Must-haves for the 1st baby?

[sandiegosusie]

I just wanted to say not to feel bad. My friends were all of the Breastfeeding Facists mindset and my first was adopted. I felt HORRIBLE. Got over it. Gave birth to my second and managed to breastfeed, but lets just say that when the aliens land and turn us into farm animals - I'll be sorted for meat, not dairy. My daughter had to be on formula the first seven days before my milk came in (hence, no need for breastpads, I never produced enough to leak). Several of my girlfriends then adopted their own, and came to understand that calling formula "bad" and formula companies "evil" was not really helpful.

A lot of pro-breastfeeders don't like the idea of having formula and bottles in the house - but bottles are nice if you aren't going to be there for every feeding even if you breastfeed. And in my mind, when you had your heart set on breastfeeding and can't, having formula in the house is somewhat less humiliating than the run to Target - which in the post labor hormonal state, is somehow important.

Right On!!!! Always have a back up plan just in case.

 

[lgazz]

I think just about all the "must haves" have been listed...I just thought I'd add my 2-cents on a gimmick...

DS is 8, so I don't even know if they still make them, but...I got one of those foam wedges that is supposed to keep your infant from rolling over while sleeping and suffocating face-down. Sure, we used it, and our 1-3 month-old never flipped....NOT because of the wedge, but because infants of that age CANNOT flip!

You use it so the baby 'can't' flip over onto its stomach, but when they are old enough to actually be able to flip, they will be strong enough to lift their head and/or flip back onto their back! What a waste! I wish I would have known that before I registered for it!!

 

[Lizzy2]

there are three things I would have wanted more of/or one-
-more gowns for easy diaper acess
-a bottle warmer for her room to hold prep for 2 am feeding
- a boppy pillow to hold her in on my lap while she ate way comfy!
Best wishes to you!

 

[snowy76]

I didn't read the whole thread but thought I would chime in with some of the things that make me say "thank goodness for that!"

--The Boppy! Not only do I use it for nursing, but anyone who visits and wants to hold the baby loves it too. Easy to rest your arms and takes some of the strain off your shoulders, especially when holding the baby over your shoulder to burp or sitting him up. DH uses it when giving DS a bottle too, easier than holding in the lap. And Boppy slipcovers -- one or two extra besides the one that comes with your Boppy.
-- Mylicon drops. Great for gas, you can use it 12 times a day.
Save some $$ and buy the store brand simethicone drops. Also, make sure you buy clear instead of the pink! I spilled a whole bottle of the pink stuff on my rug when we brought DS home.
-- An emery board, for when baby's nails are too small and soft to clip, but too sharp to leave alone.
-- The First Years Tub-to-Seat -- converts from baby tub to toddler bath seat
-- Baby "mittens" or gowns and sleepers with sleeves that fold over to cover the hands -- again, to prevent scratches.
-- Several pacifiers
-- Saline solution and a POINTY bulb syringe -- the plain blue kind, don't waste money like we did on the cute one that looks like an elephant.
-- Side snap shirts, and/or onesies that snap all the way up the front. So much easier than pulling over baby's head.
-- Diaper Genie -- ONLY for poopy diapers; keep a separate bag/garbage can for ones he just pees in, as they don't smell too much.
-- A floor gym/playmat
-- A plain-ish diaper bag so DH will be willing to carry it! LOL
-- Pampers Swaddlers and sensitive wipes -- sooooo soft, I use them on myself now! LOL Sign up for Pampers' mailing list -- you'll get coupons and can rack up points on purchases to get free stuff.
-- When shopping for clothes that are advertised as "2 for ___" get two different sizes and stock up for the future.
-- An inexpensive CD player/clock radio, and Two or three classical or lullaby CDs. We also like "Best of Pooh and Heffalumps Too".
-- 3-4 board books. Sandra Boynton or Dr. Seuss.

Gimmick: We found the wipes warmer dried out the wipes.
Also, I am NOT a fan of the gowns. I found they bunched up around DS's waist as he wiggled around.

 

[snowy76]

On the subject of breastfeeding/pumping:

My baby is 6 months old. We had planned to breastfeed, as I am a SAHM. So we bought the Medela small electric single pump. Figured it would be perfect, right? But due to some physiological issues, my son was not able to latch on, so we rented a pump for a month, and now here I am six months later, still pumping 4 times a day for an hour at the time for him.

If you are planning to BF, and you think you will need a pump, I would wait until after the baby comes and you have had some time to make sure BF'ing will work for you, and determine if you will need a pump, and THEN decide what kind/size you'll need.

BTW, I use the Medela Pump In Style Advanced, and it's awesome! I know of a place that has fantastic prices on them (they beat Target, Babies R Us, and everywhere else I have ever seen them), so if you want the contact info, pm me.

