What You Need To Have For When The Baby Comes Home



When I was seven+ months pregnant, I was kind of a lot freaked out. I had no idea what I "really" needed to have at home for the baby. I consulted the internet and books, and the more I read the more freaked out I became.

I thought, even if I GET this stuff, how will I know what to USE? And WHEN to use it?

Well. It turns out, I needed a lot less than I thought, and things just sort of worked themselves out. (I swear.)

BUT! At the time, I was freaked. And I remembered being freaked. And I remember saying, when this part is all over, I'm going to write about it so other people might freak less.

Thus. This post. Compiled from having asked you, having asked friends, having asked my sisters, and having consulted the end-all, be-all book on the subject (GET THIS BOOK): Baby Bargains.

(Note: this book isn't just about buying stuff affordably/saving money. It is an up-to-date list of the exact products you need, which ones you don't, and includes detailed consumer reporting about which are the best, safest, most durable, etc. for the money. If you are pregnant and shopping, this should be your bible. I am grateful to my BFF for giving me a copy!)

But because I know that a 1000 page reference guide is kind of daunting, here is my personal list, crystallized for you. I hope it proves useful!

Note: This list is based SOLELY on my own experience. Your mileage may vary. Also, this is for what you need when you bring the baby home and to get you through the first few weeks.

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My List Of Things I Actually Used In The First Month (Explanations Below)

- A bassinet in our room, next to our bed for Eve to sleep in at night
- Onesies (long and short sleeved; with and without legs/feet) in size "newborn"; socks and hats
- Lots of burp cloths
- Nursing pillow (God Bless the Boppy)
- Blankets, all different sizes and shapes, especially ones for swaddling
- Car seat
- Stroller (we did the combo car seat/stroller and love it)
- Something for baby-wearing (sling, pouch, wrap, Ergo, Bjorn, whatever)
- A couple sleep sacks
- Fully loaded diaper bag
- Diapers, wipes
- Baby "toiletries" including: hypo-allergenic shampoo/body wash; moisturizer; diaper cream
- Baby medicines and baby first aid kit (at least a rectal thermometer and nose bulb) and nail clippers. We also needed/used baby Tylenol, Mylicon, and gripe water.
- A playmat
- Small (4 oz) bottles and formula to have on-hand
- Diaper Champ
- Pacifiers
- Hand sanitizer
- Breast pump
- Nipple cream (Lansinoh! Miracle worker!)
- Quick reference guides: What To Expect The First Year, Happiest Baby On The Block, Nursing Mother's Companion


My List Of Things I Thought I'd Use In The First Month But Didn't (Explanations Below)

- Baby tub
- Baby washcloths and towels
- Bouncer*
- Swing*
- Breastmilk freezer bags*
- Toys, books, stuffed animals*
- Baby monitors*

*All of these things we use now, we just didn't need them in the first month.

Thing We Spent A Lot Of Money On But Didn't REALLY Need:

- Pack-n-Play

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EQUIPMENT

Where will the baby sleep?

There are about a million options here, and this was by far the most confusing aspect of baby-shopping.

We knew that we wanted Eve in our room with us at the beginning. We considered getting a co-sleeper (the thing that attaches to the bed so the baby's sort of in bed with you but you can't roll over on her), but -- for lots of reasons -- decided that having a bassinet RIGHT next to the bed would be a good compromise. When she got bigger, we moved her to her crib in her room.

I know of people who put the crib in their bedroom instead of buying/getting a separate bassinet, and then just moved the crib to the baby's room eventually.

I know LOTS of people who just put the baby in the crib in the baby's room right off the bat.

It's totally up to you.


Where will the baby be changed?

We bought a fancy Pack-n-Play *with changing station* for downstairs. We decided that this made sense because it would serve as her changing station during the day, as well as her daytime napping station.

In actuality, we could have just as easily changed her on the sofa, the floor, an armchair, wherever. Newborns need to be changed a million times and yet they take up like, no space. The Pack-n-Play's changing station was awesome height-wise and convenience-wise. HOWEVER? Eve still all but refuses to sleep in it. (For the first several weeks, Eve would nap in my arms or on the Boppy pillow on my lap.)


