Shopping list

I think I'm starting to nest. I feel a sense of urgency to start
buying supplies for after the baby's born - I'm thinking specifically
of things that I'm unlikely to receive at a shower - like pads. No one
is going to give you a big box o' Kotex as a gift, right? So, what
things do I need that other people are unlikely to buy for me? I'm
trying to think of it like being snowed in, because chances are that
I'm not going to be wanting to run out to the store every five minutes,
right? My list so far includes:

* Newborn diapers and wipes for baby, diaper rash cream
* Additive free laundry detergent (All Free, unless it annoys the baby,
because it's half the price of Dreft)
* Febreeze, Shout stain remover, Orange Clean, bleach, other cleaning
supplies (to clean toys and things that get pooped on)
* Industrial strength menstrual pads (any recommendations for a certain
brand?), normal pads for when lochia tapers off
* Witch hazel wipes
* Ice packs
* Easy groceries - things that won't be complicated to make for meals
and snacks, preferably things that are reasonably healthy

What am I not thinking of? I'm going to have some help, of course, but
I want to be as prepared as possible before I go to the hospital. I
think I'll feel less anxious about bringing the baby home if I feel
fully prepared.

Thanks in advance!
Amy

On the snacks, also think of things that are easy to prepare and eat
one-handed! Plus, bottled water might not be a bad investment
(assuming you are going to bf) and maybe some oatmeal (to help supply).

Irene

Amy wrote:
I think I'm starting to nest. I feel a sense of urgency to start
buying supplies for after the baby's born - I'm thinking specifically
of things that I'm unlikely to receive at a shower - like pads. No one
is going to give you a big box o' Kotex as a gift, right? So, what
things do I need that other people are unlikely to buy for me? I'm
trying to think of it like being snowed in, because chances are that
I'm not going to be wanting to run out to the store every five minutes,
right? My list so far includes:

* Newborn diapers and wipes for baby, diaper rash cream
* Additive free laundry detergent (All Free, unless it annoys the baby,
because it's half the price of Dreft)
* Febreeze, Shout stain remover, Orange Clean, bleach, other cleaning
supplies (to clean toys and things that get pooped on)
* Industrial strength menstrual pads (any recommendations for a certain
brand?), normal pads for when lochia tapers off
* Witch hazel wipes
* Ice packs
* Easy groceries - things that won't be complicated to make for meals
and snacks, preferably things that are reasonably healthy

What am I not thinking of? I'm going to have some help, of course, but
I want to be as prepared as possible before I go to the hospital. I
think I'll feel less anxious about bringing the baby home if I feel
fully prepared.

Thanks in advance!
Amy


Hi Amy,

The thing I didn't realize before DS was born was that the
stores don't close just because you have a newborn And even
if you don't feel like going out yet, DH probably can, or
grandparents who are around.

I would say don't get too many diapers, since you don't know
what size/brand is going to fit best until the baby gets
here (one pack of newborn size, probably). Easy groceries
are a good idea. Make sure you have a water bottle that you
like drinking out of for your nursing station, and some good
books. The only toy your baby will need for a few weeks is
you (&DH, etc) --- your faces, voices, etc. That's not to say
you might not have some cleaning to do, but IME it's more likely
that you'll be cleaning spit up rather than poop.

When DS was a newborn, we used cotton pads dipped in water
instead of wipes.

Do you have nusring pads, lanisoh, and the number of
a lactation consultant? How about nursing bras? A camera?

That's all I can think of.

Emily

Emily wrote:

The thing I didn't realize before DS was born was that the
stores don't close just because you have a newborn And even
if you don't feel like going out yet, DH probably can, or
grandparents who are around.

I know. I just can't bear the idea of saying to my father in law, "Hey
Dad? You don't look busy... Would you mind running out to the drug
store and getting me the biggest, most absorbant pads they have? Super
duper queen sized, please. Unscented. Thanks!!" I know that he would
happily go buy them, and probably think nothing of it, but there is NO
way that I want to have that conversation.

I would say don't get too many diapers, since you don't know
what size/brand is going to fit best until the baby gets
here (one pack of newborn size, probably).

Good call. My brother was allergic to one brand or another, too. I'd
hate to invest in a pallet of Pampers, only to find that they irritate
the baby's skin. Then what do you do with 'em? Ebay?

Easy groceries
are a good idea. Make sure you have a water bottle that you
like drinking out of for your nursing station, and some good
books. The only toy your baby will need for a few weeks is
you (&DH, etc) --- your faces, voices, etc. That's not to say
you might not have some cleaning to do, but IME it's more likely
that you'll be cleaning spit up rather than poop.

Friends brought their 3 month old this weekend, and she had two
blow-out diapers in about 4 hours. I just figured that I'd be cleaning
poop off of everything until the baby's in kindergarten... Maybe I'll
get lucky and find a brand of diapers that doesn't blow out?

When DS was a newborn, we used cotton pads dipped in water
instead of wipes.

I'll keep that in mind - especially if the baby turns out to have a
sensitive behind.

Do you have nusring pads, lanisoh, and the number of
a lactation consultant? How about nursing bras? A camera?

