sweetginge
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A List of Things to Buy before Baby comes home
Baby Carrier or Sling:
There are several different products out there that allow you to carry your baby close to you, and keep your hands free for working around the house, shopping, or just going out and about. The carriers fit similar to a non-frame backpack, with straps going over both shoulders, while the slings usually fit over one shoulder. Baby Bjorn, which first launched in 1973, is probably the best known baby carrier name brands, but there are several different manufacturers out there, and prices range from $25 - $150.
Bassinet:
This is an optional baby item that I would recommend thinking about. While some moms believe they are unnecessary, ours was wonderful to have the first six weeks. Bassinets are small and easily moved, so baby (or, in our case, babies) can sleep peacefully wherever you are. Invest in one with wheels so that baby can âfollowâ you from room to room during your day.
Bath Soap, Shampoo, Lotion and Powder:
There are infant washes, shampoos and lotions that are gentler for baby than other types of body washes and shampoos. If you're looking for shampoo, soap and lotions from the store, we highly recommend either the Johnson or Baby Magic brands â calming lavender scent! If you prefer organic and 100% natural ingrediants, Grandma El's shampoo and baby wash is an excellent choice. Check with your pediatrician as to how often you should bathe baby during the first few weeks.
Bathtub:
While you may be able to begin bathing baby in the kitchen sink, thereâs going to be a period after they outgrow the sink and before they can sit in the bathtub on their own. There are several types of bathtubs and bath mats available. You can buy a basic bathtub, or purchase a more complex set up. For instance, Safety 1st has a 4-in-1 bathtub that begins as a mesh bath sling, then converts into an infant bath with sling, then a bath ring seat and finally to a 2-year toddler tub. Thereâs also a Baby Bath Center that has a battery-operated spa and shower that gives your baby a soothing whirlpool bath and a gentle shower spray for rinsing hair
Books:
Reading to baby, even when baby is only hours old, is a great bonding experience. Book reading provides security, comfort, one-on-one time, a great chance to communicate, a good base for vocabulary, and visual and mental stimulation. Studies show a direct correlation between language skills â and some studies suggest intelligence â and how many words a baby hears each day. There are many ways to talk to your baby, and reading is one of them, especially if you really like to narrate the books you read. If youâd rather not spend your downtime reading Three Little Pigs to your newborn, read the paper, magazine, or your current book. The important thing is baby hearing your voice, and not necessarily the words you are saying. You can probably get away with this until baby is about four months old, when they start getting interested in whatâs actually one the pages youâre reading.
Bottles:
Donât go overboard here. Different brands of bottles have different nipples, and some babies just arenât able to latch on to certain brands. Our boys could not latch on to one of the most popular (and most expensive) brands of nipples and bottles out there, which were billed as â Iâd recommend buying two or three of one or two different types, see what works (and whatâs preferred) and go from there.
Bouncy Chair:
There is another wide variety of options for you to choose from here. The range includes âbouncerâ chairs designed especially for infants to chairs where the seat can be laid back for infants, and then raised into sitting positions as baby gets older. We opted for the 3-in-1 Fisher Price chair. It was a stationary vibrating chair with a toy bar when the guys were infants and then converted into a rocker with a toy bar and âbeltâ when they could sit up, and a freestanding chair that they used until they were two. For the same price of a bouncer, we thought this was a better investment. Whichever chair or bouncer you choose will be a life saver for things like taking a shower, folding laundry, cooking dinner â and other times that you arenât able to hold baby, but want him to be nearby. Bouncers have a short (but very useful) life, and baby will outgrow his or her single-use bouncer at about three months â at about the time their necks will be strong enough for stationary exercisers, jumperoos, and swings.
Changing Table:
My sister-in-law told me that a changing table was the most important thing I could buy for the guysâ room, and I am so glad I listened to her! Like any other baby item, there is a huge variety to choose from. You can purchase 'just' a changing tables or purcase a changing table that also serve as a dresser, bookshelf, and closet. There are some âall-in-oneâ that incorporates the changing table into the framework of a crib or bookshelf. Whichever you decide to get, I recommend buying a âsturdyâ changing table, as it will save your back (and all the backs that change babyâs diapers) not only in the infant stage, but through toddlerhood, too (anywhere from 18 months to 3 years, depending on how potty training and pull-ups go). Some of the spindle-legs and wicker changing tables (to name two) have a maximum weight of 20 lbs or so â which baby will quickly outgrow. Itâs amazing how much easier life becomes when you have a changing table to rely on, instead of tables, beds, and the floor.
