Weekly Questions 3/3

Redpuma119

Redpuma119

This hadn't been started this week.. I have a few questions for you STMs. 

When did you start your registry?

Also, as soon as we are in the second tri, my mom wants to start buying "small" things here and there when she sees them on sale. Things like diapers, wipes, etc. What items did you ladies find that you were constantly buying? Items that are a for sure that we can start stalking up on? My H wants to start getting a pack of diapers every time we shop, but I know sizing can be weird. Recommendations on the size you used most? We also talked about getting onesies but I know you can never predict what size the baby will be, so would we want to start with a higher size and just wait?

I also want to get little baskets for breastfeeding started. (Bottled water, chapstick, diapers, wipes, etc)

stothi

Anything non perishable feel free to stock up. This time and last time I bought a couple of cute onsies and sleepers like the day after I peed on the stick.

Personally, I would suggest buying smaller packages of the newborn and size one diapers. Don't buy big bulk boxes of those. ALWAYS keep the receipt or a note on where you bought the diapers so that you can take them back and exchange them later if you need to. Size 2 and 3 are safer sizes to stock up on. What gets tricky is brands. Not all diapers fit the same and you may find you love Pampers but hate Huggies or vice versa. Last time I bought a different small package of wipes or diapers pretty much anytime I went shopping so I nice stock of different things to try. 

Anything that costs real money, check the return policy and wait to buy those so you'll know if you are going to actually use it before the return window closes. Great sale and bargain stuff? Eh, I say go nuts! I mean if you don't use it we all know somebody else is going to have a baby sooner or later and you can always re-gift it or donate it to a local shelter. Someone will always need baby stuff.

The other thing you can do is every time you go shopping, instead of buying a baby related item, get $5-$20 cash back and stick it in a cute piggy bank/jar/ big plastic baby bottle in the baby's room so that you are setting money aside and have a fund to buy what you need later as you find out what works for you baby. 

Wishilivedinflorida

I started my registries around mid second trimester. I’m registering again this time around just to get the freebies and to get the completion discount for the things I need to buy for number two. 

I would be very cautious about stocking up too much on diapers and wipes. Some kiddos end up really sensitive and I would hate for anybody to stock up on stuff and then realize that they can’t use it. You’re probably safe to grab a couple packs of newborn and size one diapers to get started. And if you want to get some wipes, maybe get the “sensitive” kind for starters.  I think Pampers Swaddlers end up doing fine for most babes early on. Also, if I would’ve followed those online guides about how many diapers in each size to buy, I would have been tremendously overstocked on size 2 and three. My little one went through those sizes in about one-two weeks each, flat. 

As for onesies, I found you can never really have enough, especially if you end up with a “spitter” like I had! The general rule of thumb is that Gerber brand runs small, Carter’s brand runs pretty true to size. I found the new brand at target, Cat and Jack, to run a little bigger. 

Gerber brand class diaper inserts are great as burp cloths. Nothing else compares.

As far as breast-feeding supplies, tubes of lanolin are good; you can get away with small tubes because a little goes a long way. Small snacks and water bottles are great, as are burp cloths. Also, it’s good to have your phone or a book handy for the early days when they take so long to eat or cluster feed. 

PP feminine supplies are a good idea, too.  No matter if you have a C-section or a vaginal birth, you will need those heavy menstrual pads for at least a couple weeks. It’s not a bad idea to get some aloe gel and witch hazel to make “padsicles” ahead of time, which is minimal cost even if you don’t use them (they are heaven if you have a tear). 

ETA: Should we start a thread for registry recommendations from second time moms? I know there are a lot of products out there, some of which are pretty useless, and some of which are pure gold!

stothi

@Wishilivedinflorida good points! It's so hard to know in advance. My kiddo was in newborns for like a minute, size one a couple of weeks, 2 for a month or so and size 3 forever, like 6 months-a year. I think we've been in size 4's for like a year.

cdepperschmidt

*lurking from October*

Instead of stocking up on diapers, maybe stock up on Walmart or Target gift cards that’s are equal to the cost of diapers. With DS we started out using one brand and had switch when he was a few months old because they started leaking. Also, it’s hard to predict how long you will need a size. 

