Give it to me straight – What baby items do we really need to stock up on?

The things I've gone through the most of are;
1. Diapers...Get a pack one newborn size, you may or may not need them depending on the size of your baby. Also get a BUNCH of size 1 diapers...You WILL need these, no matter what and they usually go up to 14lbs. I also found that when my son was first born, cheaper diapers worked better then pampers, huggies, luvs, and the rest of them. I bought Walmart's Parent's Choice and they fit him for about a month. After that I was able to use Walmarts Parent's Choice size 1's for about a week (seriously, kid grew that fast.) And then I swapped to Luv's size 1's that have worked great, very few leaks now that he properly fits them. I will say this, get a few different brands, because every baby is different and one brand won't work for all babies. Huggies DID NOT work at all for my son, he leaked out every single diaper. Pampers Swaddlers worked good for awhile, then he started leaking through those. Luvs so far have worked the best for me.

2. Burp clothes/cloth diapers- BUY A PACK OF CLOTH DIAPERS. Don't worry about using them as diapers, they make wonderful burp clothes and they come in packs of 12. I swear I go through so many a day it's ridiculous.

3. Since Stetson has been born I've gone through a tube and a half of diaper rash cream (Desitin has been the best brand so far).

4. Baby body stuff, like wash and shampoo. Buy ONE big bottle of each (shampoo, lotion, body wash) and it'll last you awhile, because for the first few weeks you will only be giving him a sponge bath. And once he's good for a real bath, it doesn't take much to lather a baby. :)

Also, if you're nursing, get lots of nursing pads (I HATE every brand except for Johnson and Johnson's.) Lansinoh made me itch really bad and so did evenflow's brand. I also tried gerber's washable pads and they got thrown away after the first use, they were itchy and irritating and stuck to your nipples...OWCH! Johnson and Johnson's are thicker, but they're really absorbent and they're super soft.

My personal opinion on wipes is to get some that don't have alcohol in them, no scents, and are for sensitive bottoms...And only use them in your diaper bag for outings...When you're at home, use a wash cloth with warm water. It'll save you some diaper rash.

ok, get multiple crib sheets. And a good mattress cover. And some of those mattress pads that absorb leaks.
Put your sheets on in layers- like 2 rounds of them. That way, if there is an accident , you only have to strip off the first round of sheets and don't have to wait to make the bed again- I learned that one the hard way.
Diaper Geneies are not needed. Just take the diapers out to the trash daily. I don't know how cloth diapers work, but it could be worth looking into? but for disposables, do not use the geanie.
No wipes warmers, either. worthless and makes your wipes dry out fast, plus hello, fire hazzard.
Don't make a decision on nipples/bottles yet- get a few, try them out after the baby is here- he will have a favorite and when he picks one, stock up then- same for binkies- though that awesome green one they give you at the hospital, they have only at wal mart. I hate wal mart but it's the only place I found those.
hmm..get your baby insert for your carseat so his head does not flop. :)
choose some good recieving blankets and try to get a nurse to show you how they swaddle him! It is WONDERFUL. get some eucerin or aquaphor- it is GREAT for dry spots or rash, and boys are SENSITIVE down there.
ask for a sling or other carrier :)
one word- SWING- they love them, I had the one that went sideways or foward, my boy liked the sideways motion...
That's all I can think of for now:)

YAY! So exciting that it's getting so close...

Don't buy bulk for diapers just yet. Buy a few smaller packages of different brands so that you can test them out - who knows what your baby will work best with. I loved the Pampers Swaddlers when Madeline was newborn - they have a nice little cutout for umbilical stumps. We found as she grew that Huggies didn't work for her AT ALL, and that Luvs worked the best. You'll figure out what works for your boy too!

If you're going with Johnson's for bath stuff, Wal-Mart has the best prices - they have big bottles of the baby wash and lotion for $5 each. Those last for months on end!

As for baby's booty, I totally recommend Boudreaux's Butt Paste. You can find that at Wal-Mart too, and the stuff is pure magic!

I'm just going to join the crowd and also suggest not to stock up on diapers. We bought a lot of size 1 diapers and my daughter was small (she was 6 1/2 lbs when we came home - which I thought was pretty avg) we actually bought one pack of preemie diapers that fit her perfectly until her umbilical cord fell off. We went through several cases of NB, and even now, a week shy of her first birthday, she's still only wearing 3's. You just never know. Same goes for wipes, and really a lot of other things. See what you get at your shower and try them out before you buy in bulk. After 2 years as a teacher in a daycare I was absolutely *sure* of what diapers I wanted to use...and those didn't work out for us. Packs and packs of store-brand diapers failed as well. We now use Pampers Baby Dry (Green Box!) and Huggies wipes. We buy both by the case - diapers at Babies R Us and wipes at Sam's Club. Watch for diaper coupons from Babies R Us...If I combine the BRU coupon with the one that comes in the newspaper once a month - I save $6/box. Which makes them cheaper than Sam's Club brand diapers AND at BRU, if you buy 9 cases of diapers you get the 10th case FREE! Which works out to about another 4ish dollars in savings per box.

