Everything Baby!
When registering consider the following:
1.
Keep reusable items gender neutral (such as tub,
car seat and stroller)
2.
Register for items in a wide price range to give
people options.
3.
You will need to store everything you get!
4.
Some things you should almost always buy new:
such as a carseat!
5.
Register for everything you need-even if it
isn’t gifted to you, you’ll get a discount on it from the store.
Bed
1. 2 Fitted
sheets
2. 1 Mattress
pad
3. Breathable
bumper
4. No need to
register for blankets: You’ll probably get more than you could ever use
Bath
1. Tub (I have
the basic First Year infant to toddler tub-I like using it, and it fits in the
kitchen sink, but it is big to store now that I'm not using it. I have tried
other smaller options and don’t like them though)
2. 2 Hooded
towels
3. 5-10 wash
clothes
4. Bath spout
cover
5. Bath Toys
Toiletries
1. Body wash,
shampoo and lotion
2. Thermometer
(I would recommend an Exergen temporal scanner. Ear thermometers aren’t
accurate and the other option is armpit or rectal)
3. Baby comb
4. Nail
clippers
5. Ibuprofen
and Gripe Water (for hiccups and gas)
6. Pacifiers
(I use Soothies but have also heard good things about MAMs)
Furniture
1. Crib &
Mattress
2. Dresser-put
the changing pad on top
a. Changing
Pad
b. Changing
pad cover
3. Rocker/Glider
or other comfy chair (whether it’s new or something you already have!)
4. Rock &
Play (I love mine because it keeps them on an incline and gives them a sense
they are still being held. I keep mine by the bed)
5. Small
trashcan with lid
6. Laundry
Hamper
7. Nice storage
baskets for toys, books and other baby items
8. Monitor (I
started with a First Years audio monitor-it was very crackly. Now I have a Infant
Optics Video monitor-basic, but does the job, when the room is quiet the
monitor shuts off so no crackling)
9. Baby
proofing: outlet covers, cabinet locks etc.
Feeding
1. Small &
Large bottle-(Avent Naturals is one of the best for breastfed babies)
2. Bottle
cleaner
3. Breast
pump-if you’re planning on pumping back at work ( I recommend Madela InStyle)
4. Milk
Storage Bags
5. Nursing
Cover (I have an Udder Cover and a Hooter Hider-I like both)
6. Nursing
pads-I prefer cloth nursing pads (you use 1-2 sets a day-so how many you get
depends on how often you do laundry)
7. 2-3 Nursing
Bras and Nursing Tanks (I have had the best luck at Target)
8. Burp Cloths
9. Bibs-Waterproof
with a catcher pouch on the bottom
10. Boppy
feeding pillow if you want-Optional!!! in my opinion, I didn't really use mine,
but some people love them
11. Booster
Seat (instead of high chair)- I would recommend Fisher Price Healthy Care
Booster Seat
12. Baby solid
feeding items-a few sippy cups, small storage bowls with lids, rubber coated
spoons, toddler silverware
Play
1. Play mat
2. Bouncer/swing
(think compact and lightweight-you’ll need to store it someday and you’ll
likely need to move it room to room around the house)
3. Early toys:
a. Teethers
b. Crunchy
fabric toys
c. Plush
rattles
d. You can
figure out their interests when they get older and get appropriate toys then!
Clothes
1. Swaddle
Sack sizes small and large (I use SwaddleMe brand-look for Velcro, babies break
out of the wrap kind easily!)
2. Hangers
3. You’ll
probably get more than enough clothes without having to buy or register for any
(assuming you find out the gender). But generally in each size you’ll want (try
to keep it basic and comfy with easy on/off and easy diaper changability):
a. 4-6 Footie
sleepers (zipper up ideally)
b. 4-6 white short-sleeved
onsies (for under outfits-I liked Carter brand)
c. 4-6 pairs
of plain socks
d. 4-6 shirts
and pants (stretchy is great) or one piece outfits
e. 1-2 zipper
up sweaters.