Now the P-n-P is still a changing station, and is doubling as a toy chest. We only just recently actually "packed" it and brought it with us for a weekend trip, and she did sleep in it, but with protest. And that's after 7 months.

My point is: it's a useful thing, sort of. It does come in handy, and I know of older babies who use it as a playpen. It's just not the all-in-one Godsend I had hoped it would be.


Will the baby need a swing? A bouncer seat? A jumper?

Some people SWEAR by having a baby swing. I've read my fair share of parenting confessions about how they've let their otherwise fussy baby just hang out in the swing for hours (hey, whatever works!). Eve, however, was not a fussy baby, and never much cared for the swing. In fact, we've NEVER successfully had her in it for longer than 15 minutes that I can remember.

She also HATED the bouncer seat for the first month.


(Of note: Eve eventually learned to love the seat, and this was a lifesaver. If I needed to actually do SOMETHING, I could set her in the seat in front of a Baby Einstein DVD and she'd be happy as a clam. It's the only reason I got anything wrapped this past Christmas.)

Same with the jumperoo: these aren't even recommended for babies who can't support themselves, so unnecessary at the beginning.


What about the baby carrier? And carseat? And stroller?

I am not an expert, and entire giant manuals have been written about strollers alone. So here's my best advice:

- Go to the store and try these out. Look at them and decide on what carrier and stroller makes sense for you and your lifestyle.

- We loved the Graco SnugRide that is also a baby carrier for a few reasons:





1) It snaps in and out of its base in the car, meaning if baby's sleeping, she can stay asleep while you transport her
2) The carrier also snaps into all kinds of stroller bases (some very affordable, like the Snap-n-Go) which is awesome and has held up to all kind of abuse by us. So far, it's been the only stroller we've needed
3) The carrier part rests easily and fairly securely into the base of high chairs at restaurants (you flip the high chairs over). We eat out all the time, so having a comfy place for the baby to "go" was key. The carriers also fit into a lot of shopping carts.



CLOTHING

For the first few weeks of her life -- and even now, seven months later -- Eve lives in onesies. I was told you can never have too many of these, and I agree. With caveats.

Do Get/Have:
  • A mix of short-sleeved and long-sleeved creepers. (These are onesies without legs.) Sometimes it gets hot, sometimes it gets cold. Use creepers as the under-layer instead of "shirts" which are practically not even sold for newborns. So a typical newborn "outfit" is a creeper, a pair of pants, and a sweater/coat over the top if needed.
  • A bunch of "footies," too. These are the long-legged onesies with feet. If it's chilly in your house, this is a nice way to keep the baby warm during the day. Also great for wearing under swaddling at night for sleeping.
  • Fleece footies in particular. Personally, we LOVE the fleece. It's warm, and it's less likely to get soaking wet when there's drool/spit-up, which there always is. If you clean up the spit-up fast enough on fleece, it won't penetrate the surface and you don't have to change the baby's clothes.
  • Socks. They won't stay on unless you get fancy ones, and then those won't stay on, either. But you should try to cover baby's feet when you're going out.
  • Or just buy the Zutano booties. They're expensive if you think of them as socks. But ONE pair of these suckers is worth every other sock you'll ever own because they stay on. I cannot recommend highly enough.
You Do NOT Have to Get:
  • 80 million hundred onesies in size "newborn." Well, I mean, you can -- I wish we had -- but you're safer to get the 3-6 month, or at least 0-3 month size. Because, duh, some babies are born big and outgrow "newborn" sized clothes quickly. My nephew fit in newborns for about two weeks, and we assumed we'd have this same issue. Instead, we had the opposite problem. When Eve was born, we had about two items in size "newborn" and a handful in 0-3 mos. which were too big for her! Eve continued to wear newborn and 0-3 size clothing until she was about four-and-a-half months old. So, yeah.
  • Anything in the order of "outfits" or much in the way of "outerwear." I mean, not right away. (Obviously some outerwear is needed if you live in a cold place and it's winter.) But newborns don't need to be put in complex outfits or stuffed into coats. Mostly they sleep, and like sleeping in your arms and against your body. A cozy onesie, a sling, and a blanket should be good for a long time. And don't underestimate the use of blankets when the baby's in a stroller.
  • Shoes. Those come later. At this stage, they're purely decorative. (See Zutano booties above!)

