[blparent] Questions about purchasing baby items

[Amber Boggs]

Dena, This is the best email i have ever seen braking down things that a mom 
will likely need. Thanks for taking the time to post it. I really hope that 
Angie got to read it before she left the list. I wil lask her off list and 
let you no if she did not so you can mail it to her.
Rick says he wants to keep it around to look at again. LOL Even though we 
did it once, Its always good to think it over again.
You no, I so stressed over having a baby bath that would work. I actually 
baught two different kinds, and Have only used it once when he was first 
boarn and had a slight fever for like an hour. Other then that he has always 
been in the shower and bath with us. I laff at myself for being so stressed 
about it.
Where as I thaught I would never use a changeing table, and almost did nto 
get one. And come to fidn out, I would never be with out the thing! SO one 
never truly noes on some things, but other things are just apsalutely 
required.
Amber.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dena Wainwright" <autumnrose21 at gmail.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 11:16 AM
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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