...to get registered.
So I'm coming to you, my loyal army of sisters- what do I need? Any particular brand of diapers better than others? What have you tried and loved? What have you hated? What kept you sane? Is there anything that made being a mommy/grandma/auntie/babysitter easier? Something I can't live without, something I could live without but shouldn't or something everyone thinks they need but it turns out to be wasting space/time/money? Any advice? HELP!!! I only have 3.5 months and I'd better get started!
8 comments:
1.) Zip-up pjs. I hate the ones with all the little snaps going from their foot all the way to their neck. Getting all those snaps back together in the middle of the night is a nightmare.
2.)A good baby carrier. I still stick Layton in our little front pouch carrier all the time. It makes grocercy shopping so much easier. During the first two months you might want to use a sling though, since they sleep well in them and it cradles their head.
3.) Don't bother with a special diaper pail. Put dirty diapers in a regular trash can in the garage. The diaper pails cost more and they really don't cover up the stink.
4.) Get lots of crib sheets and crib covers. My kids spit up a lot and I had to change them all the time. Cloth diapers work great for burp rags BTW.
5.) As far as a brand of diapers go, you'll probably just want to try out several different brands because each one has a slightly different fit. Huggies fit my kids the best, but for others people kids they don't fit them well at all.
I could go on and on, but I'll leave somethings for others to comment on :)
I posted a blog...just for you Lil' Momma :) Hope it'll help ya out with what things worked for me.
I don't know who Katheryn is, but I'll probably have to disagree on a few things... Sorry! You'll find everyone's different Casey.
I hate zip up PJs. They're great when the kids are small, but as they grow and you have to stuff them into the legs, it's not fun! Zippers are easier to zip up than snaps, but harder to squeeze your baby into as they are about to grow out of one size, but too small for the next. We buy all snaps if we can help it. But definitely make sure they have feet...mine always sleep better with feet.
Next, a sling or a mai-tai is wonderful. I had a Snugli carrier with Caleb and hated it, and so did he. I have a homemade sling with Skyler and we love it. It also relieves back pain.
No diaper genie with Caleb, just garbage can. Hated it...it reaked and we changed the trash bag so often before it was even full. Have them now with Skyler, one on each floor and for me it really works great. I go with the Diaper Genie II...easy and hides diaper smell!
Lots of people buy wipe warmers, but I have heard they are pointless. I have never used one and cold wipes are just fine.
We love Huggies, but since they are so expensive, we now use Sams Club brand, Member Mark/Strollers. They work really well. I've also heard Costco brand works. We hate LUVs...the waist doesn't sinch up enough so poo flies out when the kids have blowouts. And don't use Parent's Choice from Wal Mart...they're cheap for a reason. Never used Pampers, so can't help you there! Just find whatever works for your baby...chubbier babies seem good with Luvs, but it all depends. If they get a rash, switch diapers.
We use a baby positioner in the crib for the first little bit. It has always helped the boys feel like they're snuggling, and they sleep better. Bassinets/pack n plays are great, and it's great to have your baby in your room. But the sooner you move him to his own crib, the sooner he'll sleep through the night on his own.
When you get to baby food time, make homemade baby food...it's great! Also I don't know if you're planning on bottle or breast, but I breastfeed as long as I can and it's great.
When you get bath towels, get the ones that are usually packaged by themselves, because they are bigger than the ones sold in 2 and 3 packs. We always buy the hoodie ones, and if you buy the 2 or 3 packs, they outgrow them by a few months. But Caleb still uses the ones you can buy separately, and he's 2, but looks like he's 3 in height.
Buy curtains that block the light in the morning, so the baby isn't wakened earlier just because of the sun.
Make sure you have a good rocking chair/glider so you can be comfortable during the feedings, especially late night.
And make sure you have a swing...we didn't have one with Caleb, we thought we could manage without it. We have one with Skyler and we used it plenty in the first few months.
Try to buy clothes, 3 months, instead of 0-3 months clothes, for example. The 0-3 work fine, but when you are in between stages, you always want the 3, or the 6, or the 9. My boys grow super fast so they outgrow the 0-3 really quick and mostly wear the whole number clothes. Make sense?
