Essential things for baby on day 1

My DH is insisting we follow his mothers belief (or old wives tale!) that it
is bad luck to buy baby things before the baby is born. He says we should
make a list of things and order them on the day the baby is born - we have
made this list and given it to his sister (with exact instructions of what
we want - mainly from one shop to make it easier for her) who will go out
and get the list of items on the day we call her to say the baby is here.

We have a few hand-me-down baby sleepsuits/shawl/ a hat / mittens and nappy
changing things. We also have a hand-me-down car seat. Is there anything
else I will need on day 1. The list of things we have ordered might take
about 2-3 days before I get them (which inludes the crib / baby nail
clippers / thermometer etc).

I'm trying not to get upset about it and accept my husbands wishes - but at
the same time I want to be practical. Is there anything absolutly essential
that I need on day 1?

Anika

In ,
Mom2B wrote:

*My DH is insisting we follow his mothers belief (or old wives tale!) that it
*is bad luck to buy baby things before the baby is born. He says we should
*make a list of things and order them on the day the baby is born - we have
*made this list and given it to his sister (with exact instructions of what
*we want - mainly from one shop to make it easier for her) who will go out
*and get the list of items on the day we call her to say the baby is here.

That's what we did. No problem! We had everything on order at a couple of
shops and as soon as the baby was born, MIL went and picked everything up.
My aunt brought diapers for us that day, too.

*I'm trying not to get upset about it and accept my husbands wishes - but at
*the same time I want to be practical. Is there anything absolutly essential
*that I need on day 1?

The baby, your breasts, and diapers. Shelter from inclement weather.

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large

Mom2B wrote:
My DH is insisting we follow his mothers belief (or old wives tale!) that it
is bad luck to buy baby things before the baby is born. He says we should
make a list of things and order them on the day the baby is born - we have
made this list and given it to his sister (with exact instructions of what
we want - mainly from one shop to make it easier for her) who will go out
and get the list of items on the day we call her to say the baby is here.

We have a few hand-me-down baby sleepsuits/shawl/ a hat / mittens and nappy
changing things. We also have a hand-me-down car seat. Is there anything
else I will need on day 1. The list of things we have ordered might take
about 2-3 days before I get them (which inludes the crib / baby nail
clippers / thermometer etc).

I'm trying not to get upset about it and accept my husbands wishes - but at
the same time I want to be practical. Is there anything absolutly essential
that I need on day 1?

Anika



If I were you, I'd go along with my husband as long as he didn't expect
*me* to go out and buy stuff, set up the crib, etc., right after the
baby's born. As long as it was clearly understood that his plan was
not to cause *me* any inconvenience or even one second of extra work,
it'd be ok with me. For example - if I didn't want to co-sleep and he
didn't want to buy the crib until after the baby was born, it'd be up to
him to make sure the baby had a place to sleep (outside of my bed.)

Clisby

In ,
Elfanie wrote:

*On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 14:37:01 +0000 (UTC), (Hillary
*Israeli) wrote:
*
*In ,
*Mom2B wrote:
*
**I'm trying not to get upset about it and accept my husbands wishes - but at
**the same time I want to be practical. Is there anything absolutly essential
**that I need on day 1?
*
*The baby, your breasts, and diapers. Shelter from inclement weather.
*
*don't forget wipes. =)

Well, I don't know, you can just use a spare diaper for that if you're in
a pinch. Plus, if you put on a diaper, that buys you some time to go out
and BUY the wipes. And you can snuggle the baby skin to skin to avoid the
need for blankets

Honestly I don't see this as a huge deal. Most of my friends did the same
thing we did - order everything, have it all set and ready to go, and
someone else went and picked it up and brought it to our house when we
informed them of baby's safe arrival.



--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large

Everything we needed for the baby first was provided in the hospital:
receiving blankets, sleepers, diapers, vaseline, rubbing alcohol for the
cord... I unexpectedly stayed in the hospital for 4 nights and mostly used
what they had there. Everything was all ready at home after I was 36 weeks
though!

"Mom2B" wrote in message
...
My DH is insisting we follow his mothers belief (or old wives tale!) that
it
is bad luck to buy baby things before the baby is born. He says we should
make a list of things and order them on the day the baby is born - we have
made this list and given it to his sister (with exact instructions of what
we want - mainly from one shop to make it easier for her) who will go out
and get the list of items on the day we call her to say the baby is here.

We have a few hand-me-down baby sleepsuits/shawl/ a hat / mittens and
nappy
changing things. We also have a hand-me-down car seat. Is there anything
else I will need on day 1. The list of things we have ordered might take
about 2-3 days before I get them (which inludes the crib / baby nail
clippers / thermometer etc).

I'm trying not to get upset about it and accept my husbands wishes - but
at
the same time I want to be practical. Is there anything absolutly
essential
that I need on day 1?

