This looks like a pretty good site. It includes items needed for breastfeeding as well as newborn essentials.
http://www.natural-parenting.com/pre.html
Congratulations!
First of all, congratulations to Green Bean and Mister Bean. Um, wait a minute, not that Mister… heck with it.
As far as baby things go, there are three non-negotiable items:[ul]
[li]carseat[/li][li]clothes[/li][li]diapers[/li][/ul]
Everything else can be faked. In fact, in the event of a real emergency, everything but the carseat can be faked. If at all possible, get an infant-only carseat to start with; most newborns do not fit well in convertible infant and toddler seats.
For clothes, newborns can live in onesies and one-piece sleepers. If you live in a warm climate, get some patterned onesies; on warm days the baby can just wear that. (Could wear just a plain white onesie, of course; the pattern is for you.) Needless to say you’ll want clothes that can be tossed in the washer and then either machine or line dried. You’ll get enough fussy, hard-to-maintain (but very cute) stuff from relatives and friends without encouraging them to buy more.
If you’re considering cloth diapers, ask for advice! The stuff you get in stores these days is just not up to snuff, but much better diapers, covers etc. can be ordered online.
Beyond this… well, I’m a baby equipment minimalist. A great number of things that come up on lists of “necessities” just don’t appeal to me. We never had, and never missed, baby swings or monitors or walkers or space-age diaper disposal systems. With totnak we never even had a use for breastpump or bottle, as he would only take the fresh stuff straight from the tap. (Believe me, we tried. :eek: ) On the other hand, I loved having my old cradle beside my bed - not only cozy but practical, since I could rock the baby while dozing a bit myself. And totnak was much easier to soothe in the Baby Bjorn carrier than anywhere else.
So think about your lifestyle and what you imagine doing with your baby. That’s your best guide.
Good luck! 
It’s a boppy.
Hand breast pump: go with Avent
Electric: Medela Pump N Style (check ebay for used ones, although you’ll need to buy new cnoes and tubing)
Btw…i second the notion for the Diaper Champ. We love ours…you don’t have to buy special refills (like you do for the genie)…it doesn’t tip over…holds a decent amount of diapers…and NO frickin smell (ePinions has them rated best also)
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by PunditLisa *
**
- Car seat. Most states won’t let you leave the hospital without one. Ask for hand-me-downs on these. Most parents of older kids have one or two in their garage somewhere. I know I do.
[QUOTE]
No, don’t use a hand me down. As car seats age they get invisible cracks in the plastic that could actually cause them to blow up into little pieces on impact. My husband works with children and had to go to a seminar run by the baby hospital. The people giving it were very strong on this point.
Register for a new one. And don’t forget, you don’t have to have an infant car seat. You can use the other kind facing backwards. You just can’t carry it around.
Congrats on the impending bean sprout!
It seems apparent that everyone is different, and you really have to look at your own lifestyle. It’s understandable to want to be as prepared as possible, however. (Just wait 'til the nesting instinct kicks in right before delivery – hee hee).
Anyway, I have a bunch of kids (don’t ask how many), and here’s how it breaks down for me:
Didn’t Get and/or Use:
-
wind up swing. I think this is most surprising to people. I had one, tried it a few times, the kids never seemed to much enjoy it.
-
diaper pails. I never could understand this concept. In a word, they smell. I toss out dirty diapers as they appear – outside. I don’t really want to accumulate a whole bunch of dirty diapers in one place.
-
receiving blankets. Another surprise. I found that I really had enough little towels around the house not to have to go out and buy even more.
-
nuks. Call me a nuk snob, but I just don’t like how those things look stuck in kids’ mouths. A couple of my kids found their thumbs just fine.
-
newborn clothing. You need a little of the littlest size, but you’ll probably get this as gifts, so I wouldn’t go out and buy a lot. Babies grow incredibly fast. I would, however, get a bunch of onesies. People tend to give gifts of “little outfits” which aren’t practical.
-
breast pump. The work of the devil. I bottle fed all mine.
-
humidifier. I’m sorry, but I don’t understand the concept of this machine. Never missed having one.