And get a video baby monitor...you may not think you really need one, but it brought me so much peace of mind being able to actually see my baby was asleep, even though he was making noise. We didn't have on with Caleb, and I always thought he was awake, and ended up waking him up by going in.
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. Sorry so long...
I also thought...we love our infant baby center. Grows from laying on back to tummy to sitting up and crawling. It's great!
Also if you want to get a exersaucer they are great when the baby gets about 6 months old. Not really a walker, but we have a saucer/bouncer thing. It's wonderful!
Not really for registering, but just some info...until they are 7 or 8 months old I always try to focus on wearing onesies instead of the t-shirts. That way when they have a blow out, the blow out is contained and doesn't end up on your clothes, hand, etc...
That's all! You'll need plenty of burp cloths and blankets. Receiving blankets last for a bit, but if he grows fast like mine did, they won't last very long. I only get to use them about 2 months, then it's on to regular baby blanket size.
Okay, Casey . . . here's my what I've discovered:
As far as diapers go, Pampers were the only ones that worked with Mikey. Everything else leaked horribly. But for some reason, Huggies work best for Kaylee. Go figure. I agree that cheap diapers are cheap for a reason. Bought them once - never again.
If your baby uses a pacifier - make sure you have a TON of them on hand - in your purse, in the glove box, in your "special pocket". That way when Junior spits it out on the floor in Wal-Mart and starts screaming, you're prepared.
A good swing is PRICELESS! I used the kind that swings both side-to-side as well as back-and-forth and it lasted through all four kids. Indispensible!
I agree with the diaper rags as birth clothes. Stock up. You'll never believe how much spit can come out of that tiny baby body.
As far as the PJ's go, my kids got all tangled up with both the zipper and snapped kind. They would pull their feet up out of the legs somehow and get all tanged up. I prefer the PJ's that didn't have feet, but were more like zippered blankets with arms. That way my kids could curl up their legs however they wanted, but still be warm. I have no idea what those things are called, but I'd be happy to go shopping with you and point them out.
I think you'll find that every baby is different and every mommy is different and it's more of a trial and error process than an exact science. Good luck!
Jenn
Ok - this just cracks me up! How many different suggestions can you get?
Here's mu quick rundown -
-swing that goes side to side - MUST HAVE
-heartbeat bear - MUST HAVE
-baby gowns are better than pjs with legs
-diaper genie lasted 1 month then I threw that stinky thing out
-diapers - each of my girls wore a different brand because they are all built differently. You'll get a lot as gifts and samples. Use those to figure out which ones work best for little Mark.
-sling thing - I never really used mine, but no others that love it.
GOOD LUCK!!!!! (I can offer more help if you have specific questions about certain things - I just don't want to overwhelm you)
mable
I don't have any baby buying advice but I wanted to comment on Dolly and make sure you got it. I love Dolly, too. I read an interview with her in the Reader's Digest once. She said that growing up there was a town tramp. Dolly was walking in town with her mom one day and saw her (with her blond hair, short skirt, tight clothes, and thick make-up) and asked her mom who that was. Her mom said, "She's just a slut." Dolly thought she was beautiful and said that from that day on she knew she wanted to be a slut.
Wow, what great info you have here!
Diapers--try what you get as gifts, then decide. For us--Pampers Cruisers are AMAZING!
Swing--you just have to have one. You'll never eat with both hands again if you don't!
PJs--gowns are the best. And yes, they even make little boy gowns.
Diaper Genies--waste of time
Must haves:
hooded towels, some washcloths
comfy stroller for baby AND you
bath sling
TONS of blankets, all kinds
I actually made a post a while ago about all the things I loved having with Brooklyn in her first year of life. My #1 is actually a sound machine, which has allowed us to put her to bed then do whatever the heck we want, even party with 50 people in the house, b/c all she hears is the gentle flowing stream of her sound machine!
I can't wait to read your list of "must haves" this time next year. You'll have so many things you could never live without!
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