drops. These things work wonders.
- Swaddling blankets: Babies loves being wrapped up tight.
- Arm and Hammer Diaper pail. This is a relatively new product and it is AWESOME! So much easier to use than a diaper genie/champ.
- We got a Graco pack and play that came with a newborn napper. Seriously we couldn't live without this. Caden loves it.
The only book I read was "What to Expect When you are Expecting". It was such a great source of information. I referenced it all the time.
Well your post is very good I like it so much and this is very informative.
ReplyDeletefull queen outlast blanket white
Thank you for sharing.