Check, check, Mom or my friend Julie will be playing the LC, check,
check.

That's all I can think of.

Cool. It helps when I realized that I'm more prepared than I think I
am.

Aw, who am I kidding? I'm not prepared at all...

Amy

Amy wrote:
I know. I just can't bear the idea of saying to my father in law, "Hey
Dad? You don't look busy... Would you mind running out to the drug
store and getting me the biggest, most absorbant pads they have? Super
duper queen sized, please. Unscented. Thanks!!" I know that he would
happily go buy them, and probably think nothing of it, but there is NO
way that I want to have that conversation.

I hear ya. I used Always, the thickest ones, I think they were wrapped
in organge paper. Just get one pack though, I was surprised at how
quickly the bleeding tapered off to something that could be managed
with a much slimmer pad. No need to walk around like you've got a canoe
in your underpants for no reason. Maybe I was just lucky but you can
always get more.

Do you have a snot sucker? We didn't & had to go out and get one. Also
nail clippers -- babies are frequently born with long ones and they are
very sharp! Also a peri bottle is very handy, my hospital gives all the
new mothers one though.

Elle

Elle wrote:

I hear ya. I used Always, the thickest ones, I think they were wrapped
in organge paper. Just get one pack though, I was surprised at how
quickly the bleeding tapered off to something that could be managed
with a much slimmer pad. No need to walk around like you've got a canoe
in your underpants for no reason.

I am so very, very glad that I was NOT drinking anything when I read
this, or I would have spit my beverage all over my monitor. *snort*

Maybe I was just lucky but you can
always get more.

This must vary from person to person. I've heard it described as
anywhere from "a heavy period" to "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." One
website even said that you can expect to pass clots "the size of small
lemons" for 24 hours or so after birth, and I'll tell you that after
reading that I nearly passed right out.

I used to want a big family. Now, I'm hoping that this baby will be ok
with being an only child.

So, assuming that the lemon website wasn't some ploy on the part of the
religious right to get teenaged girls to wait until they're married
(when the pressure from their mothers will outweigh any fear of
pregnancy/birth/motherhood - as in "OH JUST SHUT UP ALREADY AND I WILL
PRODUCE AN HEIR!"), I figured I'd get a pretty wide assortment, just in
case. I can always use them when menses resumes, or to insulate the
attic.

Do you have a snot sucker?

You've got a way with words! Isn't the snot sucker part of the
"take anything that's not nailed down in your hospital room" inventory?

We didn't & had to go out and get one. Also
nail clippers -- babies are frequently born with long ones and they are
very sharp!

Got those.

Also a peri bottle is very handy, my hospital gives all the
new mothers one though.

I just read about this today, too. If I had known about this stuff
when I was a teenager, well, let's just say that I'd probably still be
a virgin... and I've been married 4 years!

Thanks!
Amy

"Elle" wrote

I hear ya. I used Always, the thickest ones, I think they were wrapped
in organge paper. Just get one pack though, I was surprised at how
quickly the bleeding tapered off to something that could be managed
with a much slimmer pad. No need to walk around like you've got a canoe
in your underpants for no reason. Maybe I was just lucky but you can
always get more.


And on the off chance that you do need more and send someone, oh let's say
your mother, out to get another packet, make sure to warn them that you do
mean only *one* packet.

/me now has 3 packets of nighttime pads, didn't see AF for 18 months the
last time and only used pads for postpartum in the last 20 years!

Jean

--
DD - June '02
DS - May '05

Amy wrote:

* Industrial strength menstrual pads (any recommendations for a certain
brand?), normal pads for when lochia tapers off

The first few days after giving birth, when the bleeding was really
heavy (no lemon-sized clots, though -- that must just have been a
really unlucky woman!), I found disposable "Depends"-type underwear to
be the best thing. After the first few days, it is just like a heavy
period, then a regular period, then a light period that lasts forever
but those first days are real gushers. I think I would have worried
about leaking around any pad, no matter how heavy, and disposable
underwear gave me some peace of mind. Go to bathroom, toss, put on new
pair. All happy.

Bryna

Amy wrote:
* Industrial strength menstrual pads (any recommendations for a certain
brand?), normal pads for when lochia tapers off

I used any brand I could find. Just the
biggest, clunkiest, most horrible-looking
ones you'd never wear... those work well.

And if you have too many, you can always
donate to a women's shelter. Sad to say,
but some women are there soon postpartum.

-- Anita --

Do you have a snot sucker? We didn't & had to go out and get one.

I'm surprised they didn't give you one in the hospital (unless, of course,
you had a home birth). I wouldn't recommend the cheap-o snot suckers
(suction bulbs) that you can pick up at walmart or target. When the one
that we got from the hospital got a hole in it, we had to go to a medical
supply store to replace it. That thing cost $16, but it's the only one that
works.

lisa
micksmom
mick 7-12-02
noah 1-24-05


Also
nail clippers -- babies are frequently born with long ones and they are
very sharp! Also a peri bottle is very handy, my hospital gives all the
new mothers one though.

Elle