Cloth Diapers â for you not for baby:
YOU NEED THESE even if you use disposable diapers. These arenât for baby to wear, but for you to use for just about anything â burping, spills, cleaning up spit up, roll up to use as head and neck supports â you name it. Once you get past the infant stage, they still come in handy. The soft feel l makes it nice to use against babyâs skin, and their larger size is much better than depending on washcloths and dishtowels.
Clothes:
Baby needs to wear something! Iâll say it here, but youâll do it anyway â be wary of overbuying for sizes 0-3 months. This size usually is up to 12 lbs, which happens fairly quickly. Stock up on onesies and sleepers (which they will spend most of their time in, anyway), and leave the buttons, shoes, and hard to get into clothes for when baby is 3 months old and older. You donât want to spend your baby money on clothes theyâll outgrow in about two months.
Co-Sleeper or Pak ân Play:
Co-sleeper or Pak 'n Play
There are two great options to cosleep with baby.
Products like the Family Bed Co-Sleeper safely turn a regular bed into a family bed. The Family Bed Co-sleeper offers a comfortable (and washable) pad for dad, mom, and baby to sleep on, while the bolster keeps baby from rolling off. When looking for a family bed co-sleeper, make sure that the bolster is used without straps, buckles, without cumbersome pillows.
A bedside cosleeper is a great way to keep your baby at armâs reach, but out of your bed. You can also remove the sleeping area and use the base as a play pen, if youâd like. I would definitely go for the co-sleeper if you have twins (it has a sturdier bed where the babies sleep, and you don't have to 'reinforce' the bed with cardboard).
Pak ân Plays come with a variety of options as well. Ours had a bassinet and a changing table included. Once the guys outgrew their bassinet, we had them sleep in the pak ân play in the living room, and the co-sleeper in our bedroom. We never did use the play pen features.
Both fold up fairly easily so that you can take them with you when you travel. The big difference between the two is that a co-sleeper has one side that drops down, allowing baby to be at the same heighth as your bed, without having a significant barrier between the two of you that you have to navigate to put baby in, or take baby out, while lying in bed. Also, we found that the co-sleeper was significantly sturdier than the pak 'n play.
Crib:
This one is iffy to have before baby comes home if you plan to cosleep or use a bassinet for the first few weeks, and a must if you intend on putting baby to sleep in the crib as soon as he or she comes home. While itâs great to have âcribâ crossed off your list before baby comes home, if youâre going to be co-sleeping or using a cradle or bassinet, you might want to wait until baby is home. There are more than a few parents that decorated their babyâs nursery before baby came home, only to discover it didnât âmatchâ their babyâs personality. Many families co-sleep with baby during the first year, and skip the crib all together, moving right into a toddler bed.
There are almost as many options for cribs as there are for car seats. You can buy one that serves only as a crib, or one that converts into a toddler bed and then into a twin bed. Hand-me-down cribs are great family heirlooms, but be safety conscious. Are the slates to far apart? Are there any broken or damaged pieces? Is anything painted with lead paint?
Should I get a sling style baby carrier, or a baby backpack carrier? My little one on almost 1 year old.?
Answer
There are many ways to carry your baby safely. Choosing between a sling style carrier or a backpack carrier will depend on your lifestyle and activities you have planned when you go out with your baby. Some parents find the comfort and the bonding of a sling style carrier the best way to go when traveling. There are advantages to the sling style carrier, which includes a closer bonding experience and a much lighter device to carry. Backpacks come in handy when the family is off on a hiking excursion but will add more weight as it incorporates a frame to the carrier. Backpacks sometimes, depending on the one wearing it, will give more support with the adjustment of the carrier.
Also you must consider the age of your baby. Newly born babies should be close to the parentâs body and this is where a sling is mandatory over a backpack. Adjustments to a sling style carrier can sometimes take more time to adjust if two parents are sharing the same sling style carrier. Even though the sling style carriers that incorporate a ring device is easier to adjust, slippage is less likely to happen when using a carrier that does not use the ring device.
There are hundreds of choices for baby carriers and slings, so the choice can feel overwhelming. It is not as hard as it looks. There are only a handful of popular baby carrier styles and from there it is a simple matter of choosing the fabric you like best. Check out www.thebabycarriers.com
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