Just a reminder to think about the weather when you’re getting pajamas for these July babies. I’ve had two early June babies, and they both pretty much lived in onesies or just their diapers their first few months. They slept in a shortsleeved onesie + a zip up swaddle. Having one in July, I’m guessing mine at least won’t need any full length pajamas under the swaddle until they’re a couple months old.
@Pascal86 thank you for saying this. I was over here thinking, "DD slept in just a short sleeved onesie and sleep sack in the summer... can you not do that with newborns?" haha
@Pascal86 good point! If we are still in our current house, there's no way this baby will make it in full zipper pj's... but I'm really hoping we are in a new house with much more effective HVAC!
We have no clue what we'll need for this kid... DD ALWAYS slept in fleece pjs (even in the summer) b/c her room ran so cold in our old house. We need to figure out what the deal is with this house so we know how to dress him at night haha
This is super random registry related Q - how many bottles do you recommend having? (If it helps I'm hoping to BF but also I'll be back to work and pumping at 3 most) also I know not to register for clothes but how many basic onesies do we need in like 0-3, 3-6, etc? FTM trying to wrap my head around the basic day to day stuff
I definitely didn’t consider the whole summer baby wardrobe thing yet. DS was a March baby. Our house runs pretty cold with the AC in the summer so I would think a lightweight long sleeved sleeper would still be ok under a cotton swaddle/sleep sack.
@mehugg probably enough bottles for one full day plus a few extra. So babies eat every 3-4 hours so 8+ a few extra of feeding bottles. Then you’ll need bottles to pump into. My work gives me 2 pump breaks -so 4 bottles. Then you can store in the bottles or in storage bags. For pumping you’ll need to know which pump you have. I used medela pump so I just used Medela bottles for pumping. We used Tommee Tippees for feeding though.
Clothes are your preference. I think a weeks worth of onesies or every day outfits is adequate.
@mehugg the advice I’ve gotten for things like bottles is to get a few at first, you generally won’t be using them right away. AND you don’t know what baby will like.
@mehugg if you do a baby registry through amazon and target, they will give you an Avent natural, a chicco, a nuk, and a Dr Brown’s bottle. The avent and chicco have more “breast like” nipples and the nuk and Dr Brown more traditional. My daughter would only take the avent natural (she had horrid bottle aversion, would go hungry for hours at the sitter so she could wait to nurse). I was glad that I didn’t invest in a bunch of bottles. To this day, I have actually never bought a bottle, I got enough for free through registeries and a mom swap. If you plan to bf, I wouldn’t worry about bottles, use the free ones and see which style your baby likes.
@mehugg ditto to what @kc0711 and @nursejenn5 said. I was lucky enough that the kind I registered for never was an issue for DD (Tommee Tippee). But still I only registered for a three pack and went from there. As I got closer to going back to work and she had practiced with that kind a few times successfully I ordered a four pack of the same kind. Also, you didn't ask, but it may come up at some point: if you plan to BF (and even if you don't I think it still applies), make sure you are getting the lowest flow nipple (I think it usually says 0+) and you never really need to get a faster flow nipple at any point. Save your $ for some other baby shit lol.
@mehugg I agree with @MrsTiger123 Just because you get a bunch, doesn't mean you have to open them. Open and sterilize them as you need them and return any that don't work out as you're buying something else to try. But having to rush to wash bottles b/c you don't have enough is super annoying. I'd rather risk having to make a return (or eat the cost) than not have enough and be dealing with going out to get more when you're already sleep deprived and outings are a struggle.... especially if you wouldn't have had to if you had just stocked up.
I wish I still had my old phone to show you a photo I sent to a friend while on ML. We joked that I was living on the edge. The ENTIRE small side of my sink was full of bottle and pump parts. You go through soooo much in the early days if you end up needing to bottle feed.
For bottles, since we mainly BF and only needed bottles while I was at work, I could technically get away with just one feeding bottle since I send milk in one bottle and the rest frozen in bags to be thawed and used as needed. If your daycare provider requires filled bottles, you’d need probably 3 minimum for a full day. But if you want extras to not have to rush and wash them every night, get more.
You also need bottles to pump into. Most pumps come with 2, and if you’re pumping more than once you need a fresh set of bottles or something to pour the milk into so you can reuse the pump bottles again. You could transfer into bottles or bags. How many for pumping depends on how often you’ll pump and again, if you want spares instead of washing every single time. I was good with four bottles per workday, pumping twice, at my highest output. I’d count on two bottles per pumping session. You might add in a session before or after work, depending on timing and how many feeds you’re replacing and how well you respond to the pump.
