[blparent] Questions about purchasing baby items

[Tammy, Paul and Colyn]

HI,

I understand all you're trying to say, and it would have been appropriate if 
the question was when should I give my baby medacin.  You said you figure 
things out at the time you need to which is fine.  But what happens if you 
need the medacin at 3 n the morning and you don't have the equipment or the 
sighted help to give your baby gripe water or gass meds. Some of us don't 
have the luxury of having a sighted husband or a 24 hour store to run to.

Tammy
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M. (TASCSD)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at ngc.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 3:21 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] Questions about purchasing baby items


> 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.
>
>
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>
> 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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