Anika

Mom2B wrote:

My DH is insisting we follow his mothers belief (or old wives tale!) that it
is bad luck to buy baby things before the baby is born. He says we should
make a list of things and order them on the day the baby is born - we have
made this list and given it to his sister (with exact instructions of what
we want - mainly from one shop to make it easier for her) who will go out
and get the list of items on the day we call her to say the baby is here.


I'm trying not to get upset about it and accept my husbands wishes - but at
the same time I want to be practical. Is there anything absolutly essential
that I need on day 1?

Anika





Twice as many nappies/diapers as you think you will need,
especially if you are using disposables. I know one
couple who ran out of those on a Sunday back in the 60's when the
shops in our area were not allowed to open Sundays and the baby
ended up wearing clean tea towels in lieu of diapers.
New babies "leak" a lot but if you run out of clean clothes
wrapping the baby snugly in a flannel blanket will suffice.

Your husband isn't the only one who feels that way. It's
a common Jewish tradition.

gloria p

Clisby wrote:


If I were you, I'd go along with my husband as long as he didn't expect
*me* to go out and buy stuff, set up the crib, etc., right after the
baby's born. As long as it was clearly understood that his plan was
not to cause *me* any inconvenience or even one second of extra work,
it'd be ok with me. For example - if I didn't want to co-sleep and he
didn't want to buy the crib until after the baby was born, it'd be up to
him to make sure the baby had a place to sleep (outside of my bed.)

Clisby



Many years ago my SIL was stranded at our house
with her month-old baby during a snowstorm while
on the way to her mother's house from the airport.
Baby Laura slept perfectly comfortably in a clean
cardboard box which had come with our new lawnmower
in it.

I recall many stories from my mother's generation
of babies born during the Depression spending their
first few weeks in an empty bureau drawer on the
floor.

Babies are a lot more flexible than we give them credit for.

gloria p

Puester wrote:
Clisby wrote:

If I were you, I'd go along with my husband as long as he didn't expect
*me* to go out and buy stuff, set up the crib, etc., right after the
baby's born. As long as it was clearly understood that his plan was
not to cause *me* any inconvenience or even one second of extra work,
it'd be ok with me. For example - if I didn't want to co-sleep and he
didn't want to buy the crib until after the baby was born, it'd be up to
him to make sure the baby had a place to sleep (outside of my bed.)

Clisby




Many years ago my SIL was stranded at our house
with her month-old baby during a snowstorm while
on the way to her mother's house from the airport.
Baby Laura slept perfectly comfortably in a clean
cardboard box which had come with our new lawnmower
in it.

I recall many stories from my mother's generation
of babies born during the Depression spending their
first few weeks in an empty bureau drawer on the
floor.

Babies are a lot more flexible than we give them credit for.

gloria p


Oh, sure - there's no problem with starting out without a crib. My only
point was it if my husband was the one who didn't want to buy the crib
ahead of time, he'd be the one who had to come up with the alernative.

Cilsby

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 03:44:58 GMT, Puester
wrote:
but then again I might just have mucked up the snipping as usual!

I recall many stories from my mother's generation
of babies born during the Depression spending their
first few weeks in an empty bureau drawer on the
floor.

First few weeks? You guys were rich. ;-)

Orange boxes were pretty common cribs, or drawers. Of course in the
war they were often put under the kitchen table as well, safer in a
bombing.

New furniture was hard to find and still rationed when my mother was
born, in 1948, though at least there was no risk of bombing.

Megan
--
Seoras David Montgomery, 7 May 2003, 17 hours: sunrise to sunset (homebirth)

To e-mail use: megan at farr-montgomery dot com

"Mom2B" wrote in message ...

We have a few hand-me-down baby sleepsuits/shawl/ a hat / mittens and nappy
changing things. We also have a hand-me-down car seat. Is there anything
else I will need on day 1. The list of things we have ordered might take
about 2-3 days before I get them (which inludes the crib / baby nail
clippers / thermometer etc).

I think he is nuts, and this situation is going to make more work for
you at a time when less work is better. You're going to go around
setting up a nursery AFTER this kid is born? Setting things up,
moving furniture, opening stuff, washing it?

Don't kid yourself that he can do all that. YOU need him around to
help YOU, not running around setting things up and doing laundry to
wash all the new things.

I'm trying not to get upset about it and accept my husbands wishes - but at
the same time I want to be practical. Is there anything absolutly essential
that I need on day 1?

You need:

Diapers
Wipes
4-6 sleepers
2 receiving blankets
4-6 onesies or undershirts
Alcohol swabs or alcohol and cotton balls or cotton swabs
Rash cream

Something for baby to sleep in - whether it's a crib, a snuggle nest,
a bassinet, a co-sleeper, or whatever, and the appropriate bedding for
said sleeping spot. Unless of course the baby will sleep with you -
but then you'll need to make sure you have YOUR stuff in order to make
it safe for the baby.

You might also have a comfortable rocking chair. We didn't have one,
but it would have been nice to have had it WHEN she was born.

Push to make sure you get the sleeping situation worked out BEFORE the
baby is born.

Cathy Weeks
Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01