4. Totes to
keep clothes in-I would recommend 6 totes to start, one for Newborn/1-3, 3-6,
6-9, 9-12, 18 and 24/2T). If the clothes only have one number printed on the
tag, for example 3 months-it means that it’s a 0-3 month size.
Travel
1. Diaper bag
(something with lots of pockets to organize and easy open/close-i.e. flaps and
magnet closure. Who has time for snaps and zippers when you’re in a hurry and
only have one hand??? Also consider a backpack style bag-it gives you two free
hands! I love my Vera Bradley)
2. Infant car
seat (I have a Chicco Key Fit and love it)
a. Babies-R-Us
will let you try out car seats to see how you like them and if they fit in your
car.
3. Convertible
Car Seat (I have an Evenflo Symphony-Converts to a booster seat too!)
4. Stroller (either
one that comes with the travel system or if you think you want kids close
together consider getting a double stroller such as the Joovy Ultralight
Caboose. Also consider the size of your car when choosing a stroller.)
5. Pack N
Play-this is just for travel. So think small, basic, lightweight and compact!
No bells and whistles! Graco is great for this!
6. Baby
Carrier (I like the Moby Wrap for small baby and Mei Tai for 6mo+ )
Diapering
You choose: disposable or cloth! You will likely do
disposables for the first 6-8weeks either way (and I use disposables for
nighttime).
Disposables are much simpler and straight forwards. BUT they
do cost more and aren’t as good for the environment (or the baby’s skin in my
opinion):
1. You’ll go
through diapers quickly the first 6 weeks. Assume 15+/day. After that 8-12/day.
2. Baby will
also grow out of size newborn, 1 and 2 diapers quickly. You’ll need more size
3+.
3. I tend to
get generics-and have had luck with Target and Luvs.
4. Disposable
wipes-I prefers Huggies brand. (I use
disposable wipes when out)
Cloth Diapering
You can get
most everything on Amazon. Saves about $1000-$3000 per child to cloth
diaper-and it’s not that hard. Just have to learn how to use them and how to
wash them properly and be willing to take the time to do that. I personally
think it's totally worth it and they are so cute too!
There are a
couple options for cloth-
1.
All-in-ones (very easy but expensive)
2.
Pockets (easy and moderate/cheap price depending
on brand)
3.
Prefold/flats with covers (most labor intensive
but probably the cheapest)
This is what you need depending on
what type you get:1.
Choose your diapers:a. For
prefolds/Flats (common brands: Bummis, Green Mountain or Thirsties): i.
24 small prefold diapers (7-20lb) and 18 medium (15-35lb) ii.
5 small diaper covers (7-20lb) and 5 medium covers
(15-35lb) iii.
A pack of Snappis or pins ORb. For all in
ones or pockets (popular brands: BumGenius, Alvababy or Sunbabies) i.
18-24 diapers. Most are adjustable so they will fit
from birth to potty training-but some brands have a small and large size for
trimmer fits. ii.
I use Alvas with stuffed with either the 5 layer
bamboo insert or a prefold-they are about $4-4.50 each. You can order them
directly from the company in China for the best price. http://www.alvababy.com/20-baby-pure-reusable-cloth-diapers-with-20-inserts-p-2078.html. 2. 30-40 cloth
wipes-I made mine out of flannel. You can also buy these.3. If you’re
already washing diapers you might as well wash the wipes too.a. I just make
a gallon of wipe detergent-water, ½ cup baby wash, ½ baby oil, a few drops of
tea tree oil (optional- it’s an antibacterial)4. Cloth
diaper safe detergent (no dyes, softeners or enzymes). I use 7th
Generation.5. 2 pail
liners (basically waterproof washable trashbag)-Planetwise is a good brand6. 1 small
wet/dry bag for travel (again planetwise)7. Trash can
for a diaper pail8. Cloth
diaper sprayer (This is what I use and like- Bidet Sprayer)a. You only
need to rinse poopy diapers after baby starts eating real food! Before that,
just throw everything in the hamper.9. If you ever
need to use diaper rash creams-most will damage the cloth diapers (including
A&D, Butt Paste, Destin etc)...so ideally use a safe cream such as Angel
Baby Bottom Balm by Earth Mama (good stuff!), or add a flushable/cloth liner to
protect the diaper from the cream.