BATH STUFF

Here's what happened in my experience: I hated the baby tub we bought because it felt really awkward. I think a flat plastic box-like thing (shaped like a litter box) (sorry, the only thing I could think of) would have worked far better than the angled tub with all the bells and whistles. If I'd had a sink in our home that was sized well enough, I would have just bathed her in that. Ultimately, I gave up and just took her in the shower with me for the first couple weeks. (I'm not necessarily recommending this, I'm just saying that's what I did and it worked.) Once she got a little bigger than "tiny," Ish or I began sitting in the tub WITH her, and that's worked out well for all of us.

However you choose to bathe the baby, you do NOT need to buy fancy/baby-specific washcloths or towels. The ones we grabbed at Target sucked. Soft normal people towels or super soft (and expensive) baby towels work better.

We do like having some container next to the tub to help rinse her with.

Helpful but not necessary: thermometer to make sure the water isn't too hot.


SLEEPING THINGS

We swaddled Eve and she loved it. We loved it. So lots of swaddling blankets. The ones we liked best were a little large and stretchy, like this Ladybug swaddler with cute little cap (they make one in a cow pattern, too!) The give in the fabric helps keep it tight.

Or just buy "swaddlers" (velcro) -- you don't have to worry about doing it right.

If you don't swaddle in the beginning, I would still highly recommend sleep sacks. They're great to throw on over creepers, great for naptime, and easy to put on. Eve still sleeps in them.

Tip: since we can't use blankets these days, zipping Eve into a sleepsack for daytime naps is a great way to let her know it's time for sleep. The second I start slipping her into one, she starts yawning.



DIAPERS
We did not go the environmentally friendly route. You may mock and shun us. But we used Pampers Swaddlers in Newborn, and they were amazing.



CREAMS, PHARMACEUTICALS, TOILETRIES &TC.

Let me start off by saying that Lansinoh Nipple cream is the best stuff on earth even if you AREN'T breastfeeding. If you are breastfeeding, it doesn't just sooth dry skin, it actually makes the whole boob feel better, from deep within, for no reason that I can understand. But who cares?

It's also gentle enough to sooth any of baby's dry skin anywhere.

Likewise, Aquaphor -- specifically as a diaper cream but also as a baby moisturizer -- is fantastic. It is clear and it is scent-free. Score!

There is some controversy (shock!) about using gas-relief drops (Mylicon by brand name). Apparently, if you are feeding your baby properly and burping her properly and massaging her tummy properly, digestion and gas shouldn't be an issue. But just say that it is? I don't know -- a couple drops of this stuff came to our immediate mid-night, mid-screaming rescue.

If you want to go the more natural route, try Gripe Water, too. It's an herbal thing (Target carries it) and soothes sore tums. Awesome.

Have Baby Tylenol on hand just because that's the go-to fever reducer, and you don't want to be without it when you need it most.

I still don't understand the difference between all the washing stuff out there, and there are entire websites devoted to the evils of baby creams manufactured by some very reputable companies. So, I will just suggest you opt for organic stuff (like California Baby). For what it's worth, we LOVE the smell of the Burt's Bees products.


FEEDING THE BABY

I was so confused about all the breastfeeding/bottle stuff. I knew I wanted to BF, but I didn't know if it would work. Or if I needed a pump. Or if I needed milk storage. Or, really, anything at all.

Here's my advice:

- If you plan to breastfeed, chances are it will go just fine and that will be that. You won't immediately need bottles or a pump or storage bags or anything. (Except maybe some nipple cream.)

- I, however, had two issues. My milk took a while to come in, so I was super sore. I also got a clogged duct almost immediately. Nothing (including bf'ing) was helping, so Ish ran to the hospital to rent a hospital-grade breast pump. That helped a LOT. After that clog, however, I didn't really need the pump again for a few weeks.

- Regardless of whether you're breastfeeding or bottle feeding, you will probably come home with samples of formula from the hospital, and probably a couple bottles just in case. Those could be all you need to get started.