Stuff I Got/Used:
-little bathtub. I used this all the time, up until the kids are about 3 years old, in fact. Not the infant tub, but the larger one. I always felt like it was cleaner than our big tub.
-rocking chair. Again, my lifestyle went well with this one. I kept this in their nursery and fed them there.
-bassinet. This was a splurge. They’re adorable. It’s true they only sleep in it for around 2 or 3 months and then they’re too big for it. Maybe a good item for your registry.
-camcorder. If you can’t afford it, regular pics will do, but it’s nice to have.
-monitor. If you have a big house, I think this is a must-have, but if you’ll always be within hearing distance, probably not a necessity.
-car seat. You need one. I second what someone else said about getting the infant sized one first, then switching to toddler size later.
-diaper rash ointment. Have it in the house before you need it.
-thermometer. See above.
-diapers. I would buy just 1 package of the newborn size diapers, just 'cause they’re so cute. Hopefully the bean sprout won’t be too large, so he’ll probably be able to wear them for at least a week or so. Babies go thru diapers quickly, so 1 package won’t last long anyway.
-bottles. I was always buying new bottles. In your case since you’ll be breastfeeding, I don’t know how many you’ll need.
-stroller. This is probably not a necessity but another nice thing to have.
I’m sure I’m missing some things, but just to give you another person’s experience…
My god, I get rabid on the topic of breastpumps. First of all, you really don’t need one for a while, but if you want to get your family/friends to pay for it, it makes sense to register for one.
A cheap one that you can register for is the Avent Isis hand pump. It’s about $40 and it’s the only hand pump that reliably works. Before all was said and done I had three of these things (one as backup at work, one at home, one because I forgot mine on vacation). The other hand, battery and electric pumps that are sold are complete and utter crap and the companies who dare to sell them should hang their heads in shame. They should be rounded up and shot. Multiple times. For reasons I won’t bother to go into now but GOD THIS MAKES ME MAD MAD MAD.
You can rent a hospital-grade pump from a lactation consultant or medical supply store should you need one after the baby is born. You probably WON’T need one of these. But if you do, or if you eventually need to pump at work), renting gives you some leeway before buying heavier-grade pump of your own (which you will need if you work outside the home). In that event, you’d want a Medela or – crap I can’t remember the name! It begins with “A”!! Crap!! --. Don’t worry about this now, this is so far off. But my point is…
DO NOT REGISTER FOR OR BUY ANY PUMP MADE BY EVENFLO, GERBER, OR ANYONE BUT AVENT, MEDELA, or this other company whose name I forget. DO NOT.
And congratulations. Sorry, did I get some foam on you from my frothing?
One more vote here for the automatic baby swing being the #1 Essential Piece of Equipment, especially if you don’t have a large extended family living with you, who can share “hold this cranky baby” chores with you. The Cat Who Walks Alone went through three weeks of the mysterious “colicky baby” thing, and the wind-up baby swing (this was before they had electric ones, I think) was, literally, a life-saver. I could wind it up, put her in it, and be guaranteed at least 30 minutes of quiet, during which time I’d crash on the couch. Every time I hear about a case of shaken baby syndrome, where the perp “couldn’t get the baby to be quiet, so he shook him”, I think, sadly, “If only he’d had a baby swing”, 'cause I’ve BEEN there. The most frustrating thing in the world is when a baby cries and cries and CRIES, and you just can’t help her. Get a baby swing. It may keep you from hurting your baby.
Also, a good comfy rocking chair is important. Try them out in the store, don’t go by how they look. You should have good thigh support but without pinching the backs of your knees. Feel for good lumbar (lower back) support, too. You ought to be able to slump into it with a baby against your shoulder, push off gently with your feet and get a nice, deep rocking “swing” to it. That’s what will do the trick in rocking a baby to sleep.
Look for TONS of excellent condition used baby clothes at garage sales, rummage sales, etc. Where I live, it’s like Rummage Sale City in April and May, and if you’re willing to get up at 7 a.m., check the newspaper ads, and hit the right sales, you can outfit dozens of babies for probably less than $100.
