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

By: Jessi

Jessi — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:44:18 +0000

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.

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:41:23 +0000

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:)

By: bessie.viola

bessie.viola — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:36:53 +0000

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!

By: Jill

Jill — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:47:05 +0000

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.

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:30:35 +0000

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.

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:26:03 +0000

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!

By: Jamie Stewart

Jamie Stewart — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:18:41 +0000

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.

By: Crumbs

Crumbs — Fri, 15 May 2009 23:47:01 +0000

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!!

By: Helen

Helen — Fri, 15 May 2009 19:56:09 +0000

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!!

By: T with Honey

T with Honey — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:10:21 +0000

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.