- We had extra formula on hand, and a few extra bottles. (We got the Dr. Brown's in 4 oz size.)

- A word about formula: it's about a thousand times easier to prepare than it used to be, from what I remember of my mom preparing my little sister's bottles. Now you just plop the formula into the bottle, add water, and mix. Et voila. Eve never cared for her formula heated.

- A LOT more could be said on the topic, but starting at about three months, we started supplementing breastfeeding with formula. I continued to breastfeed until Eve was five months. I would have continued, but she lost all interest, and I decided not to fight it.

- After I was able and willing to leave the house while I was breastfeeding, I learned that I HATED HATED HATED doing it in public. I decided instead to pump ahead of time, and just bring the bottles full of breastmilk. That's when the bottles and pump (and storage bags) came in handy -- but that wasn't until Eve was about 6 weeks.



"PLAYING"

Baby toys baffle me. Since you're not supposed to put anything in the crib with them, and the baby can't really "play" (they can't really do anything except stare at stuff for the first couple weeks), having a crapload of toys in advance of the baby is really pretty useless. Makes for a cute nursery, sure. But otherwise, you don't "need" any of these things when you first arrive home.

The only "playtime" thing we used almost immediately was the "baby gym" -- the mat with overhanging arches with dangling toys. We just set this in our bathroom so she would have something to do while we showered. We also used it for tummy time.



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So that's all I can think of. What did I forget? What did you have that you needed?

And for you expecting moms: Does anything here need more explanation?

Please, chime in!






Comments

  1. Great post Kristy - thank you for sharing. I'm not even pregnant (yet!) but I will definitely refer to this when I am!! :o)

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  2. I've found a good rocker/glider with a rocking/gliding footstool to be invaluable for soothing my new granddaughter to sleep. Babies do love the rocking motion, especially while laying up on your chest, and the rocker/glider makes it easy to keep that up than just sitting and rocking your upper body would in another chair or couch. My lower back loves it!

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  3. Your first month list is exactly the same as mine - I had just emailed it to a few pregnant friends recently. The only thing I would add is the bouncy chair from the start. I put my daughter in that from day 1 and she would hang out or sleep and it was great to have a place to put her down that wasn't her bed. We could also bounce it a bit if she got fussy. We didn't have room for a swing but I guess that would serve the same purpose. I would also caution against buying too many swaddling wraps ahead of time. Our daughter HATED being wrapped up tight and was only happy when she could move her arms and legs.
    Otherwise, I couldn't agree more with your list!

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  4. 1. kimono style onesies (carters sells them in 5 packs) for when the baby's umbilical cord stump is still attached

    2. one-piece outfits that cover the hands (for those in cooler climates)

    3. slow-flow nipples for newborns (if bottle-feeding or supplementing)- playtex worked really well for us

    4. hooded towel (for baths)

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  5. I agree with lots of this (and the stuff that was different for us was just that -- different). I do have to make a case, though, for the Pack-N-Play. We've never packed it or anything, but now that my son is almost 2, it's a huge godsend for times when I want to take a shower but don't want him emptying all the drawers (this means, like, every morning). Anyway -- great post!

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  6. thanks for this post! i'm 7 months pregs and eat this info up!

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  7. Thank you! I'm expecting my first in July and have no idea about things like this!

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  8. The swing was my sanity at the beginning. He would sleep in there for hours. I could do things like take a shower or go pee.

    And burp cloths. No one told me I would need an insane amount of those things because he would be spewing things constantly.

    Zipper sleepers rocked my world when he was a newborn too. They were easy to get on and off, espeically for the middle of night diaper changes. Not worrying about snaps was a good thing at 3am.

    I got about 8 zillion baby towels. Which is stupid because I do laundry at least once, if not twice, a week for him, so needing such a great quantity of baby bath towels was definitely not something I needed.

    This was a fun post - I think new moms definitely need to know what they do and don't need, especially for the first couple of months. (o: I was clueless!

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  9. I don't want to ask any questions that are too personal, but I'm having a csection for my 3rd baby this Friday. I want to breastfeed, but I've failed the past two times and I think it's because I gave up too soon. This is my last baby and I really want to. I didn't have hardly any colostrum at all right after my surgery. I was swollen and engorged 2 days later, but there wasn't hardly any milk coming out either breast. Nobody would really tell me what to do, so I gave up each time. Is that what happened to you? What did you do?