To wash cloth diapers (ideally every 2-3 days)- Dump the
diapers and pail liner in the washer (no need to touch the dirty diapers so
long as you pulled all the inserts out already) and run a rinse cycle on cold
or warm with no detergent to rinse all the diapers. Then run a heavy cycle on
whatever temp your diaper company recommends, with extra rinses and with your cloth diaper safe detergent. Line dry
ideally or in the drier on low heat. Check the manufacturers washing
recommendations.
Prepare for the Marriage NOT the Wedding
You have your doctor or
midwives there for you during pregnancy and labor. The experience could be good
or bad BUT you will have educated and experienced people there to help you!
Once you get home-it’s pretty much all you! So spend you 9 months of pregnancy
reading up on and educating yourself on caring for a child; not pregnancy,
labor and delivery! Go to a childbirth class sometime during the 3rd
trimester and ask your healthcare provider any questions you may have about
labor or pain management.
Learn
about your feeding options, if you’re planning on breastfeeding read lots about
that, especially latch and what are normal breastfeeding patterns. Also
research sleeping habits of infants and about sleep training if that’s
something you would like to do. Look into “wonderweeks” and growth spurts-they
will give you an idea what to expect as well!
I
found the book Babywise to be helpful for me. Basically you teach your child
the patterns of eat then play then sleep. It encourages babies to learn how to
fall asleep on their own and helps them AND you know what to expect next and
what they likely need when they are fussy.
Just
a few random notes:
·
Unless a diaper is
poopy or leaking wet, DO NOT change diapers at night! It just makes it harder
to get them back to sleep. Also don’t turn on the lights at night!
·
It’s OK to wake a
sleeping baby if it’s time to eat!
·
It’s OK to let the baby
cry for a few minutes! You need to be able to eat and use the bathroom. Baby
may surprise you be able to put themselves back to sleep or entertain
themselves! Just give them a chance!
·
Adjust your
expectations for you, your husband and you
baby! There may be things you never said you would do-but you learn they work,
just go with it! Tell your husband what you are feeling and what your need help
with (don’t just expect him to know!). And it is normal for your baby to be
fussy sometimes, normal for them to be up at night and normal for them to want
to eat constantly sometimes too (it doesn’t mean that you don’t have enough milk
if you’re breastfeeding)
·
Try to have all your
baby shopping done, furniture and accessories set up and clothes clean and put
away by around 36 weeks. You may think you have time after the baby is born,
but you likely won’t feel like doing any of that, plus it’s one less
stress!
·
Kellymom.com and
Babycenter.com are generally reputable resources for infant care!
Google is NOT your friend when it comes to pregnancy
symptoms-CALL your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns regarding
any symptoms you are having.
Hospital Packing List
(pack
around 34-36 weeks)
When packing keep this in mind: basically you are packing for 2 day
“hotel” stay during which you’ll want to be comfortable (with easy boob access)
but reputable enough for visitors and pictures.
Nursing
Tank Top x2
Nursing Bra
x2
Capris x2
Zipper up
Hoodie
Socks x2
Underwear
x4
Large heavy flow sanitary pads (about 20)-I found that I didn’t like the
hospital ones
Face wipes
Deodorant
Lotion
Razor (that might just be me-but I really wanted mine)
Toothbrush and tooth paste
Chapstick
Body spray
Makeup
Clothes & Toiletries for husband
Mints/Gum
Cash
1 Baby Outfit
Car Seat
Camera and Batteries
Cell Phone Charger
Buy before baby is born: Stool
softener & iron and vitamin c supplement and stock up on pads
