Oh the first year of life! The time goes by so quickly! I cannot believe that my little Caleb is almost 16 months old and we are thinking of having another one. My brother and sister-in-law have just announced that they are expecting their first little bundle of joy at the end of April! I'm going to be an aunty to a little baby who will actually be close to me. My other niece and nephews live in the Dominican Republic and I don't get to see them very often. Lord willing, I will get to see this little one quite often!
The other day my sister-in-law and I went maternity clothes shopping. Naturally we made a stop at Target (one of my favourite stores and I'm so excited they are now in Canada) and headed to the baby gear aisle. Robyn shared with me how overwhelming it is to start to think about all the baby supplies a person 'needs'. It made me think about how crazy it was trying to plan for a first child. When Matt and I found out we were pregnant we were living in Colombia. The idea was that we were going to fly home, have the baby here in BC then head back to Colombia all in a matter of months. God had another plan and we came home earlier and do not have any plans to go back any time soon. Anyway, while I was suffering through my constant morning sickness, I figured I would plan out everything we would need for our baby. Wow, the baby world is exactly how Robyn said... OVERWHELMING! I told her the same thing I am telling you, find one of those baby essentials checklist then ask your friends what they think is actually essential. Yes, you will probably buy something that you never take out of the package or just sits in the corner but hey maybe the next kid will like it.
I thought I would share with you MY baby essentials list. I got through the first stages of infancy with these things just fine. Yes, there are some other items, like swings or bouncy seats, that some moms swear by. Let's face it, I'm cheap and we were on a tight budget having just purchased our first home and all. This is my minimalistic list. that I'm sure could easily be trimmed down.
Sleepers: Caleb was born at the end of June and lived in sleepers for the first few weeks of his life. I never did the swaddle thing. The nurses actually told me not to do it or to only swaddle loosely. He liked to sleep with his arms above his head and his legs spread out. There are babies who stay all curled up for a few days or weeks after they are born. Not Caleb, there is a picture of me holding him in the hospital and he's stretched out as tall as he can be. Anyway back to the sleepers... we had 6-10 of them and still did laundry every other day. We had a couple then went out and bought more. Size: I was a 8 lbs 15 oz baby, my brother was 9 lbs, my husband was 8 lbs. My doctor told me that I was not having a 7 lbs baby, so I was prepared to never use the newborn size and I was right. He popped out at 8 lbs 15 oz. By the time we left the hospital he had only lost a few ounces and gained it all back VERY quickly. 0-3 month clothes actually only lasted us for about 2 months then he was in the next size.
Car Seat: The hospitals here in BC will not let you take the child home unless you have a car seat. The nurse actually put Caleb in the seat and adjusted the straps herself to make sure everything fit. She asked Matt about the instillation of the base in the car too. We bought a Graco Classic because it was on sale! It was a great seat that lasted about a year before Caleb outgrew it.
Blankets: Even if your child does not like a swaddle, having blankets on hand is essential. Caleb was not a baby that spat up constantly but some kids are. It is really nice to have the option to toss a receiving blanket over your shoulder just in case or to add an extra little cozy comfort to your cuddle time. As far as what to have in the crib goes, well there are a few different opinions on that topic. Some say just have a heavier sleeper. Some go with a sleep sack. Some have blankets. The concern is that having a blanket could suffocate the child. We started with a receiving blanket tucked under his arms then added a crocheted blanket once it was colder. He did just fine. Do what YOU feel comfortable with. I've heard of lots of people who have had success with all of the above options.
Diapers/wipes: This one is pretty obvious; however, who knew there were so many diapering options. Keep in mind that newborn diapers need to be worn until the umbilical cord heals (there is a specially designed little cut out to allow space for the cord). With that being said, we started off with Huggies and then threw in some clothe diapers once Caleb was 2 months old (he fit into them better once he was a bit bigger). I knew I wanted to do clothe diapers to save money (our water bill is included in our strata fees and I only actually do 2 extra loads of laundry a week). We still have some Huggies diapers around the house in case we don't want to deal with carting around used clothe diapers when we are out and about. If you do decide to go the clothe diaper route... yikes! Now that is a whole new world with a language all of it's own. Do your research and ask clothe mommas. They are very open to talking about the type of diapers they use and what they like about them. Whichever way you decide works best for your family, make sure you have lots on hand. Caleb went through a lot of diapers every day.