Church rummage sales are the best.
The Salvation Army and the Goodwill Stores also have pretty good quality baby clothes, but you have to act fast before the nice ones are all gone and there’s nothing left but the ones with spitup stains all over them. Ask the help what day the truck arrives, and get there early the next day.
Dunno if they still do this, but when I was in the hospital having babies, they always offered short courses in “Giving Your Baby A Bath”, “How to Breastfeed”, “Diaper Changing”, etc., during the three-day post-partum period, while you were still up there on the Maternity Floor. Go for it. Everything they offer to teach you, say, “Sure!” and toddle on down there in your robe and slippers. I had NO CLUE what to do with this floppy, helpless critter, and it was marvelously reassuring to line up with a dozen other, equally clueless new moms and all of us try to bathe our babies, with the Maternity nurses standing by to help.
Take your favorite bathrobe to the hospital. Don’t go out and buy a scratchy new one to “impress” people. Crossing over the Great Divide from “I’m pregnant” to “Oh my god I’m a MOM!!”, you’ll need all the support you can get, and it helps if you’ve got your own bathrobe.
Disposables vs. cloth: The Cat Who Walks Alone had 99% cloth diapers. The only time a disposable diaper touched her proudly 100% organic bottom was on the annual occasions when we were visiting relatives in Michigan. Bonzo had 75% cloth diapers–he wore disposables on Sundays to church, and whenever I was out of clean cloth diapers, which was with increasing frequency.
La Principessa started out with cloth diapers, but after a couple of months, I just threw in the towel and went with the disposables. And I ran across a quote by Erma Bombeck that I’ve always liked. Goes something like this:
Absolutely.
Most importantly: You do NOT need a puppy. You may start feeling the “nesting instinct” along about January, and start looking around instinctively for something small, warm, and helpless to nurture. Do not do like I did and get a puppy to fill this need. Hamsters are definitely lower-maintenance, and after the Bean Sprout arrives you won’t have time to deal with a growing puppy and a growing baby.
Congrats Green Bean!
I just had my lil’guy in May and am loving it. Who knew an incredibly demanding, frequently stinky, unashamedly eruptive little ball of flesh could be so fun?
I’m going to second Vix’s recommendation of the boppy pillow, especially if you are planning to breastfeed, mine was a lifesaver. They’re great when the kid gets a little older too; because you can put baby on the floor with the pillow around his butt and it helps him learn to sit. I’d skip the bassinet since you’re trying to keep extras to a minimum. Half the time the kid will be sleeping with you, and the other half neither of you will be sleeping at all.
A bouncy-type seat with a removable toy-bar. (The one I got for my guy vibrates, but there are all kinds) This is great for keeping the baby occupied, and if they fall asleep in it, there’s no need to move them. Also doubles as a feeding seat until they’re old enough to sit in a highchair. (on that note–get some little bowls and spoons too, they start eating before you know it)
Have a little first-aid kit too–the last thing you want is to have to make a run to the store when you’ve got a sick kid. Infant tylenol, cold meds, teething gel, booger sucker, baby prune juice, etc. Also–if it’s a boy, you’re going to need some squeezable petroleum jelly if you’re planning on a circumcision.
Bath salts, soft music, smelly candles, and a good book–for YOU. Having a baby is hard work, be sure to take a little time to keep yourself sane.
Good Luck!
bella
I don’t know, Cranky, Mrs. Heap and I have quickly discovered that the pump helps a lot for the times when the Heapette falls asleep and and there is still some milk left over for later in the night … just in case.
It’s also a blessing because Mrs. Heap’s nips jus’ caint take no more chewin’!
Be forwarned, Green Bean. You know and trust me right?
Everyone seems to have covered most of what I’d suggest, except I’d tell you NOT to get Desitin but look instead for Johnson & Johnson Diaper Rash cream. Desitin contains a lot of oil and is rather difficult to wipe off when changing another diaper and it’s a great stinky mess when Beansprout poops again. Poopy rash ointment shouldn’t be this hard to wipe off. The J&J product is mostly zinc oxide and is gnerally gentler to a sore bottom. A&D ointment is a good thing to hae too.