Oh I also agree on the pads, 'roid cream and gas drops. Also do not make the crib without a waterproof mattress protector under your sheet. This will save your crib mattress.

HI,
I would not stock up on diapers- you don't know how large/small he will be and how fast he will grow. You will need lots of Butt Paste for rashes, lots of wipes (for diaper bag and home), terry cloth changing pad covers (they get wet and need to be washed right away- so you need some on hand), lots of nursing pads- for leaks- get bras AFTER your milk comes in, burp cloths, washable bibs (for him to wear at all times, as he will be spitting up a lot). You need the monitor right away, as well as the bassinette, stroller/carseat (of course), grooming kit (in case he has a lot of cradle cap/ pruney and/or peeling skin.) And a boppy or two, of course.
Hope this helps- good luck!

I would suggest stocking up on diaper rash cream i use it religiously every night and my baby is almost a year and has never had a diaper rash i love the desitin over night one in the purple tube it is really great but so is the bouxdros(spelling??) butt cream. Gas meds!!! they can have them starting @ 2 weeks in most cases and you never know when you will need them, dont be like us we waited and needed them @ 2 in the morning and no store was open, that was a long night! Good to have those in advance!! Diapers are just a hit and miss. yes you need them and should stock up, but as for sizes you should get i would say just buy a small amount of new born because they grow so fast at first if you over load on NB size you will be stuck with them when the baby cant wear them anymore. at first you really only need NB or size 1! I had TONS of everysize thanks to my baby shower and ended up putting the larger ones in a box in the closet and then forgot about them and never ended up using them, because they were already too small when i found them. DONT forget to get some pads for yourself! Oh and anursing bra with no wires for yourself, before the baby comes. dont wait until after. I did and it was aweful trying to find something that fit and was comfortable. I would say about 2 weeks before you are due go shopping for one and buy one that is at least 2 cups sizes bigger than what you are waring that day.

What I didn't realize was how the birth wasn't the final exam - It wasn't "pencils down, hand in your work." Time runs slow the first 3 months and you'll have time to do stuff/buy stuff as needed. You'll be fine if you haven't finished everything.

(Bonus: If you co-sleep/have crib in same room, you won't have to finish the nursery before Christmas!).

p.s. Congrats on 30 weeks!!

Doesn't anyone use cloth or a diaper service? I used a diaper service for the first 7 months when my first was born. Very convenient and I felt good about not contributing all that waste to the landfills. So sad that so many folks still use disposables. Diaper service makes cloth easy and it's so soft and gentle on the baby's skin. I had cloth wraps with velcro covers to use overtop and I used disposable occasionally for outings.
It's something to consider. Think green!!

First, wait until after the baby shower to buy diapers. Most likely there will be one of those diaper cakes or someone will buy newborn and size 1 diapers as a present.

Second, you want to get some newborn and 0-3 month side snap shirts. These are the BEST and only clothing your baby will need this summer. For special occasions some cute outfits are nice to have but the side-snap shirts are one of my must haves, especially until the umbilical cord falls off.

Most of the other 'necessities' to have at home when you bring baby home have already been mentioned: rash cream, wipes, super absorbent overnight pads for yourself, thermometer (just in case!), receiving blankets for swaddling or fighting off air conditioning.
The rest, don't worry about too much. Going to the store for a few items will be a great excuse to get out of the house for a little.

I agree with the other ladies about the diapers. You might buy some, but not in bulk. For the things you want to buy in bulk--wipes (possibly some for sensitive skin as a precaution), shampoo, lotion, baby wash (these three can be used for years), rash cream (I recommend A & D Ointment works wonders!), spit-up clothes (cloth diapers work extremely well for this), onsies in various sizes, and for you--pads (for after baby arrives), nursing pads (even if you don't nurse, you will still need them for the leaking for a few weeks), possibly Tuck's Pads (for sensitive areas after the birth they feel great!), and if you plan to nurse, easy access shirts for day time and night time. Good Luck!!! You are entering the home-stretch!!!

