A list of Needed and Not-So Needed Things for your new baby..

This is a list I compiled for a friend about a year ago.. I found it again to give to someone and thought I'd share it with you.. Of course people will give you things that you may or may not need, but if you have anything to say about it, this may help.. Happy reading!

Things Your Baby Does NOT Need:

Infant tub

Diaper genie

Changing table

Lots of shoes J (especially when very little)

Wipe warmer, they’re nice when they poop every 2 hours, but once that slows down, the wipes just dry out

Bottle warmer-especially if you are nursing/pumping

A boppy pillow-- This one is controversial:  If you have a bigger chest, you might find that there is no room for your baby once the pillow is around your waist! A regular pillow works just as well, and as your baby grows you will probably not need anything.  However, the pillow is useful for propping up baby when first trying to sit or work on neck muscles, etc. (but again, are you using it for that just because you have it?) ha ha

Winter Snowsuit- Get a nice bunting that covers the car seat and she won’t need to wear anything extra.. They actually don’t want you to strap them in with too much (padded) clothing as it lessens the effectiveness of the seat. Just a warm hat and maybe mittens, depending on the style of seat cover.

Things baby may find useful:

Front pack (baby carrier)

“Little Noses” saline drops, and a soft bulb syringe.. Easily gets those deep and bothersome boogies out!

Humidifier, because every kid gets sick L… and you know how dry a house gets in the winter!

A “jumperoo” something to jump in when they get to be 4-9 months old

Several outfits that are one piece with feet. This is especially nice in the winter. Who wants to keep pulling down the shirt of a 2 month old? A must for traveling, too.. Just think: Clothes. Bunching. Up. (See above, things Amelia does not need:  Lots of shoes…)

A fun and bright “play mat”. Very useful when they start staying awake for longer than a feeding..  A nice chance to get out of the swing and exercise those new muscles!

A bath toy holder (ours is a big frog that sticks to the shower wall.. Love it! Target.com)

A baby monitor- nice for those summer days when she is napping and you want some sun!

Baby Einstein Videos- no, they will not make her smarter, but she may love them! (Beckett was mesmerized.. Keaton couldn’t care less!)

Poly-vi-sol, a multivitamin for babies, I read about it and then my doctor recommended it for breast-fed babies that need an extra charge of vitamin D (and other things) especially in the winter! I started giving it in cereals or sometimes straight around a few months old. Warning: it tastes awful! (Enfamil makes it, in the baby isle, or vitamin isle)

A dishwasher basket (for nipples, pacifiers, etc.), I have one but don’t really use it. However, if I worked full time I would use it a lot more!

Mobile, for the crib- I thought they were just for decoration until… They can actually help put them to sleep!!

Things your baby will definitely need:

Eucerin Aquaphor, don’t bother with desitin (or anything else), use aquaphor to treat/prevent diaper rash, chapped skin from drool, cuts, scrapes, chapped lips, raw nose, etc..!

Aveeno baby, fragrance free lotion and wash, esp. if she has sensitive skin! Use the ‘cream’ kind for “baby” soft skin!

Car seat that comes out of the car.  Soooo handy, especially in the winter!  Once she outgrows that, I recommend the Britax Marathon car seat. It’s front and rear facing from 5-60 pounds! Excellent safety standards and great reviews! You spend a little more, but they are great and you’ll use it for a long time! We have 2 now…

Swing and lots of batteries

Tights! Because I think they are so cute on little girls. J

Gate for stairs (if needed)

Night light- mostly for you to see your baby right away without having to wonder (or get too close).

Things Mommy will enjoy:

A diaper bag that’s not too babyish and not too big.. This will be your purse for at least the next 10 months! Believe it or not, you won’t want to bring everything but the kitchen sink. I recommend one that can strap over your neck/shoulder, like a messenger style bag.. That way when you are holding many things, you won’t have to worry about a bag that keeps falling off your shoulder! (I get irritated just thinking about it!!)