I got several free bottles from different registry boxes. Last time I got one bottle from the Amazon box, and I got one from the Babylist box. I had a few from DD1 that probably came from an Amazon box and a new patient thing from my OB, I can’t remember the details!
2/13 Blighted ovum, D&C -- 6/13 MC -- 8/14 DD born -- 3/17 MC -- 9/18 DD2 born Expecting again -- EDD 7/27/20
Not to switch subjects. But two things I can’t make up my mind on (for now) of things that I think I want.
Bassinets. And baby swings.
We will be roomsharing for at least 6 months, probably longer depending on life (is the plan) and preemptively thinking well start with a bassinet. Then switch to something else. But am unsure of what is the best options (cause I’m not spending 200-300 on a fancy halo bassinet to use for a few months..). Or other ideas for when babe outgrows the bassinet as well.
@nursejenn5 if you do go the bassinet route, I'd recommend finding a secondhand one! They're so expensive for something baby uses such a short time. If your bedroom has the space for it, what about a basic pack n play like this one? That's our plan for when baby is in our room. (For an undetermined amount of time because I hated having DD in our room and moved her after a few weeks. I feel like no one talks about what LOUD sleepers newborns are?!)
@nursejenn5 I don't know how you feel about secondhand stuff, but to me a bassinet is the perfect thing to get secondhand because sometimes people shell out the big bucks and their kids never even use it. I've seen tons of bassinets for sale for cheap that say "barely used, my baby didn't like it", etc.. Even if it was used, it's like you said it's for just a couple of months, and it's not like they get any wear and tear. That's just me though. You could also just use a pack and play.
@stlbuckeye132 I was actually looking at a pack and play like that as well. Bit more room to maybe last longer (if we stick with longer term roomsharing😂) @mrsdrez I am totally open to secondhand stuff. I’ve been kind of on the lookout. Sadly people are still dealing some of them for super spendy. But I’ll keep watching. Because I don’t want to buy that brand new I don’t think. If I go for strictly a bassinet.
@nursejenn5 I would just use a pnp. Baby can be on the “top deck” until 15lbs and/or rolling and pushing up. That will buy you a lot of time. Then if they surpass that and you still want them in your room, they can just go in the bottom of the pnp. We used the halo from birth-5ish months (DD is super petite and a late roller, so we got longer use out of it than most) and then into a pnp until 7 months when she went in her own room. We got the halo because our master is super tiny and it was nice space wise.
As for a swing, I wouldn’t go out of your way to get one. We had one that someone gave us, and maybe used it 5 times. I’ll probably set it up for baby #2 just to have a safe space where DD can’t mess with them if I need to go run to the bathroom quickly or something like that. Our swing was able to detach the seat part and I could use that as a floor seat that vibrates and rocked if baby kicked their legs. I found that more useful than the actual swing. If I had to do it again, I’d just buy the bouncer seat and not the whole swing.
@stlbuckeye132 omg... yes to the loud NBs. And the bad thing about it is, you're so on edge about worrying they're about to wake that as soon as they make a sound, you're up for at least a little while until they, eventually, do wake... or have been quiet for a while longer. That was my experience anyway. We had DD in our room for 2mo b/c of reflux and then she got the boot. I felt like I got my life back the first night she was in her own room
@nursejenn5 tbh, I'd either get an expensive bassinet 2nd hand or just start off in the PNP. NBs are hard and the less you have to try to transition them out of, the better. BUT, I know it's really hard to not just try everything for good sleep in the beginning. I haven't decided if we'll do a Halo (b/c it can lift up to be the height of our bed so I don't have to get out of bed when baby wakes) or if we'll just get this travel bassinet. Either way, baby will likely be in the nursery before I go back to work.
@nutter_bean get the bucket car seat and then you can transition to a convertible seat once you have to. The bucket car seat is invaluable when you have a NB who is constantly sleeping but you need to run errands. You can snap the car seat in and out of the base and let him/her sleep vs having to wake the baby and deal with that disaster before going into each place. Also, if you end up having a small baby, I'm not sure there are convertibles that would go small enough. What's the lowest height/weight minimum you've found for convertibles?
