[blparent] Questions about purchasing baby items

Wed Jan 14 20:21:10 UTC 2009

I'm not being clear. 
I read Anjelina's question on meds to mean that she was interested in
OTC meds, and my point is that she needs to find a peditritian she
trusts, which she can do pretty easily. She can then sort out how to
give whatever needs to be given
We were told with our daughter that if we had ap roblem we couldn't
resolve in the first two  months that we needed to first talk to the
peditritian. I wasn't trying to imply that newborns shouldn't have
medicine, just that it is different a person may do with an older baby. 
I can't say it anymore clearly then this. Finally, as with most things,
you figure out how to handle a situation when it arrises. Giving a
premobile infant medicine is vastly different from giving a very pissed
off toddler medicine.   

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Dena Wainwright
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 2:17 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] Questions about purchasing baby items

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.

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