I’d also suggest you get a tiny bottle of Tylenol suspension drops (infant strength) and some Pedialyte for the baby. Better to have these right off the bat than needing to run out in the middle of the night for them.
I know you’re gonna use disposables but I also have to add one other use for cloth diapers no one has mentioned. If Beansprout is a boy, having a cloth diaper or two handy when you change diapers is a good idea. Remove old diaper, place cloth diaper over penis and stop any “fountain” effects from the rush of cold air.
TMI WARNING
For the Mom To Be. I’d suggest you get some big maxi pads before the wee one is born because the first few days, I don’t think you’ll want to run to the store for those. Some witch hazel or Tucks pads are probably a good idea too.
Congrats and go out to dinner, see all the movies you can and sleep in as often as you can now, because it’ll probably be a good few months, at least before you can do those things again.
I’d also suggest you enroll in the baby formula clubs. Each of them sent me 12 mini cans of premixed sample-sized formula and monthly “checks” to reduce the cost of the formula. (I know, you said you’re going to breatfeed. It’s better to throw away the stuff unused than kick yourself 10 months from now, though.) You can even register online with Enfamil and Similac.
It’s not a bad idea to have a formula backup plan just in case. I was gung ho about breastfeeding, but it turned out my baby was not. (Three years later he’s just as stubborn.) You probably won’t have a problem and you may feel more up to working it through than I was if you do, but owning a few bottles and keeping that free can of formula you’re sure to get in the mail wouldn’t be the end of the world.
I, too, vote for cloth diapers as spit rags. Get the unfolded kind.
Sorry, I didn’t read all the entries, but I really strongly urge you to get a front “backpack style” infant carrier because 1] babies [and many other folks] love to cuddle, feel your body heat, hear your heartbeat and be close to you, 2] you can cuddle etc while keeping your hands free for hanging out on SDMB, doing stuff in the kitchen or whatever, out on a walk, 3] not only you but dad can do the same.
I have Irish triplets [3 kids w/in a year] and used African clothes to fait dos-dos with the kids. I also had nannies, husband/father, friends who helped cuddle and fait dos-dos
as well. We also travelled alot [I mean alot] and it was so much better to fait dos-dos than trying to manuever strollers down narrow aisles. For a short period Mr Kiffa had a backpack with older brother in it and a frontpack with one of the twins while I carried the other twin in front.
Someone came out with a sling style after it was impossible to carry toddlers all together. I never tried it, however it seemed to me to be a great way to breastfeed while kid is in the sling…it’s a thought.
Whatever you decide, I strongly, strongly urge you to get a front pack infant carrier.
Also congrats for deciding to breastfeed because of all the benefits. I don’t know about breastpumps which seem to be quite expensive. Everyone has their own experience; it was a bit tough for me in the beginning, but I learned and continued to breast feed up to the point when the twins were one year old.
I used clothe diapers at home [diaper service until we went overseas] and disposables when outside the house. Eventually I let the kids run around nude because it was cheaper, hot and they had less diaper rash.
see above references for Baby Bjorns 
[li] A first-aid course: learn infant CPR, and treating small children for injuries and accidental poisonings. The sproutling will be up and walking before you know it, and goodness knows what they can get into in a flash.[/li]
[li] A child’s first-aid kit. Not just pretty band-aids for boo-boos, but syrup of ipecac [sp?] and other emergency necessities. Check labels for dosages for different age groups, and what cannot be given to children under a certain age.[/li]
[li] Get all emergency numbers by the phones - police, fire, ambulance, poison control, all nearby hospitals (with directions) as well as the pediatrician. One less thing to panic over during an emergency.[/li]
[li] Now is the time to move all the cleaning supplies, cosmetics, vitamin pills and other lethal objects out of beanlet’s toddling ways. If you train yourself and Mr. Green Bean to put potentially dangerous stuff out of a child’s reach now before the podling is born, so much the easier for you to do so later when the child is running amok in the house.[/li]
[li] Take swimming lessons for yourself, as well as a pool safety course. Even if you do not have a pool, this is good to know so you can assist if there ever is a pool emergency where you are.[/li]
[li] If you do have a pool, get a good key lock on the doors to the pool, any sliding glass doors, and a pool alarm. Unfortunately, Florida leads the nation in toddler drownings, mostly “We were taking a nap, and when I woke up, the baby was gone!”, later to be found in the pool.[/li]
(And congratulations!! And here’s to keeping the little stringer safe.)