ETA- never mind about the minimum weight... google is telling me some go as low as 5lbs. But if you opt for convertible only, be sure to take a look at that minimum.
ETA 2.0- also, what would you do for a stroller? NBs can't sit in a regular stroller (that I'm aware of). the ability to attach the bucket seat to our stroller was super helpful in the beginning when you feel like you have to bring everything you own with you to go out of the house for 2 hours
@nutter_bean I also think the convenience of the infant bucket seats are worth it. That's something that is likely to be bought for you if you're having a shower too. Just the ease of getting the baby all strapped in while inside instead of standing with the door open in the rain/snow/whatever in addition to being able to keep the baby in the seat while you eat at a restaurant or whatever is worth it. I did a lot of babywearing while running errands, so I get that baby won't ALWAYS stay in the seat while doing that sort of thing, but having the option sure is nice.
@nutter_bean I would have neverrrr survived without my infant car seat. So so much easier to just keep them in the seat and transport them around, plus I always knew she was nice and warm. My DD is pretty small so she was in that bad boy until almost 12 months.
I did find a few car seats with newborn inserts that go pretty low in weight, but I saw reviews citing concerns that some small babies still wouldn't fit depending on the seat.
So the strollers I'm looking at can either be a pram (flat) newborn setting, or there's the normal upright setting.
I'm all about value and being able to use one item over time or for multiple uses, so it's frustrating to feel like a more expensive item for shot term use is "required." : (
@nutter_bean also agree that an infant seat is so beyond convenient, borderline a necessity. When they are little, it is so much easier to buckle them in where you can see and reach than trying to do it bent over and sideways in the car. Being able to just click l them into the car and stroller and run errands is so helpful. I would click her in if she was sleeping and would babywear if she was awake. We still use the infant seat when we travel and need to use cabs/uber because it is so much easier to buckle into a car using the seatbelt (DD is 18 months old).
@nutter_bean at work we are struggling with fitting NB into convertible carseats. Even when they're designated to fit to small weights, babe's are more often than not still too small to fit snuggly, so we have to "pack them" in on the sides with rolled receiving blankets. I was originally thinking along your lines as well, but if you also plan on having more than one, i heard its good to get the infant, then the convertible when you need to for expiration dates as well.
@blaf322 that travel one looks nice too, and is cheap. I do enjoy less expensive. haha.
My concern with a pnp also falls along the lines of being so "open" as to if maybe babe wont feel "snuggly" enough in the very beginning, if that makes sense.. so much to consider, then you don't know what they'll even "like" haha
@nursejenn5 I realize you guys are kind of in a bind when folks are at the hospital, but for @nutter_bean's reference.... packing them in like that is not considered safe. In a collision, those babies would very likely not be protected enough. Adding anything like that (such as after market items) to a car seat is unsafe.
Re: that travel one is most like our RnP that DD slept in, which is why we're considering it. I'm still so sad about the RnP recalls lol
@blaf322 yes its definitely not a long term solution. and I think parents are advised to not do it after the ride home and to consider a different carseat. (i dont' work postpartum, but my mom is manager so I hear too much haha)
@nursejenn5 FWIW, DD slept in her full-size crib from about 3 weeks on without any issues. Granted, not every baby will be okay with that, but.... *shrug*
@kc0711 I'm asking this sincerely and in the nicest possible way, honestly, but are you sure your DD still fits in the infant seat properly at 18 months? i.e. less than the height and weight limits of the seat AND has at least 1" of clearance between the top of her head and the top of the seat when strapped in? I know my daughter is on the bigger side of things, but she had outgrown hers (didn't have 1" of clearance above her head anymore) by about 9-10 months. It's hard for me to imagine an 18 month old fitting properly (but I'm not saying it's not possible!)
@nursejenn5 I assumed as much. Really, no judgment being passed from me on that. Just wanted to make sure she understood that wasn't a safe solution for using convertible only.
@stlbuckeye132 yes 100%. We have a chicco fit2 which has options to fit/last longer than a typical infant car seat. It will fit babies up to 35lbs and 35in. DD is 21lbs and 32.5in tall. She is 18 months, but roughly the size of a 9-12 month old. She is a very petite little girl.
@nursejenn5 We use a PNP for several months in our room. If I felt OK spending the $$ on one of the fancy bassinets, I would, but the PNP works fine. I put it perpendicular to our bed, as close to me as I can (without taking out the nightstand) and about half of it sticks into the closet, so I have to climb down to the end of the bed to get out, but it's totally doable. And we can still use the PNP at 17 months while we're traveling this weekend, for example.
