Essentials for Babies List?

[erinlovesmarc]

Hey everyone,

So as most of you know after my previous vents about my wedding and in-laws that my little sister is pregnant!!! I've started doing some early shopping for gifts for her baby shower...does anyone know where I can find a list of essentials to have...since I have never had babies myself I don't know what's essential and what's a bonus...of course, I know about pacifiers and all the Johnson&Johnson products but besides that I'd like to know what's she's really going to need...I've already bought her a rubber duckie that tells you if the bath water is too hot, a pacifier with the shirt clip, and a kit with a baby nail clipper, digital thermometer, medicine spoon, medicine dropper, and Nasal aspirator...of course, I want to spoil her too so if you have any suggestions I'm all ears...I was thinking some baby einstein DVDs...Dr. Seuss books...any other suggestions?

Thanks guys...you are all STARS!!! erin :D

[lisas3575]

take a look at www.babycenter.com. I'm sure they'd have a list. :)

[Bawstinn]

Here is a list from the Consumer Reports website.

New baby basics
A master list for new moms and dads

Here's a checklist of what you should have on hand before your baby arrives.

Tooling around
_____Car seat.
_____Stroller.

Beds and linens
_____Crib.
_____Crib mattress.
_____Bassinet/cradle (if you don't want to put your baby in a crib right away).
_____Two to three fitted crib sheets.
_____Four or more waffle-weave cotton receiving blankets for swaddling baby
_____Two mattress pads.
_____One to two waterproof liners (for crib or bassinet).

Diaper duty
_____Diapers. Disposable or cloth.
_____Diaper pail. (Optional with disposables.)
_____Diaper bag.

Dressing baby
_____Four sleeping outfits or onesies (one-piece sleepers), preferably with attached feet
_____Six side-snap T-shirts.
_____Four to six one-piece undershirts that snap around the crotch.
_____A small baby cap (although the hospital will probably give you one).
_____Six pairs socks/booties.
_____Two to three soft, comfortable daytime outfits. Get only a few items in newborn size. Then, go for clothing in the 6-month size--your baby will grow into it quickly. But don't buy baby sleepwear that's too big; it's a fire hazard
_____Cotton sweater or light jacket.

Summer babies
_____Brimmed hat.

Winter babies
_____Snowsuit or heavy bunting.
_____Heavy stroller blanket.
_____Warm knit hat.

Feeding time
If you're planning to breast-feed:
_____Two or three nursing bras.
_____A box of washable or disposable breast pads.
_____Breast pump if you expect to use one.
_____Four small baby bottles with newborn nipples for expressed breast milk
_____Bottle drying tree.
_____Bottle brush.
_____Insulated bottle holder for diaper bag (the hospital may give you one).
_____Three packs of cloth diapers or burp cloths.

If you're planning to bottle-feed
_____Six 4- to 5-ounce bottles, plus nipples, rings, and a dishwasher basket if you use a dishwasher.

Bathing/grooming
_____Three soft hooded towels.
_____Two packs of baby washcloths.
_____ Baby body wash that doubles as shampoo.
_____Pair of blunt-tip scissors or baby-sized nail clippers.
_____Zinc-oxide-based diaper rash ointment.
_____Infant bathtub.
_____Soft brush and comb.
_____Mild laundry detergent.

Medicine chest essentials
_____A pain-and-fever reducer recommended by your baby's doctor, such as Infant's Tylenol.
_____Cotton pads/swabs.
_____Nasal aspirator.
_____Digital thermometer.
_____Rubbing alcohol.
_____Petroleum jelly.

Keeping baby happy
_____Pacifiers.

Extras: Nice but optional
_____Monitor.
_____Changing table.
_____A rocker or glider.
_____Soft carrier.
_____Swing.

[erinlovesmarc]

also wondering about any great online stores? :D

[ChristyMarie]

Babies R Us is online and has a master needs list.

HTH

[erinl]

Some thoughts on the master list above:

Beds and Linens: if you get waterproof mattress pads, you don't need to bother with the liners. There are actual swaddling blankets out there that make the whole process a lot easier. I was a swaddling idiot and would have given my right arm for a couple of those.

