[blparent] Items you couldn't live without

[Eva Adams]

Dena I didn't think about the sleep sacks. I loved these during the winter. 
Also the main clothing that I had a lot of were onesies. My daughter was 
born in early August, so we had a bit of hot weather still. A lot of time I 
would just put a onesie on her, especially if we were just staying around 
the house.

Eva
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dena Wainwright" <dena at envogueaccess.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 1:46 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] Items you couldn't live without


> Angela.
>
> unfortunately, some of this really depends on your particular baby, who, 
> of course, you won't know anything about until he or she arrives. e.g.,
> I spent a lot of money on a breast pump. it turned out to be one of the 
> best things I could have purchased, as I ended up pumping exclusively for 
> 22 weeks. however, if I had been fortunate enough to be able to establish 
> nursing with my daughter, or if I hadn't been able to produce enough milk 
> and had to suspend breastfeeding, I might not have needed a pump at all. 
> similarly, for my daughter the swing was a total life saver, but I've 
> spoken with other parents whose kids hated their swings.
>
> what you might find helpful to do is to divide your list of baby items 
> into categories. e.g., I had a group of items we absolutely had to have 
> when the baby came home from the hospital: a carseat, a place for her to 
> sleep, clothes for her to wear, etc. I had another group of items that we 
> would eventually need, but that weren't necessary immediately: a 
> highchair, certain baby toys like a jumper, etc.
>
> some of what you'll need will also depend on what you choose to do as a 
> mom. e.g., if you plan to take baths with your baby, a baby tub won't be 
> necessary. if you plan to co-sleep, a crib won't be necessary.
>
> some items that I personally feel aren't worth buying are as follows. of 
> course, there will likely be others on the list who found these things 
> essential.
> - a sterilizer (I just boiled everything in a big pot on the stove before 
> using it for the first time.)
> - newborn-sized clothes (my daughter weighed nearly 8 pounds at birth, and 
> those clothes only fit babies up to 8 pounds.)
> - a baby tub (I only used ours for a very short period of time before 
> beginning to take baths with my daughter.)
> - a baby wipe warmer (I just use good ole warm water when necessary.)
> - swaddle blankets (my daughter hated being swaddled.)
> - those night gowns with the open bottom (my daughter kicked so much that 
> they ended up around her chest - making her cold.)
>
> some things that I personally found I really needed were as follows.
> - a bundleme (a sleeping-bag-type thing that zips into the baby's carseat 
> to keep him warm in the winter).
> - sleep sacks (again, sleeping-bag-type things with sleeves that the baby 
> sleeps in).
> - a baby gym/play mat (my daughter loved laying on hers, and would stare 
> up and the toys for 30-45 minutes at a time. sometimes she would even nap 
> on it.)
> - a swing (my daughter was colicky and had reflux, so this is one of the 
> only places she would sleep for the first 14 weeks of her life.)
> - a breastpump (again, I pumped exclusively, so it more than paid for 
> itself.)
> - music for the baby to listen to (we had a musical crib soother for my 
> daughter that was a huge hit.)
> - bright and interesting toys and mirrors that the baby can just lay there 
> and watch.
>
> my best piece of advice is not to buy too much of any one thing. e.g., 
> don't go out and purchase 10 bottles of the same brand. your baby might 
> never use bottles, or that brand might not work for him (I tried four 
> brands of bottles before finding one that worked for us). this is the same 
> for diapers. don't go out and buy 200 newborn-sized diapers. they only fit 
> the baby up to something like 8 or 10 pounds, and if you have a big baby, 
> it won't be long before they won't work for you anymore.
>
> keep in mind, that for the first several months, the only things your baby 
> will be doing are eating, sleeping, and filling up diapers. when 
> considering your "must-haves," remember that. also, keep it simple. cute 
> little outfits with five matching pieces are fun for special occasions, 
> but they're not practical for daily use.
>
> no matter how prepared you are, you'll find there are things you forget to 
> buy, things you're thrilled you bought, and things you kick yourself for 
> buying. that's the nature of the beast. you can make as many plans as 
> you'd like, but when the baby arrives, many of those plans go out the 
> window.
>
> hope some of this helps.
>
> Dena
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Angela Frederick" <angelahoward at mail.utexas.edu>
> To: <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 10:47 AM
> Subject: [blparent] Items you couldn't live without
>
>
>> Hi, everybody,
>>
>> Okay, so I am a huge nerd and have been trying to figure out what our 
>> family budget could be if we succeed in getting pregnant.  I've been 
>> looking at baby items and their costs and wondering what is really 
>> necessary and worth spending money on.
>>
>> So, I would like to know from all of you who have kids:
>>
>> 1. What baby items do you consider a necessity or a life-saver?
>>
>> and
>>
>> 2. What baby items do you wish you hadn't spent money on?
>>
>> Thanks for the feedback!
>> Angela
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blparent mailing list
>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> blparent:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/dena%40envogueaccess.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blparent mailing list
> blparent at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> blparent:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/eadams15%40gmail.com