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  10. ** BOPPY pillow - A MUST HAVE
    ** Long sleeved sleep gowns with the mitten cuffs - A MUST HAVE
    ** Assorted pacifiers - to see which one they like - ABSOLUTE MUST
    ** SLEEP SACKS are AWESOME!! (for first time parents who MAY have another baby in the future, buy generic colors and save them - they are not cheap)

    My advice for newbies...do NOT remove the tags from the baby clothes as you get them and wash them..DO NOT DO THIS..I did and then I had too much of one size (0-3 mth) and I couldn't exchange the clothes for size that I did need.

    Also, Carters brand..when the size reads 3 months it really means 0-3 months, 6 months it really means 3-6 months, so on and so forth...I thought the opposite and stored clothes incorrectly until I figured that out! urghh.

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  11. Um can I just say this was AWESOME?

    My husband and I are going to start trying for a baby in the next few months - and me being me, I am already starting to worry about all these sort of things. AWESOME. This will be bookmarked for future guidance....

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  12. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm 30 weeks, and starting to freak out just a little bit over not knowing what to do/have. This helps. As does Baby Bargains...but always good to hear it from a realy person ;)

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  13. Oh love the post. I'm due w/ my first April 11th and it's so hard to find a list of things you NEED versus things people tell you to get or will need. For example - I wouldn't spend money on a wipe warmer - but some people have said it's a MUST. I guess it's a matter of opinion but for me less is more. We purchased a Snap and Go Stroller and a snug ride car seat -and I did a TON of research before hand. Again low profile - easy to move, great in and out base and so on. The only confusing part for me has been the clothes - do I have enough, does 0-3 mean it should fit a newborn? Newborn is only up to X lbs - how do I know how big she will be?! The clothing is most confusing to me - and I've really not bought any "outfits" more onesies (short and long) and sleepers and sleep sacks. Every time I go to the store I buy a few onesies, sleepers etc of varying sizes. I did buy newborn sizes but not a lot, I have considerably more 0-3 size stuff, then 3 and then 3-6. My concern is we don't have a washer/dryer so I want to be sure I have enough without constantly being at the laundrymat or wash n fold! Bless my Mother in Laws heart she got me 4T dresses - which are stowed safely away in a plastic bin with other clothes she won't be in for years. Diapers I suggest buying as you go to the store months prior. We did buy a box of Newborn, then bought the next size up, and so on. We heard it's about 100 diapers per week - so we have bought some but are trying not to go crazy all with one size. Also I heard that Diapers.com has good deals on diapers AND they ship free. We live in SF and we don't have a target or Babies R US right around the corner so this might be an options for us as they deliver! whoo hoo

    QUESTION For Moms (Or Dads) -
    Diaper Champ versus Diaper Genie??

    Plastic Bottle versus Glass?

    Also if you breastfed when did you introduce a bottle (with breastmilk) or a pacifier? A baby classes we had said wait at least 3weeks before introducing a bottle or pacifier... just wondering what worked for you!

    Thanks for the post Kristy!

    JL

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  14. Great post! Good advice for any new mama. Some additional comments/advice from a mama of 5 month old El Bambino:

    *Toni - I did the same thing that Kristy did. A breast pump is a handy thing! You don't get very much milk at first, but as time goes on and you keep up the 'demand' (baby eating, pumping), the supply should increase. There are lots of other factors too, but I found that basic principle to be true for me.

    *Boppy - I got one and tried using it but didn't care for it. Might be a good thing to have on your list but to wait and see if you need it.

    *Outfits with fold over cuffs - GREAT, love em. Except if you have a baby like mine who outgrows all of the newborn/3 month sizes by 2 months, it is hard to find foldover cuff outfits that are big enough and/or with long enough sleeves.

    *Scratch mittens - El Bambino is a big boy so his hands outgrew the mittens by 4 or 5 weeks. You are better off a pack of 0-9 month size cotton socks (which I started using when El Bambino's feet grew out of them...)

