Posts: 8
11/9/09 11:50 P

Congratulations!
Here some things I'd like to emphasize!

saline drops (which you could technically make yourself)
nose sucker thingy!
tempra
breast pillow if you're new to breastfeeding
no creams for your boobs: your own breastmilk is best.
something for baby to jump in when he's a little older.
a blender (to make your own baby food!)
a vegetable steamer (same reason. not necessarily necessary.)
a rectal thermometer (if you end up the doctors they're gonna ask/suggest you take temp rectally.)
baby book! (for fun and for future recollection)

Posts: 4
11/9/09 10:10 A

Wow So much good stuff here
I am having my third after I thought I was done and gave out anything that smells, looks or feels like a baby item to friends who were expecting or waiting to expect.
I have nothing now and need to start from scratch but since this is my last child I don't want to spend so much on things I would have to give out again.
I am not one for cloth diapers anyway I could supplement but I am a working mom with two kids and doing the laundry for me is a hassle I don't think I can handle the hassle of cloth diapers.
Is there a better way to go about this?

Posts: 4101
11/9/09 1:37 A

TCRANE - google 'flushable liners' and you should find somewhere to buy them from.

They look like this:

http://www.newagenappies.com.au/
ImseVimseFlushableLiners.shtml


I love them. I just sort of wrap them around my prefold (I fold my nappies in 3 as a pad sort of) and Sarah's poop sit on top of the paper most of the time. Just peel the nappy out of the cover and hold over the toilet and the poop is gone :)

Posts: 31
11/6/09 1:26 P

where do you buy the liners from?

Posts: 1
11/6/09 3:07 A

I too am a minimalist and with babies it can be hard to remain that way. I would say the things to ignore completely are items of baby furniture. They are expensive and really unnecessary. For instance, you don't actually need a changing table. Upstairs you can use a bed (or the floor) and downstairs you can use the couch (or the floor). If you really want to, you can get the changing pad and cover and move that around with you as needed, but the actual table is not needed. Also, you don't have to have a crib. You can look into bedsharing which is safer than people know (arguably safer than crib sleeping) or you can buy things as needed. If not bedsharing, in the beginning, you only need a bedside bassinet (I love the laundry basket idea). Later, you can invest in a crib if that is your choice. With breastfeeding though, the one piece of furniture that you need is a comfy chair. If you don't already have one, investing in a glider and ottoman is wonderful and helpful in the breastfeeding relationship. Again though, not really necessary if money or space is an issue. For all else, just buy as needed. You will need a thermometer and a nail file (clips can cut too easily when little) and a bulb syringe. Oh, before I forget. Don't get a baby tub. Just wash on the counter on a towel while the cord is attached, then, once it falls off, pamper your self and your baby by drawing a bath - a real one - and getting in with him/her. The baby can relax on your bent legs - head near your knees and the two of you can connect and bond while cleaning. You can breastfeed in the tub, too. My son is nearly 2 and most all baths are with either me or my husband - still. Wordy answer, but I hope this helps in eliminating some baby waste.

Posts: 657
11/3/09 5:12 A

I'm also a minalmist and had almost nothing prepared when baby arrived. I was actually a little too minalmist because when we came home from the hospital we didn't even have anything to swadle him in. We tried using dish towels or placemats, it was terrible. I ended up buying a lot of stuff, but mostly used.

1) receiving blankets (you can use these as swadling blankets and burp clothes and even though they say no blankets in the crib, we use them)

2) convertable carseat
a friend let us borrow the infant carseat, but he hated being it it. We found that if he fell asleep in the car it was easier to just take him out and put him in the moby. He always stayed asleep, but if we took out the whole carseat while he was sleeping in it he'd always wake up. Then I'd have to take him out and carry him plus the carseat.

3) moby wrap or something similar
total lifesaver!

4) baby nail clippers. I used a regular nail clipper that was very small, but still it cut him. I felt so bad! I didn't know I needed a special one.

5) some place to set him down, like a bouncy or a swing or bumbo or something. If he wasn't in the moby he was in the boucey seat on the kitchen counter watching me cook or the dinner table watchign us eat or the bathroom watching me take a shower. he has always liked to be involved. He never liked the vibrating mode, though.