Also, re: car seats and receiving blankets, it's totally OK to put rolled up blankets next to them, just nothing between the baby and the seat or straps. Big big big no to inserts or whatever (unless they come with the seat itself).
@nutter_bean Plenty of people go straight to the convertible. A bucket seat is very much a "nice to have" but not a must-have. Depends a lot on your lifestyle and parenting style and your child's temperament, too.
I've been debating it myself because our last bucket seat expired and we got rid of it. The convenience is really valuable to me, though. My babies have not been good at transferring in and out of the car without waking up unless we kept them in the seat (which was also hit or miss, so the value is mixed). We take the bucket seat into church every week, too, and it's helpful while running errands. I plan to babywear a lot, particularly because I'll have a 2 year old this time and can't always be trying to haul the bucket seat around and keep her from running off. I don't like to wake my babies when they're sleeping, though - they aren't good enough sleepers!
And it doesn't have to be "single-use," I'll sell it when we're done. I wouldn't buy a used seat from a stranger, but I would buy one from someone I know and trust (knowing that it's been treated well and not in any accidents) - any chance you know someone who would pass one on?
2/13 Blighted ovum, D&C -- 6/13 MC -- 8/14 DD born -- 3/17 MC -- 9/18 DD2 born Expecting again -- EDD 7/27/20
@kc0711 interesting! I just looked up that seat, and I've not seen anything like that before. That makes a lot more sense now how it's fitting an 18 month old.
@stlbuckeye132 it is a great seat!! Honestly DD would still be in it full time but I cannot lift it up into the car anymore and the sides are too high to pick her up and place her in over the side with it in the car. We definitely have gotten a lot more use out of “infant” things than most because of how petite she is. Both a blessing and a curse!
@nutter_bean ditto to what others have said about the usefulness of the infant bucket seat. It was so convenient to be able to transfer from inside, to the car, into stroller, etc without moving the baby each time. And if you go to a restaurant or something, newborns will mostly just chill and be all snuggled in the bucket seat. And it kind of depends on how tall your baby ends up being, but mine was always 75-90% in height and she still stayed in her bucket seat until she was a year. It got a lot of use. And a convertible will get a lot of use too, since they can use it for many years after. Also, for a bucket seat you just need the one seat and two bases, whereas with the convertible seat you have to buy two seats (assuming a car for each parent) from the very beginning.
Thank you for all the helpful responses on bottles and clothes, but also all these other questions! Things I've been wondering as well. Much appreciation STM+s!!
Random rec I thought of yesterday as I was changing a poop diaper... those Arm & Hammer baggies like what you use to pick up dog poop. Basically, whether you get a diaper pail, diaper genie, or regular trash can, that shit will smell unless you wrap every poop diaper in a bag and tie a knot (dog owners already have this down) before tossing it in whatever receptacle you choose. Also keep them in your diaper bag for obvious reasons.
@meanjellybean our diaper genie never smelled bad. I mean, when you opened the lid, it smelled horrendous once she got a bit bigger. But it kept things contained. I wonder if there's some seal that can break with those though, b/c I remember my bestie's diaper genie for her son smelling bad. Like, the whole room would smell.
We never bothered with a diaper genie and I’m glad. Dirty diapers go straight out to the outside trash can. When DS was still very little and having way more wet diapers, we would keep a plastic bag in the laundry room to gather them up and go out all at once at the end of the day. I know that’s not always an option for everyone, but if it is, I would recommend it. It’s one less thing taking up space in your home!
@kristinl492 omg... we could not live without ours. Having one more to do with each diaper change (when they’re never at a convenient time) would drive me bonkers!
Re: Product Recs from STM+ Mamas
I wish I still had my old phone to show you a photo I sent to a friend while on ML. We joked that I was living on the edge. The ENTIRE small side of my sink was full of bottle and pump parts. You go through soooo much in the early days if you end up needing to bottle feed.
You also need bottles to pump into. Most pumps come with 2, and if you’re pumping more than once you need a fresh set of bottles or something to pour the milk into so you can reuse the pump bottles again. You could transfer into bottles or bags. How many for pumping depends on how often you’ll pump and again, if you want spares instead of washing every single time. I was good with four bottles per workday, pumping twice, at my highest output. I’d count on two bottles per pumping session. You might add in a session before or after work, depending on timing and how many feeds you’re replacing and how well you respond to the pump.
