[blparent] Questions about purchasing baby items

[Dena Wainwright]

Hello.



Since I did the whole newborn thing not so long ago, I have a number of 
thoughts...



We did do a theme for Elise's room. We didn't go totally over-board with 
diaper stackers, curtains, etc., but we did choose sheets, a night light, a 
lamp, and a quilt that match. Part of this choice was because my husband is 
sighted, and wanted a theme he liked, but the things we chose are tactile as 
well. One brand we found particularly tactile was Kidsline. Keep in mind, 
though, that the baby can't use anything other than a fitted sheet in her 
crib until she is at least a year old.



When buying things for the baby, we divided our list into things we 
absolutely had to have when she came home from the hospital (a carseat, 
diapers, wipes, shampoo, soap, lotion, clothing in small sizes, etc.), and 
things we wouldn't need for awhile (a high chair, baby gates, baby dishes, 
etc.). This made things feel a bit more manageable, and gave us an 
opportunity to save some things for our Christmas list, and do some research 
into some of the products we were interested in.



In terms of giving medicine, I think your concern about how to do it 
accurately is a valid one. All of the suggestions you've gotten are great 
ones, and I have to say that I disagree that newborns shouldn't be getting 
meds. In our case, we have given Elise Gripe Water, gas drops, and acid 
reflux medications. You just never know what your baby will need.



As far as a carrier goes, I would suggest something that is more versatile 
than a sling. Slings can be great for newborns, but once the baby gets 
heavier, and wants her arms and legs to be more free to move, a sling can be 
challenging. I would suggest a wrap, because it gives you the option to 
carry the baby in several different positions, and distributes the weight 
more evenly. I have a fabulous description that I was given on another blind 
parenting list that explains how to wear a newborn in a wrap if you'd like 
it. If you do choose a sling, I would advise against wearing the baby in 
cradle position. A very experienced baby-wearer I know cautioned me against 
that position, as the baby's airway is easily cut off. Instead, I would wear 
the baby with her tummy facing your chest (something I can explain how to do 
if you'd like).



In terms of adapted items, I have a talking thermometer, a color identifier, 
and Braille board books. I also did some organizational things, such as 
pinning outfits together, only buying white socks, and putting clothing of 
different sizes into separate bins.



What I've learned is that strollers are a highly personal choice. I went out 
and got a stroller with swiveling wheels and a reversible handle. It is a 
very nice (and expensive) stroller, and it pulls very well. However, it is 
very heavy, and is one of the most unintuitive things we own. I have a Graco 
carseat frame that I like much better, but it doesn't pull as well, and is 
only good as long as Elise fits in her infant seat. The Sit 'n Stroll is 
very cool, and will be great for trips in cabs, airport travel, etc., but I 
agree the baby needs head control, and that it wouldn't be a practical 
everyday choice. I do think the best thing for you to do is go and try out 
as many strollers as you can. Pick something you like to pull, and something 
you find easy to fold, unfold, and use.



Here is a list of things we use the most. Hopefully I won't forget anything.



Baths:

Lotion, shampoo (Elise has a lot of hair), comb, soap, towels, wash cloths.

We used a baby tub for the first few weeks, but now we just bathe Elise in 
the tub with me, and that's much easier. Also, she loves floating in my arms 
in the warm water. If I had it to do again, I probably wouldn't have 
bothered with one.



Eating:

Bottles, mesh dish washer baskets, breast pump, wash cloths, bottle warmer, 
nursing bras, breast pads, nipple cream, breastmilk storage bags or bottles.

I would suggest that you not buy very many bottles of a particular brand. We 
had to try four different brands before we found one that didn't aggravate 
Elise's colic.

Some people love nursing pillows, but because I pump exclusively, we never 
really used ours for its intended purpose. It did work well as a way to keep 
Elise elevated when her reflux was bad.

Also, people will try to sell you bottle sterilizers. We just boiled things 
in a big pot, or used our dish washer (it is new so it gets very very hot).

Whether you choose to have formula in the house is a widely debated issue. 
We did decide to have it around for supplementation, and I'm glad we did. 
There's nothing like a screaming baby at 3 o'clock in the morning when your 
milk hasn't come in yet to make you wish you had extra food around.



Changing:

Diapers in different sizes, wipes, change pad, change pad covers, paper 
towels, diaper disposal system (we picked one that used regular trash bags),

Diaper rash ointment, nail file/buffer for those fast growing baby claws, a 
nasal aspirator.

One thing we find helpful is that we use those small diaper sacks. They are 
a bit more expensive, but we put the really disgusting diapers into them 
before throwing them into the diaper genie. This keeps the diaper genie much 
cleaner. The other thing we do is spray the diaper genie with deodorizing 
spray when we change the bag.



Toys:

Newborns really don't play with toys. Elise liked to look at mirrors and 
lights, and she loved anything that made noise. Now that she's starting to 
kick and grab, she loves her baby gym and her hanging bells. She also has a 
set of wrist rattles and a little stuffed animal with a rattle in it that 
she loves. The other things that are really helpful are her crib soother (we 
have a turtle with an aquarium in its belly that plays various classical 
melodies), and her swing. Again, every baby is different, but that swing has 
literally kept us sane because it was one of the only places she would sleep 
when her colic and reflux were especially bad. Her bouncy seat, on the other 
hand, she could very easily do without.



Other things we use a lot:

Somewhere for her to sleep. She outgrew her bassinette pretty quickly, but 
we love her Pack 'n Play. We just got a really simple one, with no change 
station, vibration, music, etc. Elise also sleeps with me quite a bit, as 
when she is really fussy, being near me is one of the only things that calms 
her.



Receiving blankets. We use them for everything: burp cloths, change pad 
covers, blankets, etc. I put them down on things that are harder to wash, in 
case of spitting up or other messes.



Clothing. Initially, simpler is better. We use a lot of those warm PJ's with 
feet. They keep her warm, and are easy to get on and off. There are tons of 
adorable baby outfits out there, but they do outgrow things very quickly. 
Elise has outgrown things that she never even got a chance to wear. Also, 
buying some cheaper clothes is a good idea. We have had a few instances 
where the diaper explosion has been so bad, we literally threw the clothing 
in the trash. Also, there are days where you will put your baby into four 
different outfits because of spitting up, diaper messes, etc.



If you live in a colder place, I would highly recommend a Bundle Me. We 
absolutely love ours, and use it every time we leave the house. Sleep Sacks 
and Swaddle Blankets are nice, but they aren't essential. Elise hates being 
swaddled, so we don't really use them. Again, you'll learn what your 
particular baby likes.



Some kind of diaper bag. We just use a back pack. It is amazing how much 
stuff you need to leave the house with.



My biggest piece of advice is be flexible, and don't buy too much of any one 
thing. You'll learn as you go, and figure out which items are most useful 
for you, and which items you and your baby like. There are things that I 
bought, and I look at them now, and think "that is the stupidest thing I 
could have spent my money on." There are other things that I am so thankful 
I have, and still other things I didn't think of, and had to go out and buy 
after Elise was born.



I know it feels so overwhelming. You want to have everything your baby 
needs, but you don't want to go over board. I found it easiest to break 
things down according to tasks, as I did above. However, for the first 
several months, you will be spending all of your time feeding, changing, and 
bathing the baby, and putting her down to sleep. Those are the things to 
focus on initially.





















Again, I would suggest not going crazy with toys, as you will learn what 
your baby likes. For instance, we bought several pacifiers, and Elise hates 
them.