Posts: 20
10/26/09 2:18 P

I think a baby-tub is a waste, personally, I just used the kitchen sink until my son could sit up by himself, and then put him in the real tub (with only about an inch of water). I never could figure out where to put large items like that anyway! =)

Posts: 5711
10/19/09 5:21 A

The sun works a mirrical to get out poop stains from the dippers. I just put them in the sun, after a bit there are no stains left.

Posts: 3
10/18/09 4:56 P

I sure don't think of cloth diapers as a hassle. They saved us a pile of $$ and as far as the laundry goes, ultimately it seemed like I was doing laundry all the time anyway so what was one more load every other day.
As far as staining, some of ours did a little bit but really they were just going to catch more poop anyway so as long as they were clean I was happy. You can buy liners (they're like thin paper towel looking things) to line the insides with to catch any solids which worked well later on when the poop was solid. The liner would flush down the toilet and the diaper was then usually just wet.

Posts: 3
10/18/09 4:52 P

We made our own cloth diapers from flannel, we bought a package that had everything we needed. Those diapers that we paid $200 for (for 3 dozen) have lasted us through 2 kids and we're still going to use them for our 3rd this winter. The cost savings is what sold my husband on the idea. Past that when we went on a holiday when our first was 6 weeks old we bought disposables to put her in for that trip. Every single time she pooped she blew poop out of all the sides and up the back which never happened with the cloth(you know those explosive breastfed baby poops). We went through so many clothes on that trip that it was crazy.
Our kids slept in our room at first for a few weeks while we got used to feeding etc. They slept in a laundry basket that I had a skinny piece of foam for the bottom of and lined it with a large flannel blanket.
I made 3 double flannel blankets 3feet by 3 feet and would tuck that in around the baby in their carseat and had a carseat cover for over top of that. We live in a very chilly part of Canada and all my babies have been born in the winter and this next one is due in February so that's my thing :)
I never had a boppy. Tried a friends once and didn't get it. I did appreciate my sling that I could wear the baby in but it was a gift.
You mentioned your child is due around christmas so maybe you could put something like that on a list of things you might like. That's what we did for our first who was born in November.
When my babies were a bit older (they're only 14 months apart) I invested in a good jogging stroller because that is my thing. I felt the $$ I had saved in the beginning was well spent on that.

Edited by: RUNNER-MOM33 at: 10/18/2009 (16:58)

Posts: 2
10/14/09 8:11 P

my list: I wish I had taken heed to it when I had my baby though :) Next time, definitely!

Onesies
sleep sacks (or footed sleepers)
socks
a couple of lightweight blankets for swaddling
If your breastfeeding and need to pump, a pump, bottles, lanolin cream for your nipples
nail clippers(or bite or tear them off. When they're newborns, their nails are like paper)
lotion (although I never really used this until he was older)
shampoo and body wash(I use weleda)
tylenol
teething tablets
gripe water
pacifiers
For cheap cloth diapering:
20 prefolds
6 covers
3 snappis
a wetbag(for storing soiled diapers until wash day)
baby detergent(mild cloth diaper friendly soap)
cloth wipes(or you can tear up old thick t-shirts)
a sling
carseat
crib(if you're cosleeping, this isn't needed)
infant tub..makes bathing them much easier


As far as the extras go,
Swing
bouncy seat
wipe warmer
infant soother (singing teddy bear, white noise machine)
activity mat
stroller
cute baby shoes(they grow out of them in like a week and they don't even need them yet)

These are all fine and dandy but I found that I never used the swing that much, or the bouncy seat. Luckily the bouncy seat was given to me but the swing we bought and it took up so much room. I would definitely check out resale shops for all the extras if you want them because then at least if you don't end up using them they weren't a huge waste of money. Definitely accept hand me downs for everything as well! Babies grow SO fast and you'll start to wonder..why did I buy all this stuff??

Posts: 628
10/12/09 3:02 P

There are some convertible carseats that come with inserts to better fit an infant, and you can also buy inserts separately.
Convertible seats might not seem as safe and secure, but they usually fare better in consumer crash tests.

