Things to do before the baby arrives part 1

You're pregnant! Congratulations! You've probably got a million things going through your mind. Where is the baby going to sleep? To breastfeed or not? How can I get rid of these awful stretch marks? Should I start looking into colleges and modeling agencies? I can't help you with the last one, but here are a few basic things to do before your baby arrives.

Make sure the pantry and freezer are stocked. You might want to find some recipes you can make and freeze for those days when you're too exhausted to cook. From what I've heard, that's every day! Get plenty of “hand-foods” such as fruits, cereal bars and bottled drinks because there's a good chance that at least one of your hands will be occupied at any given point in time.

Learn what you can about babies in general. You're definitely going to get a lot of advice from all sides, some of which doesn't apply to your child. It helps to find one or two people in addition to your doctor you can go to with any questions, as well as asking for recommendations of helpful books or websites.

Baby-proof the house. Invest in covers for all power outlets, gates for the doors and stairs and safety latches for the cabinets. Keep all cords out of reach and put blunt padding on any sharp corners. It might seem too early to think of things like this, but time with babies passes very quickly! Also, my friend found baby gates helpful for keeping the dog out of the baby's room.

Buy and install a car seat. Do not use a car seat that has already been in an accident because it will not be as effective. Get a new rear-facing seat and learn how to properly install it in the backseat of your car. NEVER install a rear-facing seat in the front.

On a similar tip, start seeking out new cribs, mattresses and changing tables. Hand-me-downs are not recommended for these either. Get the baby's room ready ahead of time.

If you don't already have them, start getting clothing of various sizes. Hand-me-downs are usually fine. I suggest not getting a whole lot of things in “newborn” sizes because of how fast babies grow. Also, remember that the sizes of baby clothes are usually inaccurate-a lot of 6-month-olds are in 9-month clothes, 9-month-olds in 12-month clothes, etc. Don't feel you have to spend a lot of money on J. Crew or Baby Gap clothes to impress anyone because babies don't do much other than sleep anyway.

What Baby Items Are OK To Buy Used?

As you prepare for your new addition, you're probably trying to figure out how much you're going to have to spend. For a lot of our needs, buying things second-hand or re-using things we've bought before is a fine option. It can definitely save us money, as well as getting as much use out of something as we possibly can. As much as we want to save money, though, there are some things that we should never 'skimp' on. I'm not necessarily talking about having to buy the most expensive of everything. Frankly, few people I know can afford to do that. What I am saying, though, is that some things we use for our babies should always be bought new for the safety and health of the child. To that end, here is a brief listing of what's okay to buy used and what isn't.

Here's a proviso for anything you buy, new or used-do your homework and check for any recalls, warnings or changes to safety standards. Here's a link to a site that could help with this-http://www.parents.com/product-recalls/.

Used-

-It should be fine to borrow or use second-hand clothing for a baby. Babies grow insanely fast, and a lot of the 'size standards' you see nowadays are totally off. For instance, how many of you have known a kid who was a year old, but wearing 18-month-old clothes? This is because babies have gotten bigger over the years, but the sizing hasn't caught up. If you buy, borrow or re-use her older sister's clothing, you might have a better idea about what will actually fit your baby. Also, it will be easier to afford all the various sizes you'll need. The baby clothes in Walmart might look inexpensive, but the costs add up!

Plus, it's really pointless to spend a lot of money on something a child won't wear for very long. If your mother-in-law insists on buying everything at Baby Gap, indulge her. Just don't feel as though you have to follow if you don't want to.

-Shoes should also be fine to buy second-hand or use for a second baby. Babies don't wear shoes very often anyway.

-You can hand down baby toys provided nothing is broken or missing. If there is any chipped paint on it, toss it because of the issues with lead-based paint on toys from some countries. Also, toys with loose items could be a choking hazard. Aside from this, though, it should be okay to give the same toys to your second baby.

-Playpens are okay provided they were made after 2000, do not have any holes or dangling cords and a snug mattress. I'm not sure if it's possible to get a replacement mattress but, if it is, use the same caution for a playpen mattress that you would for a crib mattress.

-When it comes to furniture like changing tables and rocking chairs, it's fine for them to be re-used as long as they aren't missing any parts, haven't been recalled and don't have any 'chipped' or 'peeling' spots.

-Strollers can be re-used provided they were made after 2007 and don't have any broken or missing parts.

For more items that can be re-used or bought second-hand, visit http://www.parents.com/baby/gear/registries-buying-guides/buying-baby-gear-used/#page=12.

Now that I've told you about a few things that can be bought used, I'll go over what should always be bought new in another post.