This is not as comprehensive as it could be. It's a huge topic! These are just SOME of my thoughts... Here we go!
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Pregnancy
Resources:
One of the best resources that I know of for pregnancy is so NOT the book "what to expect when you're expecting." No, that is an enormous book that just takes up way too much space in your house, and I have not found it to be very helpful. And believe me, I've tried. Three times now, and it's STILL not helpful..... No, the best pregnancy book I have found is a book called "The Pregnancy Journal" (don't buy one, Lynds - I already have one being sent to me for you as we speak :) It is a DAY-BY-DAY (not month by month, or week by week) guide to your pregnancy, and it goes into detail about what is happening with your body and your baby EVERY SINGLE DAY of your pregnancy!!! It is very interesting, especially if you love random trivia just for the sake of knowing, like I do. It helps you see the wonder of a growing little life. I love it!
I also recently heard from a friend that her favorite book is one called, Pregnancy Day By Day. I never used this one, but she said that it has tons of pictures in it of what your baby looks like at each stage, and it seems like it's similar to the pregnancy journal in that it gives information about your growing baby EACH DAY, instead of just each month or each trimester or whatever. It has awesome reviews on amazon. So, yeah -- definitely worth checking out!
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Maternity Pants:
It seems counter-intuitive, but maternity pants with a huge stretchy band that covers your whole pregnant belly are much better than pants with just a small stretchy band that is supposed to sit under your belly. I have found that the ones with the small band just fall down all day... the same type of problem you have with a strapless bra.... get it?
Good:
Bad:
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Newborns:
Resources:
The most helpful book for me has been a book called "On Becoming Baby-Wise." The book basically recommends getting your newborn on a schedule, so that you can (to some degree) plan your day, instead of having no idea when your baby is going to need to nurse, take a nap, etc. I guess the book series has come across scrutiny from people who are all about demand feeding and co-sleeping and all of that, but I just think that it is very, very easy to get overwhelmed by your baby's needs, and forget that you actually do have some degree of control over what happens in your home. A baby's cry is extremely convincing and seems SO urgent and demanding, especially to a mother, so at least for ME - I needed a PLAN!
In my opinion (and the stance the book takes), everyone does better with a routine. I highly, highly recommend following the principles in this book. There are also books in the series that follow this one, like Baby-Wise II (for parenting 5-15 month old babies), and Toddler-Wise, among others. (by the way, Lynds, I also have a copy of Baby-Wise for you that I found used, and I just ordered Toddler-Wise for myself).
I can't tell you how wonderful "room time" has been for Josiah, and especially for mommy, since we started it a few weeks ago!
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Here is a list of must-have items for a new baby:
1. Ergo Carrier
2. Bumbo Chair
3. A baby gate - I don't really have an opinion about which kind is best, although the retractable ones seem neat. I'm looking into those for myself right now... But, a baby gate is a must, especially if you want to implement the principals from the baby-wise series. Babies need boundaries. You will have more sanity, and they will have more safety if you get a baby gate or two that work with your home.
4. I would say that Hylands Teething Tablets are on my top list of must-haves, but apparently there was some kind of recall on them..... I don't know the details, but at any rate, they are (or were) miracle-workers for cranky teething babies, so do your own research and make your own decision... Hyland's website says that they should be back on the shelf in stores soon... but I do wonder if they will still work as well now that they've been "improved upon" --- I guess we will see!
5. Pacifiers - and lots of them. Just get over all the dumb reasons why people say pacifiers aren't good for babies, and give the kid a stinkin' cry-plug. When the kid is two and still addicted to the thing, just take the thing away. Ok, so maybe I'm over-simplifying the whole thing a little bit, but really, pacifiers are great for kids who want them. Some babies never take to them. Some love them to death. The point is, there shouldn't be such controversy about this. Pacifiers are not going to hurt your kid. If he/she wants one, give it to him. That's my opinion.