Diaper pail: you can seriously do without. I never used one with #2.

Clothes: I never used the side snap t-shirts, but used loads of one piece undershirts--I particularly like Carters and Circo (Target). Gowns are way easier to dress an infant than a footed sleeper. Even my son wore them.

Medicine chest: I've never used alcohol or petroleum jelly on my kids. Yes, yes, yes to the infant Tylenol.

Extras: Personally, I think the glider is a must have. Also, I have yet to meet a baby who didn't like a playmat with the arch over it with toys dangling. (Gymini is one brand.) Swings and bouncy seats are a little more hit and miss.

[sillybeans]

My son is older, but I'm a bigger fan of the "board"-type books than those with paper pages. They withstand baby's tough love a LOT better!

Also, you might want to re-think Baby Einstein videos unless you know your sisters views on infant screen time.

I live in an urban area and couldn't have gotten by without my sling--much easier than a stroller in the winter when there was snow on the ground. Also helped me get stuff done around the house.

If there were one thing I could have asked people NOT to give me it was stuffed animals. We have TONS of them, and mostly they sit on shelves and collect dust.

HTH,
Tracy

[tea4one]

Even though there is already a list posted, you really don't have to go by that unless you want your sister to know exactly what is necessary to have before the baby is born. You can just buy what you want and have fun doing it. Here are some ideas of things I have bought in the past:
Cloth diapers
Bibs
Cross-stitched blanket ( I did the needle point work on it)
receiving blankets
bottles both the reusable ones and the ones that uses the bags
pacifier
toys/rattles

I know you need a carseat before you ever leave the hospital but can't remember if you have to do anything special other than possibly having hooked in the seat backwards.
Diapers are and would be something that is welcome both disposable and cloth, even if she doesn't use them (the cloth ones) for diapers they work great for when the baby spits up.
I can't think of the rest of the stuff that I have done in the past for others when they were expecting.

[ClaraB]

As a former breastfeeding mother, I would advise against bottles or pacifiers if your sister is planning to breastfeed. It's not that she won't ever use them, but having them so handy with a newborn who's not nursing well can undermine the breastfeeding relationship. And there are so many other cute baby items to get....

I loved the stretchy knit receiving blanket I got from my SIL, and little corduroy booties also got used a lot. I know you already got a digital thermometer, but I'd highly recommend a tympanic thermometer (one that takes the temp in the ear), because it's so much easier to take a baby's temp that way.

[misskitty100]

Depending on what types of things you are looking for, a couple of fun websites are:

www.potterybarnkids.com
www.poshtots.com
www.babystyle.com
www.landofnod.com

Ebay has some GREAT online stores for personalized burp/diaper cloths, hair bows and super cute diaper bags that are handmade.

[ChristineLiu]

i've had moms taht told me, "if only i had newborn diapers at home when I first brought the baby home..." and "there's never enough baby blankets and onesies.'

So I buy the newborn diaper kit, baby blankets, and onesies for the moms and throw in some cute overalls because I think babies are sooooo cute with overalls on! :p they may never wear it, but that's waht the gift receipt is for. the other thing i buy a lot is a Target or Babies R Us gift card.

As for where to find baby stuff, my brother actually buys a lot of baby stuff (including diapers) on line from Amazon.com.

[Blissful_in_TX]

Ditto to the gowns and sling! I could not have managed without my sling!! I went with a simple customized pouch, which I liked better than the type you can just buy at the store. And we had WAAYYYYY too many blankets.

Some other things that are not standard but that were very useful for us:

Miracle Blanket: If your baby likes to be swaddled, he’ll soon be able to wiggle out of regular receiving blankets. I would consider this an “extra” unless your baby has a hard time sleeping without being swaddled or has colic.

Sheets: The Ultimate Crib Sheet makes changing crib sheets a snap.

Bumbo Seat: definitely an extra but good for babies like my DS who want to be sitting up, checking out the action once they have strong head control. He’s never been one who was content just kicking back in his infant carrier.

Deluxe Jumperoo – We don’t have crown molding for a regular jumper, so we used this instead. He loves it!