Pacifier: I actually debated putting this one on the list. I did not want my kids to be dependant on a pacifier. I did not want to get up in the middle of the night just to put the pacifier back in. I was only using it as an emergency option. Then my in-laws came to visit. My dear mother-in-law actually sent us a care-package before they came and it included a package of pacifiers. She saw us on Skype and noticed we weren't using one, so she sent us some because 'babies just like to suck sometimes'. Caleb liked his pacifier a lot more after they left but thankfully he isn't addicted. We used it when we needed to hold off on a feeding or later when his teeth hurt (he got his first teeth at 4.5 months). Even now at 16 months he only uses it if his teeth hurt or to go to sleep (not very often).
Baby shampoo/soap: I have extremely sensitive skin so I was concerned about that being passed on to Caleb. Praise the Lord so far so good. We did start out using Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo and body wash. Then all the news came out about them using cancer causing ingredients and I started getting scared. Now what? I am still searching for a good brand that uses natural ingredients and is gentle on the skin. Some of my friends have recommended the follow brands: Aveno, Live Clean, California Baby, Earth Mama Angel Baby. I will test some out and let you know how it goes.
Diaper Bag: I was so excited about buying a diaper bag. I wanted something that looked like a diaper bag. I bought a Ju Ju Be Be All and loved it... for the first few months. Then I started to notice that my super sensitive skin kept breaking out in a rash where the wonderful memory foam strap pad laid on my neck. Awesome! It's not the first time I have been allergic to fabric and I should have known better. Oh well, now I am trying to sell it. I did notice though that I prefer to just toss some diapers and an extra set of clothes in a wet bag in my purse. So I splurged on a nice new purse that was big enough to carry all my baby needs.
Wet Bag: I just mentioned this so I figure I would explain what it is. A wet bag is an invention for clothe diapering and it is a baby essential for sure. Basically it is a water proof fabric bag that locks in nasty smells. The idea is that you put your nasty, wet, messy diapers in it to store until laundry day. I have two big ones and two small ones. The big ones rotate through the bathroom to store my 2-4 days worth of diapers while the little ones hold all my "going out of the house" diaper needs. I have a couple diapers, wipes, change of clothes and a couple toys in the small bag which I then toss in my purse or the car. If a mess is really gross, I can change Caleb out of the nasty clothes and just toss everything in the wet bag. The bag gets turned inside out and run through the washing machine along with everything else. My mom and I actually made a bunch of wet bags ourselves. We used PUL, a zipper and sewed a few seams then we were good to go. Super easy!
Stroller: We are a very active family and I knew we needed a durable stroller. We splurged and bought a BOB Revolution SE. I love it! Yes, it is a bit on the bigger side but it is perfect for us. I have taken it to the mall and people on the street have made fun of how big it is (I think they are crazy). I know it says to not put your newborn directly in the stroller (use the car seat adaptor) until they are 3-6 months depending on neck control. We put Caleb in at 5 weeks. He had incredible neck control and we used the head pillow thing from our car seat. I did not run with him till he was a few months old so there wasn't much movement. I honestly think that this stroller was hugely influential in helping me shed my baby weight in 4.5 months!
Crib: The kid needs somewhere to sleep. The public health nurse told me that they recommend babies sleep in their parents' room for the first 6+ months of their life. Yup, Caleb lasted 2.5 in our room. Honestly, we just put him on his crib mattress on the floor till he started to move about then we transitioned him to his crib. Next time, we are getting a play-yard so that it's not to hard for me to pick him up and put him down - that whole recovering from giving birth thing makes it more challenging to bend over. I had a friend gave me a Moses Basket and Caleb just screamed whenever we put him in it. I've heard parents have their kids sleep all sorts of places - drawers, wagons, bassinets, baskets, boxes. There are lots of options - again, find what works for your family and is safe.
Entertainment: Kids do need some form of stimulation. One of Caleb's favourite toys was this activity gym like this one. It was great to be able to just put him down and let him explore so we could make dinner or just sit. Some kids 'need' to be moving and 'need' a swing or a bouncy chair. My advice is to wait till you have your child then make that decision based upon your child's actual needs not his potential needs. What works for one child may not work for another.
Nursing Pillow: Okay be prepared for too much information. I tore really badly and took a number of weeks to heal. My nursing pillow was essential. I took that thing with me everywhere I went and sat on it. I don't know if I ever used it for nursing but it was the only way I could sit for over a month.
Really, I'm pretty sure that's all we really needed for the first few months. Every stage has it's joys and challenges. Every stage has it's 'needs' and 'wants'. Take each stage in stride, it won't last forever.
Be joy-filled!
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