You could probably stock up on wipes, but you kid could have sensitive skin. It’s so hard to say how long things last. Also, you will find that once you try something you though was exactly what you wanted, it’s not, or you will find something better. 

Every baby is so different. As a STM I am hesitant to buy anything new until I know exactly what the new one is like.

stothi

@Wishilivedinflorida I'd suggest maybe 2 new threads- Registry thread and Postpartum thread. There'll be some cross over with breastfeeding stuff going on the registry but padsicle supplies and hemorrhoid creams probably will be a private purchase. Or maybe they would go on one's Registry! Lol, I think it depends on your crowd I totally buy my mom to be friends breast pads and nipple cream. I haven't bought anyone Tuck's pads or Depends yet, but they would be a legit gift, lol.

Redpuma119

Thanks ladies! I love the idea of the registry from second time moms. We do the product spotlight- so if moms say a stroller, we have those related threads to go decide which stroller we want. Can we maybe also start a mama PP thread? So things like the pads and lanolin you ladies mentioned? 

I like @stothi idea of putting away money. We might do that, but I also want to give me mom something to get. I do have a dsd, but I'm the oldest and this is the first grandchild, so my parents are so excited

Wishilivedinflorida

@stothi DS has been in size 5’s since 9 months 

ETA he’s 11 months now and I’m seriously dreading possibly having to use pull-ups as diapers if he keeps up this growth pattern!

Lcardinal04

I love the idea of stocking up on target gift cards, or wherever you think you'll go. Last time around we didn't stock up on diapers beforehand and we wish we would have. We've used pampers swaddlers straight through (DD is 2). Pampers Sensitive wipes too. Other stock up items: burp clothes (can never have to many), diaper genie generic refills (always annoying to go for a refill and not have any).

I like the idea of PP thread and registry too. 

yosemite2018

@wishilivedinflorida DD is 15 months now and has been in 5’s for a long time. Their growth majorly slows down around this time, plus when they start walking they tend to thin out a bit... so you should probably be ok.

Also re: diapers... don’t trust the sizing on the package! DD is tall and lean and has always fit into the next size up when she’s below the range of weight on the package (we use pampers swaddlers).

fwtx5815

@Wishilivedinflorida and @cdepperschmidt hit the nail on the head on everything. I know some moms like to stockpile diapers in advance but you just never know which brand will fit your LO best, especially in the thighs. Wrong fit = frequent, unnecessary leaks and blowouts. And as they grow, preferred brand may change too. 

With #1, we registered around 17 weeks. This time I started one at like 7 weeks and just kept it private haha.

As as far as onesies- this also depends on baby’s size of course but it’s probably a safe bet to buy a good amount of 0-3 month sizes and up, and maybe buy just a few newborn size items, keep the tags on and save receipts in case you have a big baby that skips right over newborn size. I feel like more often than not though, LOs spend at least a couple of weeks in NB size onesies before moving up. There are always exceptions and YMMV but based on what I’ve seen, it’s better to have a few NB size items on hand rather than having to send someone out for clothes after birth. 

We would ony wash 1 set of sizes at a time in case certain outfits/sizes were for the wrong season. So when he was in 6 month clothes, I waited until we were ready to size up before washing the 9 month stuff in case some of it didn’t work and we could exchange it (even if for less $) 

fwtx5815

The gift card thing is a great idea

yosemite2018

@fwtx5815 DD fit in exactly one of her NB outfits when she was born... granted she was bigger than most of your babies will be. My nephew was born 5lb, 5oz (at 37 weeks) and we had to go out and buy preemie outfits which he fit in for about 2 weeks, then nb for 2 weeks, and now he’s fitting in 0-3 stuff (just over a month old). I do recommend getting one or two nb things but I would probably focus more on the 0-3 and larger sizes. Since you really don’t know how big your baby will be (the growth scans can be off by a lb in either direction), unless you live in the middle of nowhere, I’d rather have to send someone out to pick up a smaller item or two if needed then end up with tons of stuff that won’t be used.