    *Bassinet - if you are not sure if you want baby to room in with you at home, the Pack-and-Play is a good temporary solution. We used that for about 2-3 weeks before moving El Bambino to his crib in his room.

    *Blankets - if you have a changing table, I recommend throwing an inexpensive flannel receiving blanket over the changing pad so that it bears the brunt of the, erm, explosions. Easier to throw in the wash and grab a quick replacement! Although there are episodes that require the washing of the changing pad as well :-)

    *Baby toys - for the first month, Kristy is right... they don't need much except that activity mat! It's good to get toys they can grow into. Something they can look at now (bold, contrasting colors) and play with as they start to explore (bell/rattle, mirror, soft/squishy, lots of textures). Oh and for tummy time, El Bambino loves to look at a himself in the mirror we have propped up for him (SKIPHOP sells a cute one)

    Thanks for this great list Kristy! It's nice to read something related to parenting that isn't judgemental/preachy.

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  15. p.s. The class we had sad scratch mittens were not necessary. That the babies nails are so fine in the first weeks that just rounded them off with a soft file would work. Another reason why the suggested NOT using Mittens is because then the baby can't self soothe - meaning they go to suckle their thumb and get a fist full of cottom. I bought some but not sure I will use them.

    JL

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  16. Tummy time? Clearly I'm not a mom but WTF is tummy time. I've read all kinds of people talking about this and seen no explanations for it. Is it something new since people decided that putting kids to sleep on their stomachs kills them or is it some kind of new agey thing that isn't connected to that at all? Do babies come with an index so that all new moms speak that same language?

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  17. So SO helpful. I'm still totally confused about clothing and breastfeeding, but hoping things make sense once he's here. We'll see!

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  18. Bookmarked this very useful post in my super-secret Pregnancy Info folder. I don't NEED it just yet but it's nice knowing I'm stockpiling info for when I do.

    Appreciate the help!

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  19. JL- maybe I have a mutant baby, but El Bambino's nails were NOT able to be filed... too soft and bendy. And cutting was difficult. So mittens/socks were helpful for us when we didn't cut his nails as often as they needed to be. He didn't (and still doesn't) mind sucking on the cotton, although it does make a really annoying sound.

    Amy - Tummy time is just that - time the baby spends on his tummy. Since the recommendation is that babies sleep on their backs due to SIDS risk, many kiddos aren't getting enough time to be on their stomachs. Turns out that tummy time is important for physical development (neck control --> pushing up --> creeping --> crawling).

    There is no index, but there IS an instruction manual. Mine seems to have been lost in the mail but I have petitioned the stork and expect to receive one any day now...

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  20. I would like to add that the breast pump SAVED MY LIFE the night my milk came in. and in. and in. and even more in. I sat at the kitchen table pumping in the dark and crying because I was so freaked out and uncomfortable. So even though lots of people have advice about not getting the pump until you know you "like" breastfeeding, but if I hadn't already set up my pump that night, I don't know what would have happened. Probably I would have exploded.

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  21. Great advice from Kerin (and everyone else, of course)--I don't know how many outfits I didn't get to use for my son because I didn't understand how Carter's sizing worked and by the time I got to what I thought was his size he had already outgrown it.

    The velcro swaddles were lifesavers for us. My son could bust out of the tightest swaddling blanket from day one, but didn't sleep well unless he was swaddled or being held.

    I was terrified of breastfeeding and it ultimately didn't work out for us. New moms should know that it doesn't work for everyone and that's ok. I think you do a great job of getting that message out there too, Kristy.

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  22. Just wanted to chime in on the babywearing gear.

    I'd highly recommend staying away from the Bjorns and pretty much anything sold at Babies r Us. Not because they will hurt your child (well, the Infantino bag of death might) but because they tend to get really uncomfortable really fast for the parents. If you go for an Ergo, Beco, Pikkolo or Patapum (just a few good brands) you'll get a lot more mileage for your money. These actually distribute the baby's weight on your shoulders, back and waist instead of JUST your shoulders like the Bjorn. Also, they position your babies hips more comfortably than the Bjorn. Look at the pics; Bjorns dangle babies by the crotch, where the others allow them to "sit" with their knees higher than their bum, which allows for optimal hip and spine development (check out Bumbo's site; they design their seats with that concept in mind)Also, it can be waaayyy to overstimulating for baby to face out in public. 20 minute errand run facing out? No problem. Day at Disneylandfacing out? That could be a bit much.