I got several free bottles from different registry boxes. Last time I got one bottle from the Amazon box, and I got one from the Babylist box. I had a few from DD1 that probably came from an Amazon box and a new patient thing from my OB, I can’t remember the details!
Expecting again -- EDD 7/27/20
https://www.amazon.com/Graco-Pack-Play-Playard-Pasadena/dp/B004Y9AKZI
@mrsdrez I am totally open to secondhand stuff. I’ve been kind of on the lookout. Sadly people are still dealing some of them for super spendy. But I’ll keep watching. Because I don’t want to buy that brand new I don’t think. If I go for strictly a bassinet.
I'm not thrilled with the idea of buying two items when one could work. I get that the newborn seat is often convenient but is it necessary?
We're going to try babywearing most of the time when they're little, and the stroller I'm looking at has a reclined option for newborns.
@nursejenn5 tbh, I'd either get an expensive bassinet 2nd hand or just start off in the PNP. NBs are hard and the less you have to try to transition them out of, the better. BUT, I know it's really hard to not just try everything for good sleep in the beginning. I haven't decided if we'll do a Halo (b/c it can lift up to be the height of our bed so I don't have to get out of bed when baby wakes) or if we'll just get this travel bassinet. Either way, baby will likely be in the nursery before I go back to work.
Also, if you end up having a small baby, I'm not sure there are convertibles that would go small enough. What's the lowest height/weight minimum you've found for convertibles?
ETA- never mind about the minimum weight... google is telling me some go as low as 5lbs. But if you opt for convertible only, be sure to take a look at that minimum.
ETA 2.0- also, what would you do for a stroller? NBs can't sit in a regular stroller (that I'm aware of). the ability to attach the bucket seat to our stroller was super helpful in the beginning when you feel like you have to bring everything you own with you to go out of the house for 2 hours
I did find a few car seats with newborn inserts that go pretty low in weight, but I saw reviews citing concerns that some small babies still wouldn't fit depending on the seat.
So the strollers I'm looking at can either be a pram (flat) newborn setting, or there's the normal upright setting.
I'm all about value and being able to use one item over time or for multiple uses, so it's frustrating to feel like a more expensive item for shot term use is "required." : (
I was originally thinking along your lines as well, but if you also plan on having more than one, i heard its good to get the infant, then the convertible when you need to for expiration dates as well.
My concern with a pnp also falls along the lines of being so "open" as to if maybe babe wont feel "snuggly" enough in the very beginning, if that makes sense.. so much to consider, then you don't know what they'll even "like" haha
Re: that travel one is most like our RnP that DD slept in, which is why we're considering it. I'm still so sad about the RnP recalls lol
@kc0711 I'm asking this sincerely and in the nicest possible way, honestly, but are you sure your DD still fits in the infant seat properly at 18 months? i.e. less than the height and weight limits of the seat AND has at least 1" of clearance between the top of her head and the top of the seat when strapped in? I know my daughter is on the bigger side of things, but she had outgrown hers (didn't have 1" of clearance above her head anymore) by about 9-10 months. It's hard for me to imagine an 18 month old fitting properly (but I'm not saying it's not possible!)
Also, re: car seats and receiving blankets, it's totally OK to put rolled up blankets next to them, just nothing between the baby and the seat or straps. Big big big no to inserts or whatever (unless they come with the seat itself).
@nutter_bean Plenty of people go straight to the convertible. A bucket seat is very much a "nice to have" but not a must-have. Depends a lot on your lifestyle and parenting style and your child's temperament, too.
I've been debating it myself because our last bucket seat expired and we got rid of it. The convenience is really valuable to me, though. My babies have not been good at transferring in and out of the car without waking up unless we kept them in the seat (which was also hit or miss, so the value is mixed). We take the bucket seat into church every week, too, and it's helpful while running errands. I plan to babywear a lot, particularly because I'll have a 2 year old this time and can't always be trying to haul the bucket seat around and keep her from running off. I don't like to wake my babies when they're sleeping, though - they aren't good enough sleepers!
And it doesn't have to be "single-use," I'll sell it when we're done. I wouldn't buy a used seat from a stranger, but I would buy one from someone I know and trust (knowing that it's been treated well and not in any accidents) - any chance you know someone who would pass one on?
Expecting again -- EDD 7/27/20