fwtx5815

@yosemite2018 yes I agree with all of that. My main point being that I don’t think it’s a good idea to try to skip NB size altogether, which I’ve seen a few friends do and it turned out that their LOs did need that size for at least a couple of weeks. 

spottedginger

I agree with all the comments on diapers etc. one brand may fit your lo better than other. We mainly stuck with pampers bc they fit DS better, but he has a long waist and is consistently one size up from the weigh range so they cover his butt crack. We HATED the honest diapers but loved their wipes. 
With clothes, you are pretty safe to stock up on 0-3 and up when you find sales. No telling the growth rate of your LO, so seasonal items will be hard but general sleepers should be good. DS was in newborn for weeks bc I had supply issues and he didn’t gain until I finally started supplementing with formula.
I started our registry around 14-16 weeks, but kept it private so I could compare and put things I was thinking about on it before other people could see it. 

nackie

We didn’t really stock up on anything. We got a ton of 0-3 month clothes at the shower. Basically all we needed to get were a few onesies.
We went through 4-5 diaper brands before we found one we liked, so I’m glad we didn’t stock up on that. We also tried multiple brands of formula and only liked one.  Same with baby laundry  detergent. I signed up for as many free samples as possible, and that helped us figure out brands that worked for us without wasting too much money. 
One thing we did stock up on was freezer meals. Those came in super handy, but it’s a little early to start working on that just yet

[Deleted User]

I would also love to have a cloth diaper thread, for those of us planning to CD!  :D

My registry has been complete / in tweak mode since our first transfer! Lol but not public yet.  I agree, while I did get a few nb items, mostly just kimono tees to put over a cloth diaper and wrap baby up in a swaddle, and only nb onesie was intended for the announcement photo (so while DH is not into it for the KU announcement, maybe will end up in a birth announcement?  who knows.)  I am mostly figuring people will gift us lots of clotbes, so while I did get a few key items when I saw them on sale, I'm not stressing clothes till were there and we can take an inventory of all we've received, and also see what specific brands / sizes / seasonal items are working for our LO.

But I already have all the diapers, wipes, etc.

stothi

@BusinessWife my husband loved the kimono style onsie and tops. As a first time dad who'd never even babysat before, he was really uncomfortable wiggling a tiny baby in and out of over the head stuff. I was really jacked up after giving birth and it was too much of a struggle to get me in and out of the car so hubby was in change of taking buddy to all his early tests and appts. Buddy was jaundiced from the pre-e so he needed some extra appts early on. Anyhoo, he really liked the kimono style onsies because he could just lay baby flat, unsnap, hand baby to doc, lay baby back down and resnap. Easy peasy. We'll definitely get more for this baby! We really found them to be worth it.

[Deleted User]

@stothi. Awesome to hear!  Yeah, figured just the tops to start too, could make frequent changes a lot less of a hassle, (plus people gift you all the onesies), especially while baby is tiny and not yet super mobile to worry about it riding up, and/or for layering under a onesie as it starts to get cooler.

FFSC: l started buying things when we (got sperm/) started IVF, and I was so hopeful for a June baby.  Then June baby turned to July baby, then August baby, and now here we are!  So I have 10 nb SS tops, 4 LS and 5 SS 3 mos, and 8 LS in 6 mos.  I was thinking about trying to fill in more the LS nb and go ahead and double up on the rest so I have two packs of everything in each size and be done with it.  I feel like we will be learning how to dress autumn baby kinda as we go!  :#

I also feel like it's more worthwhile to buy basics than cutesy stuff, bc again, people will give you all the cute things.  I'm a little afraid we won't get any nb mitts/ socks!  :D

Redpuma119

I appreciate all the diaper talk. I didn't realize how much of a difference each brand, and baby, makes. 

stothi

Redpuma119 said:

I appreciate all the diaper talk. I didn't realize how much of a difference each brand, and baby, makes. 