Posts: 5584
10/12/09 2:02 P

I have never felt like a newborn is as safe and secure in a convertible seat, as he is in an infant car seat. I have always used both for each kid. Plus it's easier when they're tiny to transport in the infant seat for me instead of dealing with strapping and unstrapping in the car, I can do it indoors where it's dry and the right temperature. My must have list:

*cloth diapers, cloth wipes(discounted fleece material cut into squares), diaper pail
*side snap t-shirts for newborns, onesies for after cord falls off
*footed sleepers. I used these as home clothes and out clothes. My kids very rarely wore actual clothes the first few months.
*baby gowns
*baby wash, tub, washrags,hooded towels
*thermometer, tylenol(don't want to need it at 3am and not have it),benadryl(in case of allergic reaction), diaper rash cream,antifungal cream,nail trimmers and emery board
*I LOVED LOVED my car seat cover.So much safer and easier than bundling baby
*crib
*mei tai

I don't use lotions on my kids because they're allergic to EVERYTHING. I hated Lansinoh. I had a changing table, pack n play, swing, bouncy seat, and tons of other gadgets and toys. Most of it was a total waste, and hardly ever got used. My last baby came 12 and 14 years after my other 2 babies, and I had baby needs everything disease. LOL

I love the idea of a convertible crib. But we have one, and I am STILL really really wanting to spend money on a super cute toddler bed. It's stupid to waste the $$, but they're SOOOOOO CUTE!!!!!


Edited by: IAMSOBLESSED at: 10/12/2009 (21:28)

Posts: 2
10/7/09 5:13 P

Curious to know why one person thought a convertible crib was useless???

I'm glad I found this thread since we are pregnant with my #2 but his #1 and it's been 11 years since my first and I am going crazy at all the cute stuff they have these days!!! LOL

Posts: 4
10/7/09 1:45 P

i would only add

saline drops for stuffy nose and baby lotion for dry skin

Posts: 15
10/2/09 10:40 P

To all whom posted on this message board-GREAT Information. This is my second go around after 16 years and the information is wonderful. There were so many items I ended up not using with my daughter and I was trying to recall what exactly they were! This information really helped bring it to remembrance! Take care everyone!

Posts: 861
10/1/09 12:15 P

Honestly, I can't think of any down side of cloth. I mean, when my oldest was in them, it was still back in the days of pins. But man, great stuff just 5 years later with my 2nd. And by the time I had #3, the choices were endless.

Most people talk about he negatives being rinsing the poopy diapers in the toilet, but if you use disposables correctly, those should be emptied in the toilet as well. Not just tossed in the trash. But even that, they make flushable liners if you wanted to make it that much easier.

I used some all in one diapers, mostly for people like my older kids, husband, and daycare. But just for regular use, I used the CPF diapers and plain covers.

Posts: 1205
9/30/09 2:04 P

L_ARACHIDE - re: diaper bags - with my first I carried a big fancy thing (a Fleureville) - this time around I basically put a couple of diapers and some wipes in my over teh shoulder purse (that goes across my chest) and if we're out for longer, I just take a tote bag (with a change of clothes) OR I take my purse and a cooler with his solids which I just throw under teh stroller. You could just get a messenger bag and a portable change station (has a change pad, space for wipes and a couple of diapers in a compact space) that you can throw into the bag ... even if you end up bottle feeding you can prob squeeze bottles and a formula container in the purse too. ANyway, my point is that you don't neccessarily need a diaper bag per say ... you can get a nicer purse thing you can use as a diaper bag.

Posts: 628
9/30/09 1:51 P

I just used my "DJ bag" (a shoulder bag meant for carrying big vinyl records) rather than an actual diaper bag.
It fit a stack of prefolds perfectly, and it could still be used as something other than a diaper bag after potty training.

Posts: 225
9/29/09 4:00 P

My minimalist list:
footed sleepers
long sleeved onesies
swaddling blankets
one good, thick blanket for going outside
hat
lots of socks
shower cap style cover for the infant seat
lots of sheets
baby washcloths
humidifier
thermometer
a good sling
a vibrating baby seat

If you're having a Christmas baby the infant seat is going to be a huge help for you. The one thing I really couldn't live without is a ton of baby washcloths. I use them for after meals, super messy diaper changes, wiping runny noses etc; I can easily go through 10 of them a day.

If you're interested in baby wearing at all, I would go with a sling or wrap of some sort. We had a Snugli and while I didn't hate it once he hit about 15lbs it was pretty much useless. It killed my back and he wasn't comfortable in it. A sling/wrap can be used way longer.

L_ARACHIDE- I have a Baby Kaed and I love it. Really good quality. They are fairly pricey to buy from the company but you can usually find a good deal on them from Ebay.





Edited by: RACHEL1496 at: 9/29/2009 (16:03)

Posts: 373
9/28/09 8:59 A

What kind of diaper bag do you think is best?