Thursday, May 6, 2010

half way!

I'm 20 weeks.
Half-way!!


We had the 'real' ultrasound today.
He is still really active in there!
One second he's all stretched out,
next second he's in a ball
with his little feet resting on his head!
The tech thought it was cute & printed the picture for us,
I'll post it when we get it scanned.


I've been reading some parenting books.
Those are interesting.
But more on my mind than how to
discipline a two year old,
is what I am I going to need when this kid comes out?

(I am SO type A!)

I know the basics...
diapers. wipes. bottles. binks. blankets. clothing.
car seat. stroller. something to sleep in. burp cloth thingy.

But just about every time I talk to someone
they mention something that I've never thought about.

For example,
Oh yeah. A breast pump.
I'll probably need one of those.

Or,
What? Car seats are not all
essentially the same?

Or,
I'm going to want how many!? onesies?

And then I stroll the aisle at
Babies R Us, or just the baby section at Target,
and I see ALL KINDS OF STUFF
and I can't help but wonder
what is actually needed,
what really is useful,
and what is just playing on parents
who will buy anything and everything marketed
to a parent-to-be?

You know what I mean?

Moms,
Tell me what I really need!

21 comments:

Megan Guerrero said...

something i absolutely did not think of was a little bath. And washcloths. oh and socks tend to disappear quickly... if you thought big ones did, imagine how hard it is the find the match to tiny little itty bitty ones. So stock up...

angiedunn said...

i just told another pregnant friend this yesterday.

in my opinion, the greatest baby invention ever, is a bouncer. the vibrating kind. i have a simple one, and it's been my favorite tool with both of my babies.

Valerie said...

If you're going to want to do pacifiers and/or bottles, I recommend buying several different kinds to have on hand. Some babies are very picky about them! LoL

Also, if you are planning to breastfeed, find a lactation specialist in your area, even if it's just one that the hospital employs, and make contact with her, just in case you need her. When the hormones take over and you feel discouraged, it'll be easier to talk to someone you've met prior to the hurricane of a new baby.

Sorry to ramble... If I think of something more earth shattering, I'd love to come back and tell you!

Kaci said...

I honestly didn't use a crib until El was 6 months. Moses carrier was a God send for me. I loved that thing.

Brittany said...

truth. you dont need much with a newborn. Diapers. Bottles. Binki. onsies. socks. swaddling blankets. Breast pump (an electric double one!!)a swing is a great thing to have for your sanity. The older they get the more you need in my opinion. We wasted money on things I insisted I needed and I hardly touched.

Sara said...

Have more blankets then you think you will need cause they spit up, pee on or something gets on one at least everyday and you don't want to be doing laundry every other day! Same goes for Onesies! And the thing I wish I would have had last pregnancy but have this pregnancy if you are breast feeding is a bobby! Your arms won't get tired and other pillows although great but don't work as well!

the Petterson Family said...

two words...

baby. bjorn.

Melinda said...

I love my boppy for my newborn, love to put him in there to rest, also helpful with nursing.

Something you might not think about is what YOU will need after the baby gets here. You need breast pads, and witch hazel pads are awesome. One of the best things I love for if you're nursing is Lansinoh lanolin, it helps a LOT.

Really its hard to suggest things you might want since everyone's different. My cousin LOVED using a bouncy ball to sit on to bounce her baby, I didn't. She loved a swing, I didn't. Some of those things are just what you figure out on your preferences. Hopefully you can borrow some of that stuff so you don't have to spend money finding out what you use and don't.

Hope that helps! :)

Jessica said...

Quite honestly , things like breast pumps... wait on. I bought one due to circumstances out of our control my son needed to be on a soy based formula. Its good to do research and find out which one would work best for you. I bought this one
http://www.target.com/dp/B000I0TF9E/ref=gp_se_search-results-asin-redirect
only used it for a month before they decided he was not able to have breast milk... so yeah I bought way to much stuff, buy the crib; buy the diapers. wait till you have the baby for those other things - that way you can decide if they are worth it. Espeically if your on a budget!!

Jessica said...

oh and ps: Melinda does have a point, if you are going to breast feed, DO DO DO, buy yourself a boppy. A pillow can work fine, but a boppy it does make the world a better place. Bought the boppy pregnancy pillow.. ha ha, then needed the boppy after that. But even still some mom's don't end up needing them so yeah, I would just be cautious, its easy to get carried away with this baby stuff.

Erin said...

I completely agree about the Boppy and the Lansinoh lanolin (they sell it at Wal-Mart for like 11 bucks - I just bought some). When they are very young, all you have to do to keep them alive :) is feed them, change their diaper and let them sleep. So diapers and wipes, the stuff you might need to be more comfortable when nursing (like I mentioned above), and somewhere for them to sleep and be warm. You will do great!!

Brittany said...

I totally agree with these ladies about the boppy!! also nursing pads!!!! :D

Melanie said...

I was also going to say nursing pads! The disposable kind. I had no idea how much I was going to leak! Out of the blue! Also, get one cheap nursing bra to start, then wait til your milk comes in to get fitted for a good one. The one I bought beforehand ended up being WAY too small! Then I splurged and got 3 really nice ones, and it was totally worth it to me.

I couldn't live without my electric breast pump, but I also couldn't live without my manual pump! (I used a free one I got from the hospital). I used it places like the bathroom stall of the airport, in the car, or any other place that didn't have an outlet available.