6. Lots and lots of burp cloths - big ones. I use receiving blankets as burp cloths. For some reason, I never really use them as actual blankets... but they make great burp cloths. You need a stack of burp cloths in every room. Babies suddenly spit up. When my babies are still tiny, I pretty much walk around with a receiving blanket permanently attached to my shoulder.
7. Nursing covers. Love these things. You can whip it out pretty much anywhere, and baby is happy! I used to hide in the back bedroom every time I had to nurse James (my oldest), and I would get soooooo bored all by my lonesome.... especially since I was following baby-wise and giving him a good long feeding.... but nursing covers changed my life, and I was then able to participate in whatever was going on, and still nurse the baby. Nursing covers are a NEED.
8. Bibs. I seriously don't know how parents get through life without a ton of bibs. Either my kids are way messier than most, or you will need a stock-pile of bibs, too. And BIG ones. Those tiny things just don't do the trick. Kids get food on more than just their chest.
Here is a list of baby items that you absolutely DON'T need:
1. Wipe Warmers - really, people? Ok, maybe it's because I live in sunny California, or maybe it's because all my babies are born in late spring, but I just see NO NEED for such a gadget! Seriously, just wipe the baby's butt... you don't need to spend $20 bucks this wipe warmer thing. If you're really worried about it, then just stick the whole box of wipes in the microwave for 10 seconds or something. This is the type of thing you will be trying to sell on craig's list to some unknowing new momma by the time baby #2 is on it's way.... who has time for this stuff!?
2. A big-ol plastic baby tub that is uncomfortable for baby and takes up a ton of space in your real tub. Baby will just slide around in this thing. I pretty much hated trying to bathe my babies in a plastic tub like this. I say you bathe your baby in your kitchen sink, using a simple sponge, or a soft baby tub / baby bathing pillow that you can just wring out and hang dry. You'll save your back, and it will be a lot more comfy for baby.
3. A bassinet. Baby will outgrow this well before it has earned its keep. You can get a pack and play with a built-in bassinet attachment, and though it won't be as pretty and dainty as this $3460 bassinet, it is much more practical. C'mon people, I could redecorate my entire house for that kind of money!
4. A changing table. Ok, it's not the stupidest item ever invented (like wipe-warmers), but it is definitely unnecessary and impractical. Babies outgrow them quickly, learn to roll off of them, they take up space, cost money you don't need to spend, and usually you're just going to change that poopy baby wherever you are in the house that you discover the poop. You will also have stacks of diapers and wipes in every single room. You will! I'm telling you... the baby changing "station" will just sit there, rarely being used.... and your floor or couch or bed or whatever, in every room, will become your real diaper-changing place of choice.... or, even your lap, when the baby is still tiny! haha!!
5. A full-sized high chair = space-waster. If I was going to do it all over again, I would get one of these space-saver high chairs, and just strap it to a regular chair. One of the best things about these is that you can easily bring it with you places, too, when you're the only one out of your friends that has babies, and no one's house is set up for feeding your messy child! ;-)
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Saving Money:
1. You know, you can find a lot of things for babies and kids that are gently used, but are still in great shape. If you don't get things as a gift at your shower, look on craig's list or something like that to find bigger items like high chairs, strollers, and portable cribs / pack-and-plays. They will likely be half-price or less. Get a new (not used) car-seat, though. Unless it is from someone that you personally know, and you know for sure that it has never been in an accident -- and check the expiration date. Car-seats are only considered safe for five years, I think...
2. Buy diapers and wipes in bulk at places like costco, or join a diaper club, like amazon.com's "amazon mom" -- walgreens at 10pm when you realize you just used your last diaper is going to be a lot more expensive.
3. Borrow things from friends that you will only use for a short time. There are a ton of items that you will use with tiny babies that will be much-needed items, but that they will only use for like one or two months... those are the items that you should just borrow, instead of buying your own.
4. Breast-feed if you can. Formula is SOOOOOO expensive!!!
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Hope you enjoyed this first-ever "Tips and Tools Tuesday" !!!
~Lynae
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