A friend and I were talking about how Pampers work for my baby and I hate Huggies and for her it was the opposite. A mutual friend overhead our passionate discussion of diaper brands and just started laughing and laughing and said, "my how your conversations have changed!!!" We used to talk about boys and dating and going out dancing and what the latest gossip was... Now we debate diaper brands, lol!!! Oh, mom life, I you. 

pourmeanothermocktail

@BusinessWife Yes to cloth diaper thread. We've been almost exclusively cloth since we came home from hospital, I can totally offer all sorts of info/tips/tricks. 

MandyMost

Another comment on diapers and wipes to consider: DD had a very sensitive bum and had terrible diaper rashes. ANY wipes made it worse. We still only use “WaterWipes” which are great but more expensive. Pampers Sensitive diapers worked best for us. We gave away a few boxes of diapers and wipes we had bought, because they were aggravating her skin.

You just don’t know what works for you OR baby until you try things, so I’d recommend not stockpiling anything. Even clothes, you don’t realize certain things you live/hate until you’re doing it! And it’s tough to buy the right clothes for the right season in the right size ahead of time. 

One thing im planning to stockpile this time is nursing bras and tanks that are the “pull to the side” type. Those first couple months I just wanted easy and comfy and hated dealing with any clips or pulling my shirt up, and I was just home so much that I loved these. But I only had a couple, and they get dirty so quick. Target has some good ones right now...I bought a set of bras and 1 tank, and am planning to order like 4 more of each. 

For baby stuff, but the book Baby Bargains. You’ll thank me. It’s amazing. 

yosemite2018

The kimono style tops are great! We got a gift pack with 4 (carters) and they had the mitts on the end. Those are also important before the umbilical cord  falls off. We just used those and pants. The other nice thing is even if your baby ends up in 0-3 for a while, you can layer in fall. DD is a November baby and we just got a lot of cute hoodies (the gap ones are super soft) and those worked well. Even when she sizes up in pants and onesies the hoodies fit her for a long time so we got a lot of use out of them.

fwtx5815

Anyone here instructed by their doctor to avoid cat litter? My old doctor (left the practice after DS was born) told me the first time around to have DH handle all litter box duties. My current doctor hasn’t mentioned it at all. If it matters, our cat was a rescue but she hasn’t been outside since we got her 2+ years ago 

yosemite2018

fwtx5815 said:

Anyone here instructed by their doctor to avoid cat litter? My old doctor (left the practice after DS was born) told me the first time around to have DH handle all litter box duties. My current doctor hasn’t mentioned it at all. If it matters, our cat was a rescue but she hasn’t been outside since we got her 2+ years ago 

Yep. Luckily our cat is outdoor and he goes outside... but my OB definitely mentioned it again.

iluvgoldies33

Yes, my doctor said to stay away from cat litter. I am a veterinarian and know you can get toxo many other ways but it's just not worth the risk. 

fwtx5815

Dang. Okay. I wondered if the first doctor had maybe some outdated advice but it sounds like that’s still current. I appreciate that my husband does the litter without complaint but he doesn’t do it as often as I’d prefer. But I’ll continue to avoid it. Thanks for the input! 

Patience7150

Lol yes @BusinessWife, I'm over here like "we've been in large gmd workhorses for seven months but I've only needed 15 in each size to get through every other day washing." 

For ftms: I was TERRIFIED of putting a baby in a onesie. Legit googled it the first time I tried, and then didn't try again for weeks. She as a February baby and lived in footed sleep and plays until I gained the confidence to put her in something else. She was 8lbs 11oz and fit in one nb thing, but was otherwise in 0-3 month clothes at birth.

smsaulino

I'm not a STM... but I've already got our registry up and running on Babylist and I'm about to be in second trimester. We'd been trying for a little over a year when we found out, and I had a "hidden" registry most of that time just to start a checklist for things we would need. It was recommended to us by several friends to not put more than one pack of NB diapers on the registry. Some of the other advice we have been given, has already been mentioned. 

yosemite2018

smsaulino said:

It was recommended to us by several friends to not put more than one pack of NB diapers on the registry. Some of the other advice we have been given, has already been mentioned. 