Good luck and CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Just wanted to add to this and maybe offer some information for anyone else who finds out they must have a pump at some point because of medical issues. When we had our preemie I had to pump for nearly a month before DS learned to latch on. Our insurance covered the cost of my pump because we got documentation from the hospital stating it was medically necessary in our case. Not too long after, one of my co-workers had a baby -- full term, but having latching issues. She was also able to get coverage. So check your policies!!! Although we paid $250 for my Medela Pump In Style up front, we only wound up with a $10 copay for the pump!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Mylicon was a lifesaver.
Flander's Buttocks Ointment - (it looks like mud) - works wonders for diaper rash.
Baby Safe Feeder - this is a mesh bag on a handle that baby can hold themselves when they are old enough to start eating finger foods. We would put strawberries or other soft foods in there and the baby can chew the item but can't get off big hunks and choke.
Gymboree blankets - these are THE softest baby blankets out there.
Avent bottles.
Nursing tops for Mom - makes Nursing in public so much easier - my favorites came from www.motherwear.com.
Soft Hair Brush
Baby Oil - helps get rid of cradle cap.
Rearview mirror so you can see the baby when they are in their rear facing carseat in the back seat of the car.

My baby turns 8 on Thursday so it has been awhile but these are what I remember as being the things I wouldn't want to do without.

 

[NotUrsula]

Tucks pads are OK, but Anusol is the real deal; bring a tube to the hospital.

I slept w/ baby for the first 6 weeks, then kept him in his crib in our room for the next 6 mos. Recognize that if you nurse, you may need to sleep in a sports bra to prevent flooding your bed. When I was nursing I slept in a sports bra and a pr. of knit boxer shorts. (The leakage finally stopped after about 4 months, so I could wear regular nightgowns after that. I nursed and pumped for a year.) Be sure to buy them large enough so that they are not tight, too much pressure will adversely affect your supply. Oh, also, if you need to buy a pump, check into buying it from your hospital's lactation program; hospitals don't charge sales tax.

Even if you are planning to nurse, have a few bottles in the house just in case of emergency. Children can sometimes have problems with suck reflexes, or you can end up on meds that prevent nursing for a little while, or, like me, you can have milk that doesn't come in for 8 full days. With bottles you can supplement or pump in advance if you have to. Buy simethicone drops in large quantities.

My vote for most useless gadget goes to the stroller/carseat combo. They are cumbersome to lift when folded, don't steer well, and are generally a PITA.
A good full-feature reclining umbrella stroller is the one thing you will use for years; don't scrimp on it. My second vote is for cutesy bedlinens for the crib, not just useless but dangerous. Don't bother with them at all. You only need fitted crib sheets, and long knit sleepers for cooler weather (fleece sleepers will be too hot in the avg. heated home, esp. in the South.)

Buy a couple of hospital-grade nasal irrigation syringes, the one-piece pointy kind. The sort with the separate tip is worse than useless. Also, you'll need a large bottle of rubbing alcohol and a lot of fat q-tips for dealing with the cord.

 

[monorailsilver]

My suggestions (I haven't read the others):

Don't waste your money on expensive clothes that they will only wear once or twice (unless you are loaded & have tons of extra cash laying around).

Onsies since when they poop thru a diaper they tend to poop on the onsie & the outfit (BTW, if you take the onsie off going down vs over the head then you won't have poop going over the head).

Wipes & keep a box in your car along with a supply of diapers this way you don't have to think about if you packed enough in the diaper bag.

My kids were not pacifier kids so the ones that they gave out in the hospital were all we needed.

If you are pumping, get the milk storage bags

I returned my diaper genie 5 years ago when I got one that I did not register for at my shower. Regular plastic bags & the scented ones work just fine in my house.

Infant tylenol

Benadryl (they can't have it until they are 6 months old)

a baby book to record all the milestones

a journal to write to your baby & then give them when they get to a certain age

socks-have you found my missing socks yet?

if you have long hair or hair that can be tied up, make sure you do have something around 3-5 months because your hair will start falling out. My youngest is 6 months & it is finally not falling out as much as it had been last month

Not for baby, but have a supply of ready made dinners frozen. I did that for my first & was so happy I could take something out to thaw & heat & voila dinner was ready.

Those things that go over the carts in the store for the child to sit on when they are of sit up age

some kind of toy that they can look at (I have a 2001 model Fisher Price piano that lights up but there are newer versions) & kick to.

sign up at Pampers, huggies, luvs, gerber, beechnut, etc....the baby sites for coupons. If you are doing formula, sign up at enfamil & the other formula sites to get coupons. I get them but I am breast feeding & I give them to dh to give to people at work.

I am a heavy leaker (nursing) so I used these breast shields by Avent. They saved many shirts from being wet.

Don't go over board on rattles & little toys. I swear I have a good 30 little toys (over 3 kids) & they drive me nuts since my older two (3 & 5) try to help out & give my 6 mo a toy & then leave it.

I like the sleeper sacks/pj's. They are warm for the winter & they zip up which is great for the middle of the night changings when you are so zombie like & attempting to button up jammies.

My hospital had the great nasal aspirators (as well as the great pacifiers that I didn't use) so it is yours to take.

Also in the hospital take the diapers home. I made out big time with my 3rd. Every shift I went in & got a bag of diapers & then I asked them for one in my going home bag. (OK am I going to get flamed here??).