    Ring slings are great for quick trips but get uncomfy for longer periods because of the one-shoulder design. However, I love mine for grocery trips and short errands.

    Wraps are daunting but I personally love them. Moby is the best known brand for stretchy wraps but check out SleepyWrap and LoveyDuds; same concept, a little better execution. I have a Moby and a Sleepy wrap and the SW wins hands down. It isn't as bulky and thick, so it doesn't get as hot and actually supports BETTER. Also, please don't evereverever wear a baby on your back in a stretchy wrap. Moby gives instructions for that in their pamphlets, but if you check their site you'll notice they don't give the instructions there. That's because one well placed PUSH by your baby can flip them out ass over appetite, and Moby finally got enough injury reports to take down the web instructions. Use a woven for back carries; they don't have any give so baby can't go anywhere.

    Also, most stretchy wraps get too saggy once baby hits about 18lbs no matter what the manufacturer says. But for the squishy little newborns? Love them.

    Anyway, sorry for the info overload, but I love babywearing and wanted to pass some of it on.

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  23. Instead of a baby tub for the first few months, we used just one of the large sponges that sit on the counter. It was so much easier to put baby on and bathe her. It kept her from slipping around and I was able to sit it on the bathroom counter top and not awkwardly bend over the tub to bathe her.

    I'm all for doing whatever works, but I don't know how you took Eve into the shower with you. My kids were way too slippery when they were that little :)

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  24. Hi Kristy! I am a long time reader who is not a parent but an L&D nurse, apprentice home birth midwife and a Certified Lactation Counselor. As you can imagine, I am very pro breastfeeding and just wanted to clarify a point that you made. Even though your daughter did not like warm formula, it still needs to be prepared by boiling purified water and pouring the powder into slightly cooled boiling water (not below 70 degrees C) and then cooling to room temperature. The powdered formula is not sterile and can carry a bacteria that causes meningitis, so it is especially important to boil the water for young infants. Formula that is pre mixed in liquid form is sterile. WHO has a wonderful booklet about formula preparation http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:Xn6puhUej7wJ:www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/micro/pif_guidelines.pdf+how+to+make+formula+world+health+organization&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjwzcXHQYhBxHlFmvNSRPdKyVfc_gfJmVqaAHG_iQ9dr5WghwO02KwVtUSuCrRWp-8bULmwmk5oDu6xJC6GuiOszZrPrwnXcwqrU_e3uPbgLLGq6Gp2qCW3GeJZArPOqqnjdKjH&sig=AHIEtbTj7H-qOl7DYhxVCGpw57G6LbMJeg

    Also, just so people know, soy formula does not have the cholesterol that children need to myelinate brain cells. Several studies are going on right now to test how large of an effect this is. Cow milk based formula does contain cholesterol, so my advice would be to make sure that your child does not have a cow milk protein sensitivity before stopping breastfeeding.

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  25. Omg..theres always gotta be one in every bunch...........Whitney im sure you mean well but babies are fine with formula prepared from regular distilled water...im sure you'll throw out statistics,but the proof is in over half the people walkin around these days...the soy studies have not shown any evidence to support this claim,in fact thats why they have to keep repeating them ,it always turns out fine,so they keep double checking(they do this with many things not just formula)they want to make sure its safe..I just wish people like you would stop trying to freak people out..believe what you want but dont use fear as a way to get people to do as you say..It clearly states on formula can that its not sterile and if your baby is premature or has weak immune system(not just a cold) then you should speak with ypour doctor,and soy has been around for ages..ITS FINE for heavens sake..Do you realize most dairy products contain soy parts(READ THE INGREDIENTS)....I know you mean well but really,before you get on a site and make claims nto freak people out..DO your research(dont just put up a link of someone else just blowin smoke) do like i have done..real leg working research,hours on phone with several pharmacists,doctors,researchers,andscientists..as well as formula companies and many other lactation consultants....I can back my words up!!!

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