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 Should Always Be Bought New?

In this post,, I went over some things that can be bought second-hand or re-used with a new baby. As much as we all love to save money, here are a few things that should always be bought new.

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-Pacifiers and bottle nipples should be bought new for each baby because sometimes the materials they are made of can break down over time and pose a possible choking risk. You can, however, re-use bottles.

-Car seats. Like bicycle helmets, the 'inner structure' that makes a car seat safe is damaged when a car is hit or the air bag is deployed. They look fine, but they're really only meant for 'single-accident' use. Plus, car seats have been subject to fairly-regular recalls and have an 'expiration date' after which they're not safe, even with the same baby. It's really better to buy them new or put them on your registry.

-It's not a 'baby product' per se, but always buy breast pumps new for 'sterilization' reasons. The way these pumps are made make it impossible to rid of the germs that can be passed on from mother to baby, or even mother to mother. Do not share a breast pump with anyone.

-Cribs. Cribs shouldn't be reused for the same reasons as car seats-there might be loose or damaged parts, chipped paint or over-stressed hardware that you can't see right away. Also, the safety standards have changed quite a bit in recent years, so older cribs might not meet that criteria. For instance, the bars might be too far apart, a problem that has prompted a recall on older cribs.

-Crib mattresses. Whether or not it's okay to re-use or buy a second-hand crib mattress depends on who you ask. The majority of the articles I've read says it's's better to get a new one each time to ensure the right fit for the crib and to protect your baby from anything 'undesirable' the previous owner left behind. This can go for using a mattress for your second baby, but it definitely goes for mattresses bought second-hand. While it is true that all mattresses-crib or otherwise-have to be thoroughly cleaned and steamed before being sold second-hand, you can't always rely on that. Like I said with cribs, mattresses are recalled regularly as standards change. When in doubt, get a new one.

We all want what is best for our little ones, even if we have to spend a bit more than we'd like to. Our babies are worth it.
For more information, visit http://www.livestrong.com/article/202515-things-you-should-buy-new-for-a-second-baby/.

Items Every New Mother Needs

When my friends (I'll call them Bryan and Julie) found out they were going to have their first child, they were so excited. Excited, and scared. Suddenly they found themselves in this 'world' they knew nothing about, a world filled with diapers, car seats and 'onesies'. They didn't know what they would need for their new addition, so they got advice from everyone around them. Unfortunately, they were told so many conflicting things and ended up registering for items they had never heard of before and ended up not needing. Is this you, or someone you know? Are you wondering what you really need for your new baby, as opposed to the random things your cousin has been telling you? Never fear, I'm here to help (cue Mighty Mouse theme)! Here are a few of the things you need for your new baby; it's not as long of a list as you might think.

Are you going to breast-feed? Make sure you get at least one nursing bra. That way, you don't have to go topless to feed your baby. Also, get some good nipple cream. Your nipples can get pretty chapped by nursing, so it's important to get something that can soothe them. You can find it at most drug stores. Also, some women have a problem with embarrassing 'leakage', so get some nursing pads you can wear in your bra to keep any excess milk from showing and staining your tops.

Many women like to use breast pumps so that they can fill bottles and feed their babies on the go. A good one is worth its weight in gold!

Since you probably won't be staying in one place all the time, you will need a good car seat. The best ones will have a detachable 'seat' so that you can carry your baby around without having to unbuckle him. Trust me, if your are able to get your child to sit still or sleep in the chair, you won't want to disturb them if you can possibly avoid it! There is a right and a wrong way to install a car seat, so either follow the directions from the box or have someone show you how to use it properly.

Also, find yourself a good diaper bag big enough to store diapers, wipes and lotions. Another thing that is helpful is a pack of disposable changing pads you can cover public changing tables with, or use to keep other surfaces from getting dirty. Huggies makes both washable and disposable changing pads.

Above all, you will need something that is just for yourself! Having a new baby around can be very stressful, so you will need some way to relax. In addition to getting your husband or other family members to help with the baby so that you can actually get some sleep, it might do you well to get a pedicure or some comfy slipper socks; the ones I have have shea butter inside them to help soften your feet as you wear them. Julie had a really hard time doing things like pedicures, toenail painting or leg shaving for herself at first because she still had some of the 'baby belly' left. Not only did a gift of a pedicure do well by her feet, it also saved her sanity by getting her out of the house with 'just the adults'!

I hope I've given some good ideas for things for your baby registry or wish lists. It can be overwhelming with so many options, so it's good to know where to start!