I didn't have a boppy, but I had the Brest Friend (funny name, great pillow!) It's flat on the top so the baby doesn't roll away from you as easily, and it has a little storage pouch-perfect for the Lansinoh cream. Both pillows are great though.

Since you live in cold country, get one of those Bundle Me things for the winter. It keeps babies warm in the carseat and stroller. They have infant and toddler sizes. It was so nice to have here in Chicago!!

I did withOUT a LOT of stuff (since we were in Ecuador) and was fine. I didn't have a swing, a bouncy seat, an exercaucer, a doorway bouncer, a bumbo chair, a changing table, a crib (Owen still sleeps in a pack n play). So really you don't have to spend a ton of money on all the super gadgets. Just get a few of those things to start, then if you feel you need something else you can get it later.

Heather said...

I'm not a big fan of all the contraptions they sell to put your baby in. In my opinion all you need is a sling or a baby wrap. Your baby is used to being with you 24/7 and will still want a LOT of physical contact after they're born. It's a normal and HEALTHY desire.

Cynthia said...

I agree with the boppy...didn't have one with my first but got one with my second and LOVED it. My bouncy chair and swing were lifesavors when I needed 5 minutes to shower/do a load of laundry/start dinner/empty the dishwasher/etc. Blankets, onsies, and sleepers are the essentials for newborns - buy the rest as you go along and find what you and your baby need.

And even after two kids, I still find myself looking at all the stuff in the stores and thinking...Hey, I need that - when the reality is, I didn't need it before why would I need it now? They suck you in...

Angie said...

Here are my thoughts.
Nursing bra, breast pads (I loved lansinoh because they have stickies so they don't move. Also bleeding pads, long ones. Swings are great some kids love the motion. Lanolin, but make sure it is pure lanolin, some add stuff like soy and you usually have to wash it off before you feed. If you pump you will need storage bags, I love the Lansinoh ones. Also a bassinet, Our daughter was in one for 5-6 months. I recommend getting one that you can travel with. we got ours at walmart for around $50. Hope this helps

Emryn said...

I bought so much fun stuff at garage sales, baby things don't get used much and people seem to use them for one kid around here. I would check some out in CO Springs. Austin loves his bouncer and playmant, but really doesn't love his swing or bumbo. I hardily use my bjorn, because he is content in his bouncer. Austin loves his pacifier. He only slept in his bassinet two nights and then we had enough and moved him to his crib (which was a garage sale item). Blow outs happen a lot, so a good scrubing bar or stain remover is essential if you want to keep clothes stain free. I love the cloth diapers for burp cloths I wash so many of them weekly. Good luck!!

Unknown said...

my sweet friend ~ there is so much you dont need! wait on things you dont have to have right away (swing, bouncer...) but lots of cloth diapers make GREAT burp rags, lanolin for you and something you might really like is a sling (they are great to carry your sweet new one in)!

LOVE YOU!!!

Rachel Sue said...

Cloth diaper burp rags. Nothing will work half as well. I promise.

And I agree on the onesies. Lots and lots. Lansinoh nursing pads. The only kind you should ever buy. And Tucks. Embarrassing, but necessary. And I also recommend zippers over snaps on sleepers. But they aren't always easy to find. And even better are the little baby night gown things. I love those things.

Malinda said...

a few things we have loved were. The Swing was a definite must. I didn't use my vibrating chair thing alot until I had more kids. But my swing I used a ton. Also when they get a few months older I love love love the exersaucer. I got one that could convert into a push toy so I didn't feel like I was wasting a lot of money on something that would only use for a few months. If you decide to circumsize the baby you will need lots of vaseline. I know it's a hot topic with some people. I am not saying you are going to. But that was something that i didn't realize I needed. But we used a lot. So vaseline in the tubes is always good to have on hand.

Laurie said...

Okay, it's taken me 10 years to reply to this post, but I really wanted to! So here goes:

Things I didn't really like: baby carrier and Boppy. The baby carriers were always awkward and hurt my back. But this time I'm going to try a Moby wrap. (http://www.mobywrap.com/) Looks WAY comfortable and makes more sense. I can give you the dimensions if you want to make one yourself. WAY easy. The Boppy wasn't soft enough/moldable enough for me. I like a normal pillow tucked under my arm.

Everyone's different, so your needs will be different. BUT here are the things (besides the usual) that I've used for both kids and plan on using for this one, too:

- diaper rags (a must - but I'm making you a few, so don't rush out and buy some just yet! Although, I ended up with TWELVE for Victoria - she was a spitter!)
- pacifier clips - to keep the pacifiers from getting lost
- depending on your house plan, a baby monitor. (Our room is on the complete opposite side of the house from the girls' bedrooms, so it's a must for us. Try to get a digital one - no static. And try getting it used; they're expensive!)
- a hooded bath towel - just makes bath time easier.


Nursing: I second the Lansinoh cream and the nursing pads (I prefer disposable). For me, a manual pump was the best, since I'm usually home all the time and didn't need it very much. Again, see if you can find one used on craigslist. (I got one for $7!) Also, buy a couple of bottles for water. Get him used to drinking water early. (Not a ton, of course. Just enough.)

Some people buy a nursing cover, but I've always just used a receiving blanket to cover up. Works fine, and I don't have two things to carry.

Okay, massive comment, but I think you're one that will appreciate it. :)