The hospital sent us home with a bunch of diapers, and DD actually was discharged from the nicu who also gave us diapers, plus I got a diaper cake at a baby shower. Needless to say I didn’t buy any diapers for a very long time.

pourmeanothermocktail

@BusinessWife and @Patience7150 I've been slowly increasing our stash since DS was 6 months old so now I'm confident I have enough for 2 in diapers for 3 days between washes. Unfortunately our washer is small capacity so I will generate a load of diapers per day, but it's nice that don't actually have to get them washed and folded if I don't feel like it.

smsaulino

@Redpuma119 I just saw where you posted that it hadn't been posted this week. It was posted on 2/25, last Sunday, when it was supposed to. It hasn't left the front page yet. 

stothi

@Patience7150 I want to go back in time and hug FTM you and show you how to put a onsie on your baby! I was 36 when my son was born and I've been babysitting since I was 12, so I've done pretty much all the things. I've given a few first baths to babies when their moms were nervous. I feel very fortunate to have had so many opportunities to practice cause it made it so much easier to do things when my baby came. New little babies can be so scary if you haven't handled them much before. 

Now I need someone to come teach me how to potty train my toddler. It's the one major kid related thing that I've never done before! That and removing splinters. I don't know how to remove splinters.

starla

@Patience7150 What was scary about putting the baby in the onesie? Having to handle and maneuver her limbs into it?

[Deleted User]

@Patience7150 @pourmeamocktail my stash is ridiculous.  I've been building it for 2+ years, and have yet to use a stitch!  I used to joke that I could CD quads.  Or like, I was getting ready to CD Rihanna's baby or something.  <<facepalm>>  I mean it'll all get used, and we are hoping to have more than one, and more than two even, so.... less wear and tear???  :#

southernlady07

@fwtx5815 My doctor mentioned it again this time as well, but said that since ours are strictly indoors, there is very little risk of them contracting it since they aren’t out digging in the dirt. She said you’re actually more likely to get it from gardening (which I believe I read in Expecting Better but hadn’t heard before that). With all that said, my DH has taken over cleaning ours but I do have to remind him because his cleaning frequency is not as much as I’d like either. 

@nlc8424 Yes that dressing is the best!! 

AFM: we are heading to the Zoo today and it is beautiful outside! We are planning to get a picture of DD in her big sis shirt so we can share it on social media this week. I may be bribing her with ice cream in order to get a real smile  What’s your best tip for getting kids to smile in pictures?! 

ETA: totally thought this was Weekend Randoms  Edited to add a question! 

stothi

starla said:

@Patience7150 What was scary about putting the baby in the onesie? Having to handle and maneuver her limbs into it?

For most people it's the head. At least for my husband that was the big scary thing. You keep hearing, "support the neck! Support the neck!" Then you're like,"but how!? How do I like lift the head and then pull the onsies over and support the neck and OH GOD! It's stuck on their nose! Oh god they are crying! What do I do!? Why does my baby have such a big head!? Who designed this shit!? Does this fit over anyone's baby's head? Help!!!" <<< That's kinda how it went for poor hubby, lol. Poor guy. He learned though! And he learned very quickly and baby was just fine while daddy was learning. I'm actually really interested to see if hubby has a been there, done that attitude and lots of second time dad confidence with this baby or if since it'll have been almost 3 years since he's had an infant if he'll go back to scared to do the things.
Something that was actually really helpful for my husband came out of less than ideal circumstances. Our son had to stay in the nursery for extra care while we were at the hospital and couldn't stay in the room with us. I was in too bad of shape to make it up to the nursery. So my husband had to go back and forth between us. My husband went up to the nursery every 3 hours to feed buddy and he would hang around each time watching the nurses feed and diaper and all that and he learned a ton from them! 2.5/3 days of watching the nurses care for the babies was the best crash course hubby could have asked for. 

Redpuma119

@businesswife how many diapers do you have? I entertained the idea of cloth diapering but it seems like a lot of work? What made you decide to do it?

starla

@stothi Ahh gotcha! Thanks for explaining. That's awesome that YH got a crash course from the nurses (but sucks you were in bad shape). I hope he remembers what he learned last time! I'm sure it will all come back to him.