If you plan on having more kids things to think about before buying a new one (since you are getting a hand-me down), a stroller. When we had our first we got the big stroller. Then we went to Disney & got a smaller one. Last year we bought a Jeep Umbrella so both kids could ride in one since we didn't want a double, well I got pregnant again & now I just bought a sit/stand one & it is a life saver.

Also I bought a bjorn for my 3rd. I had a snugli for #1 & #2 but that gave me a bad back. I rarely used it for #1 & pushed her in the stroller.

Pads (again not for baby) but big ones because you will need them. They give you the big ones in the hospital but they aren't always comfy.

nail clippers

Go walk the aisles at BRU this way you can see what is out there.

Oh a bouncy seat & an exersaucer (I put my dd in that so I can cook).

 

[shades]

Only 3 more month until DH and I lose our DINK status and welcome our new baby boy into the world! So, we have to start thinking about what we are going to need since we have bought NOTHING. I am getting an infant car seat/stroller/carrier from my SIL who's twins will be out-growing their's about the time my baby comes along. And I know that I will have a nice shower at church and get tons of stuff. So, what things are "must-have's" for a new baby and what things are just gimmicks that look neat in a store but serve no real purpose at home. I don't want to waste my money (or other people's!) on stuff that I'll never actually use!

A battery operated swing, battery charger, and plenty of batteries that fit the swing. Hand crank swings don't run for long without needing to be rewound and the rewinding noise will wake a baby.

Anything disposable (plastic/rubber) that belongs to your baby in the hospital is yours to take home. You are being billed for it - so take it with you. Pacifiers, snot suckers, and my baby had a tiny blood pressure cuff that stayed with her (she was a preemie). I also brought home 1 hospital t-shirt & 1 hospital blanket (doesn't everbody have one of these for their kids that is stamped with the hospital's name?). We also have 2 hand knitted caps that one of the doc's mom's knitted for the preemies. One of my dd's had fallen on the floor one day the nurse gave it to me and got a new one out of the drawer and put it on dd. She said anything that touches the floor goes into the trash.

 

[mookie]

A battery operated swing, battery charger, and plenty of batteries that fit the swing. Hand crank swings don't run for long without needing to be rewound and the rewinding noise will wake a baby.

I swear one of these days I'm going to invent a swing with a cord that doesn't run on batteries. Our ds has acid reflux, so he sleeps in it constantly, and we go through 4 D batteries every week or so. If I invented the only swing with a cord, I'd be a millionaire!

 

[PoohHappens]

I second the gymboree blankets, my son is almost 5 and still using his for sleeping.

Our son was adopted and came with little notice, so we did not have much, about 3 days of clothing a few blankets, a car seat, a stroller and a pack 'n' play. We borrowed several things. If we found after a few weeks that we used them a lot and really wanted one we bought it and returned the borrowed item. Things we are glad we did not buy

swing--we used it a ton but for only 4 months, great borrowed item
bassinet--loved it and used it 4 months but more cost effective borrowed

Things we found we loved

Really good quality car seats--do some research and really look at them
A good stroller--again research and put some weight in them at the store and push them around. We found some that were great with nothing in at but as soon as there was 10-15# in it you could not turn it. We used large bottles of dreft at the store for weight.
A pack'n'play with a bassinet and change table, two story house and kept this set up on main floor. baby napped in pack-nplay and had ready changing area set up--with dog we did not use the floor as much although I find perfectly acceptable.
A gift from my mother were double layer cotton flannel spit up rags (although far from "rags" they had beautiful trim and prints) I now make these for friends. They were soft and absorbant and looked nice, the stains came out as well.
More than anything what your new baby "must have" is you, congratulations on your new little one. Enjoy.

 

[GoofItUp]

Just wanted to add to this and maybe offer some information for anyone else who finds out they must have a pump at some point because of medical issues. When we had our preemie I had to pump for nearly a month before DS learned to latch on. Our insurance covered the cost of my pump because we got documentation from the hospital stating it was medically necessary in our case. Not too long after, one of my co-workers had a baby -- full term, but having latching issues. She was also able to get coverage. So check your policies!!! Although we paid $250 for my Medela Pump In Style up front, we only wound up with a $10 copay for the pump!

Thanks for suggesting this! I never would have thought to file on the insurance for a pump, but if there's any chance I'll give it a try!

So many good suggestions....thanks everybody!

 

[saucymb]

Thanks for suggesting this! I never would have thought to file on the insurance for a pump, but if there's any chance I'll give it a try!

So many good suggestions....thanks everybody!

And if your insurance won't cover it, but you have Health Flex Spending Account, give that a try! Ours covered the pump, so that helped a bit.

 

[fabumouse]

My DD's skin was so sensitive that the commercial wipes gave her a rash.

The best thing in the world are cloth wipes from barefootbaby.com - use them with water and then put aquaphor on the diaper area. No more diaper rash!

And the newest addition LOVES her Papasan swing. It's so cozy, I wish they made one my size.