I'm a first-timer just breaking into the 2nd trimester myself, but I heard from a reliable source (my mom) that you always need more crib sheets than you think you do! I agree with the others who said not to buy too many diapers beforehand since you may end up hating them or they're the wrong size. I was shopping for a girlfriend a couple weeks ago (she's due tomorrow!) and some things on her registry caused me to say, "oh yeah, I guess that would be helpful." These mainly include things for the mom rather than the baby, such as nipple cream and nursing pads (which can come in handy even before you give birth). So if you don't already, you might want to have these things on hand! Oh, and bottles! Even if you're planning to breastfeed, I've heard there are benefits to feeding breastmilk with a bottle (i.e., easier weaning and your partner can do some of the feedings while you rest). Thanks for sharing your experiences and helping all of us other first-timers prepare!

I agree with the not buying diapers in bulk just yet. We ended up hating luvs with our son, they leaked horribly. Pampers and huggies were great, but you should try out different brands as they may fit differently, then buy in bulk the kind you prefer. One sie's and sleepers are a good thing to stock up on incase of diaper leaks, spit ups, etc. But I'm sure these will come when you have your shower, so you may not need to buy a whole lot just yet :)

I just knew my son was going to be HUGE. Every ultrasound pointed to it. His head was 3 weeks ahead, his tummy two weeks. I expected him to be so big that I had next to nothing "newborn." I had a friend who told me her son didn't even use a whole pkg of newborn diapers, so surely mine wouldn't!!

What I didn't expect was him coming 2.5wks early. And losing almost a pound after birth. We used probably 4 CASES of newborn diapers. My hospital sent us home with the pkg he used while he was there (Pampers Swaddlers) and then we bought more. I'm just now getting around to trying Huggies which I hear are better for boys, but I can't really see a difference just yet. I prefer Pampers wipes- you might start with the "sensitive" just in case.

You will probably get a ton of bibs at your shower (at least I did) and onesies, but some cheap Gerber or Carter's onesies in nb size are helpful. They may be hard to find now that it's summer (Texas!) but longsleeve ones with the fold over mittens are GREAT in those first few weeks when their nails are so thin and razor sharp. You can never have enough burp clothes/spit rags/plain old cloth diapers, which we now refer to as "slobber rags".

Honestly, I would hold off buying ANYTHING til after your shower. See what you get and then get what you need.

I agree on the diaper, plus you will probably get a ton for your shower.

Just make sure you have one pack of newborn and one pack of size for you when you get home.

And no need to take any to the hospital, they will supply you when you are there!

I LOVE huggies wipes too, they are thick and nice!! I also was a fan of huggies diapers, but let me tell you...the white cloud from Walmart worked great for my last one (a boy) and so reasonably priced.

I didn't feel like I went through baby bath very much, I mean think about the tiny amt you will use.

Amen on the rags and bibs!

I wouldn't stock up on diapers, but ask for a few small packages for gifts. They're awesome to get and that way, you can test which ones you like. We got several kinds, and it was free to test them out. I learned I like Luvs and NOW I buy them in bulk, but only since he's reached numbered sizes (1-3).

I do buy baby wash more than one at a time, but don't use creams or anything like that as much as I thought I would. Also, bibs, onesies, because you go through them SO quickly with spit up and the like.

Oh! The one thing I do buy in bulk is spit up rags. I got them at Target - they're just blue and green fabric diapers and they're AWESOME. I bought about 6 packages and we use multiple rags a day. I highly recommend them.

We were blessed with a diaper-pounding. We got all different brands and sizes of diapers and wipes....And we took a lot of them back. I would definitely say buy some newborns, that's about all we bought for her first 3 months and the main reason for buying those was they dipped down underneath her umbilical cord. After the cord fell off we didn't use them anymore. It's just difficult to know what size and brand will work. Although it's also nice to not have to make any midnight runs for diapers :)
I have found that different brands work for different babies at different stages/sizes. Now we use cloth diapers and love it!! Disposables just won't last very long on her anymore.
Not necessarily something to "stock up" on, but one thing that I find so useful and never knew I would is my Boppy. Definitely a must have!!!

Love your site, I wish I would have done something like this with my pregnancies. Diapers I would definitely not buy in bulk. We ended up having to take some back. There was nothing newborn about my kids. :) I guess I grow them big.

Diapers are expensive and some would suggest buying in bulk to save a little money but if the baby grows out of them too fast it will waste more time in the long run returning them. And time is a precious commodity with a new one in the house. Buy a Jumbo pack of newborn diapers and see how much he actually weights when he's born. I love Pampers diapers and Huggies wipes, but baby #3 was allergic to Huggies so we got Parent's Choice sensitive wipes and they worked great. Some of these things you will just have to play by ear. That's what makes it so fun.