Shopping Cart Cover (such as Clean Shopper)– for when baby is too big for his infant carrier.

Disclaimer: Every baby is different, so it’s impossible to know for sure what will work for one. For example, my DS would NEVER take a pacifier, and we went through countless bottles before we found one he would drink out of. He also refused to sleep in his crib until he was over a year old!

[DanaSD]

i've had moms taht told me, "if only i had newborn diapers at home when I first brought the baby home..." and "there's never enough baby blankets and onesies.'



we had waaaaaay to many new born diapers, blankets and onsies - those are the 3 things we had too much of, everything else we needed more of. People did tell me they asked the same question of mothers, and because of the response thats what they bought but I guess too many asked. My son never fit the newborn diapers and went straight to size 1. We had 30 0-3 month size onsies and that doesn't include all the ones that I returned. My son outgrew size 0-3 in the first two months. What we needed was larger clothes for later on though its hard to guess the season. Because so many buy onsies, clothes and blankets, as her sister you might want to buy gifts that stand out - that she only needs one of. And more personable things since you know her best.

Like others suggest, the amazing miracle blanket is a great gift. Some books like Baby Bargains, What to Expect when you're expect, What to expect the first year, Nursing mothers handbook, happiest baby on the block, healthy sleep habits happy child, caring for you baby and child: birth to age 5 would be great - especially if you give them to her now while she has time to read. Nursury sets, the basics like car seat, stroller, bouncer chair, high chair are all excellent gifts especially because most people buy clothes. Gifts certificates to restaurants the deliver, gift certificates to a place like Dream Dinners (for her or you to go before she delivers so that she'll have meals in the freezer).

loved the bumbo, ultimate crib sheet, gymini activity mat, baby bjorn active carrier, mei tai (babyhawk brand).

You might lurk on the pregancy or new moms thread where there's plenty of discussions on gear.

[cherylopal]

A lot of mom's that I know swear by this

http://www.taggies.com/

a blanket with lots of tags sewn around the edges.

[LA98]

Something I really appreciated, and something I usually do for a baby gift, is to get a couple of outfits or onesies in larger sizes. I think everyone buys 0-3 or 3-6 months because they're so darn cute, but my DS outgrew them almost immediately (and he didn't fit into newborn diapers in the hospital!). It was so great to just open a drawer and have a few larger items there that fit him (and that were season appropriate!!)

[krhm]

I agree that some larger size clothes are a good idea. I had baby clothes that never even had the tags removed; I had big babies and they both outgrew all the 0-3 months before they were really used.

You've received some good advice about baby items, so all I would add there is that every baby is different. DD1 couldn't live without her pacifier and slept in the crib from day 1; DD2 wouldn't take a pacifier and hated the crib, etc. We had to buy a little bassinet that vibrated to get her to go to sleep. Also, I had this great combo car seat-stroller thing that both outgrew by the 8th month, so I had to go buy a new car seat for each. Maybe you could give your sister a gift certificate for something she might find she needs later?

Another thought, for pampering mom, would be house cleaning. She will be spending a lot of time in the house with a newborn, and if she's looking at a clean house, it will be a happier time!

[SaraInWisc]

There is a rash ointment I've only found at WalGreen's but I'm sure other places sell or online. It's called Rash Mist. It just gets spritzed on their little tush without messy fingers to deal with. They also have a stick form that I liked keeping in the diaper bag but haven't been able to locate lately.
The long gown with a drawstring or elastic on the bottom are great too. Make the frequent diaper changes easier. Clip on book lights help if you're a reader and nursing.

[erinlovesmarc]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions...

[ChristineLiu]

the only items I buy that are newborn size are the diapers for when they bring the baby home. other than that, any clothing i buy are somewhere between 6-12 mo., sicne I've also heard form moms that it's hard to find something to wear for 9 mo. size.

i forgot to add that with all the fuss about the baby, i know of moms that appreciated spa treatments (manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, etc.) either before or after they had the baby.

[SaraInWisc]

I thought of something else that I didn't get but thought I'd give as a gift someday...a membership to Picture People. They take great pictures of kids and pretty much everywhere.