Lots of disposable nipple pads  (if you’re nursing)-I like Lansinoh, Johnson and Johnson are eh, ok..

Lansinoh breast milk bags

Good nursing bras (2)  (I like Bravado brand) check babycenter.com (You’ll want to wear a bra all the time for quite a while.. if not the whole time you’re nursing) You’ll find out more about that in class.)

A car adaptor ($17-18?) for your pump (medela recommended).. I love mine, and when I use it, I use it a lot.. They have them at motherhood maternity or online.

Nursing cover-up- I never had one, but wanted one.. is it a necessity? No, but if you need to nurse her while out, don’t count on a blanket staying on your shoulder.. Something to look in to??

www.babycenter.com- you may have been on here already! Weekly tips and solutions for your child at their current age. Lots of mom opinions about EVERYTHING.  There’s a store, milestone charts, etc..  lots to see!

www.onestepahead.com- I love this site and have ordered many things from it.. It has it all!

Feeling better

I'm happy to report that Beckett is feeling much better.. It took us getting to Day 10 to feel it. I am grateful.. He's had a tough week and a half. What a trooper, though.. I love him so much and looking forward to no more snoring, and interested to see how else it may effect him! I'll keep you posted!

Tonsillectomy Troubles

My 3.5 year old, Beckett, had his tonsils out last week. He had sleep apnea and could snore most grown men under the table.. So, off to the operating room we went. It was an uneventful surgery, he came out of anesthesia a little scared, but ok. His first night home, he woke up crying, shaking, and unable to swallow. Drool was everywhere, he was near hysterics! (As was his mother.) I finally got him calmed down, got him to swallow, take his meds and he slept. I was giving him Tylenol or Motrin whenever I could, and he was still having difficulty swallowing or drinking. The surgeons will tell you the best thing you can do is keep the throat moist.. "I don't care if he has 50 popsicles a day" is what we were told... NO PROBLEM! He loves popsicles, right?? He refused to eat any popsicles or jello. Needless to say, we spent days pushing (forcing) fluids, praying he would return to normal soon.

 

Thursday we finally called and got a prescription for Hydrocodone Elixir, a liquid narcotic. It helped, but evidently tasted terrible! The second dose I tried to give Beckett he threw it up instantly. I didn't even have time to get a "chaser" to his lips!! I tried mixing it with OJ the next day, and even then you could taste it.. Called the pharmacy and hung up getting no help.. UGH. Sometime that day, out of desperation, I tried Hershey's syrup.. THAT'S what made the medicine go down!! :) Just added enough to mix with the medicine and went down the best. PHEW! I was relieved.

 

We've had no bleeding (thank goodness!), but have experienced low grade temps, weight loss, voice changes, low energy, nausea, diarrhea, etc. This was MUCH harder than I anticipated. I would like to tell every parent to expect this.. I was assuming 2 quiet days and we'd be back at it! We are currently on day 9, and although things are looking up, we are still struggling with fluids, diet, medicine and sleep. I believe his scabs are beginning to fall off. I understand that he'll feel better sooooooon. (Fingers crossed)

 

A few tips I'd like to share:

 

• Hershey Syrup mixer. Don't hesitate.
• Stay AHEAD of the pain, even if they are feeling "OK"
• Keep an informal log of medication. What and when, it's amazing what you forget!
• We were told to stay away from dairy, but if it's all they'll drink, go for it!
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. A cool new water bottle or a funky straw did the trick!
• Don't worry about solids, they'll catch up on calories when they feel better.
• Encourage a nap, even if they don't take one anymore. They'll appreciate it. So will you!
• Keep plenty of jello on hand. Don't be afraid to feed it to them yourself.
• When giving any meds, don't underestimate the power of a syringe. You can "shoot" it in instead of fighting with a tiny cup.
• Borrow a few "new" movies from friends!
• If you haven't already, invest in a good thermometer. I love my Braun tympanic style.
• Keep your doctor's number close, allow yourself plenty of rest, and be patient!

Best of luck!