Looks like your little one has her/his wish list pretty well in hand. You’ve been overlooked however.
We had always taken Mrs. Ivorybill’s nipples a lot less seriously than we should have until our fist one was born and one of the nipples got a HUGE crack in it. Ugh! I cound only sympathize (and go to the store, late at night for meds the store didn’t carry).
Ask your mommy friends what meds, ointments, creams, what have you that they used on their nipples - - ask your OB and call ahead to the hospital’s nursing consultant and find out what they recommend- - read “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” - - and get one of each ointment, salve, etc. that is recommended (it took some trial and error to find what worked for Mrs. I). Get some nursing pads. Mrs. I. likes Johnson and Johnson’s kind. Read up on nipple management. Learn from our mistakes! Be ready!
(Patting self on back) I got Mrs. I. a very pretty nursing gown and some nursing shirts from Garnet Hill which were much appreciated. It seemed to be a nice change from the maternity clothes she’d been wearing for so long.
Congratulations and good luck!
Congratulations!
We made great use of our swing and pumpkin seat. In fact, babypoet slept ONLY in her pumpkin seat or her car seat for the first three months or so. She slept longer, and I could keep her right beside the bed. (Moral of the story: Do whatever it takes to get as much sleep as you possibly can.)
I’m into natural body care, and everyone else has mentioned all the other important stuff, so let me just get on my soapbox re: body care for babies.
You do NOT need:
Baby powder–use straight cornstarch, and ONLY if you need it. (I rarely even used that…only for heat rashes on those chubby thighs.)
Those lovely pink bars of special baby soap. They smell great, and people will give them to you. Stick them in a drawer and let them smell up baby’s clothes, but don’t USE them on the little dumpling. Hit your nearest healthfood store (or check online for “handcrafted soap”) and buy a bar of handcrafted, unscented Castille soap. One with a calendula infusion would be nice, but that’s optional. It will be plain looking, and it won’t smell nice and “babylike”, but it will be good for your baby’s skin. And–keep in mind this is coming from a soapmaker–babies rarely need soap at all. Water will do just fine.
Ditto baby shampoo. That lovely Castille will do the job, if/when baby has hair enough to wash.
Ditto baby lotion and oil. Well…you get the idea.
I have four kids and toiletry-wise, all I ever needed was Castille soap, a tube (a TINY tube) of Desitin for bad rashes( the sample from the hospital did nicely), and alcohol swabs for that cute little belly button. Maybe they just had good skin, but they very rarely had any rashes or problems at all.
And a snot-sucker. Get a snot-sucker.
~karol
The best breastpumps are made by Avent, Medela, and Ameda-Egnell. The last two make primarily the “big-dog” pump that you’ll want if you need to pump more than a couple times a week. I loved my Avent Isis - it worked wonderfully well.
Go to a La Leche League Meeting while you’re pregnant, and get the phone numbers of a Leader or three BEFORE baby arrives! Look here to find a group in your area: http://www.lalecheleague.org
A wonderful resource for pumping is at http://www.pumpingmoms.org .
There is a lot of info there!
I am a volunteer breastfeeding counselor and would be happy to talk more via email if you would like - my addy’s in my profile. Most importantly – Congrats!!
My advice is
Get lots of sleep NOW! Rest up while you can and take some time for yourself.
Starting now every time you grocery shop buy a pack of baby wipes. If you start thinking you have enough and plan on using disposable diapers start to alternate between wipes and a pack of diapers, get the large size kids grow fast and you can get small ones later.