Tips/tricks for first time moms: Add your suggestions!

Was just thinking of things related to a first baby from birth to three months;
things I'd heard from my mom or friends, things I just somehow thought would
work, things I've learned the hard way, and things I wish I'd known sooner. If
a list like this has been done before, I haven't seen it, and I thought it'd be
something that could help women expecting their first baby… please add your
own lists!

For reference, my first baby, a boy, is now 3 months old.

Baby supplies I either knew I didn't need, or bought but didn't use:

Baby bath tub: my mom woulda beat me about the head if I had bought one. She
bathed me in the kitchen sink until I was too big to fit in it. I bathe Baby
in it, and it works just fine. Plus, it MAKES me keep the sink spotless (which
I never did before). I keep a basket of bath supplies under the sink for easy
access; baby shampoo, baby brush, plastic Dixie cup, 2 wash cloths, baby soap.

Bath thermometer: It only takes a time or two of bathing baby to figure out
the right water temp. I gave mine away unused.

Diaper wipe warmer: received this at my shower, gave it away. Seemed silly,
and my baby actually seems to like a colder cloth on his bottom.

Large stroller/travel system: Nearly broke my back with a big stroller! If
you want something to use with an infant carrier, consider a Baby Trend
Snap-n-Go or the Kolcraft model. My snap-n-go has a drink tray and and
underneath basket, just like a regular stroller.

Bottle warmers: Bought a couple on clearance, gave them away unused. Wound up
just sitting the bottle in a mug and running hot water over it. Shake to
disperse hot spots.

Diaper rash ointment: really not necessary for me. Just apply Vasoline
liberally at every diaper change. My baby was in ICU for one day after birth,
and came home with a horrible diaper rash… vasoline cleared it up within two
days, and it hasn't been back since.

Baby nail trimmers: Awful looking. I just use adult cuticle scissors at a
time when baby is falling asleep and relaxed.

Dreft: I don't see the need. For mine, I use regular detergent, and Snuggle
fabric softener sheets. He never had a bad reaction.

Mirror for car to view baby while you drive: Maybe if you have a baby with
health issues, it might be good. All I ever saw was a baby asleep or smiling.
Gave my mirror away.

Things I'm glad I had:

White noise device by Gerri (sp?): For the first month, this would calm him
when he cried. It's very small and has Velcro strips that can be used to
attach it to your wrist. Have seen them on eBay for about $15. Mine was a
gift at a baby shower… have it in storage for baby number two. This thing
may have single-handedly saved my sanity!

Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rocker: Another Godsend for me! It rocks, it
vibrates, it can be positioned to where baby lies flat. It's so great, I
bought another! Had a baby swing, but this worked so well, I returned the
swing. An older model that folded up was recalled; be sure to get a new one.
Very sturdy and baby loves it! If you have this, you don't need a bouncer.
Can easily carry baby in this from room to room.

Mylicon drops: anything that breaks up gas is nice to have on hand, just in
case. I didn't breastfeed, and baby wound up with issues related to cow
milk-based formula at one month. The Mylicon drops helped until the soy
formula took full effect.

Nursettes: If you decide to formula feed, it's a good idea to have the
nursettes, which are 2 oz bottles of formula that are ready to go… just
attach a disposable nipple and they're ready. I know that for the first two
weeks, I just was not up to preparing bottles and the work involved.
Expensive, but well worth it.

Playtex nursers with Drop-In liners: Again, if you formula feed, these are
wonderful. Much easier than regular bottles.

8 oz. Cans of formula, ready to feed: Great for when you're on the go. You
just open it like a can of soda. No refrigeration needed before it's opened,
and you don't have to mix with water.

Happiest Baby on The Block: Book and DVD. Wound up finding these too late for
my first, but I wish I had! Great tips for soothing a crying baby.

A good nasal aspirator: Nothing worse than a baby who has a nose full of snot.
The aspirators designed for babies with a removable bottom are useless… I
would spend 15 minutes trying to get out a small clump! I got one like they
have at the hospital, and can get out snot with one try.

Baby layette gowns and zippered sleepers: Before your baby is sleeping through
the night, these are wonderful! I know that at 4am, I was in NO mood to snap a
million snaps. Gowns and zippers offer quick and easy access. Liked gowns and
zippered sleepers so much I bought more and gave away my snap sleepers.

Gymsuds: Found at Gymboree. When I change baby, I examine his clothes and
spray Gymsuds on any stains before putting in the hamper. NONE of his clothes
are stained. I've not seen anything else work this well.

Disposable bags: I use Especially For Baby brand. They're small, but big
enough for diaper and wipes, and smell like baby powder, and they have handles.
Very nice for when you're changing baby in public.

Disposable Changing pads: Great to protect baby from icky diaper changing
station surfaces, but disposable so you don't have to worry about cleaning
them.

General tips:

Don't stock up on too many diapers. You may have to use a couple of different
brands before you find what you like best. Baby is 3 months, and he has
outgrown Newborn and Stages 1-3 sizes!

Don't stock up on too many baby clothes. At 3 months, some of his 6-9 month
clothes are too small… I have lots of new clothes in storage for baby number
2!

Definitely have everything ready to go before baby arrives. I had everything
set to go, and it was so helpful. I made some changes later, but it was nice
to have things like his bath station, bottle station, diaper bag, changing
table, infant carrier and stroller, and clothes closet all set.

Depends adult diapers (the kind that are made like underwear): Wore these
immediately after delivering until 2 weeks later… bled like crazy the entire
time, never had a leak. Having had an episiotomy, I really didn't want a pad
rubbing against me down there. These felt like I was wearing underwear. Even
the nurses at the hospital commented on how wonderful they were, and said
they'd recommend that the hospital start carrying them. I recommend them to
everyone.

For baby equipment, do your research first. I didn't with some stuff, and
wound up throwing money away, basically. A good research site is
www.epinions.com

I'm sure I'm missing something, and will post as I think of more…. If you
have anything to add, please do!

From: Ericka Kammerer


1) Once it's bedtime (whenever that might be) change the
baby into pajamas (I also like the gowns--much easier for
any nighttime diaper changes that might be necessary).
Sounds ridiculous, but I think it's a useful signal that
it's nighttime.

I was so exhausted most of the first month that he was always in a gown or
sleeper, unless we went out. However, I did change him into a fresh garment in
the morning when I was ready to take him downstairs (start the day), and after
his bath at 8pm (start the night).


After that, it's as little light and
stimulation as possible until morning. Nurse in the dark.
Don't turn the tv on. Don't have conversations with DH.
Tempting as it may be, don't play with the baby. Keep
nighttime as boring as possible.

I agree, but I will say the first three weeks baby was usually awake when DH
would be ready for bed. I'd take Baby up to bed and let his daddy fawn over
him while in bed, for about an hour, then I'd put him in his crib.

At about 2 months, Baby was developing his own routine, with minimal effort
from me. The only thing I did at the same time was his bath. Baby just one
day started falling asleep each night at 9pm. For two weeks, he'd get up at
7am. Now, he sleeps from 9pm to 9am. I could set my watch to the time he
falls asleep, wakes up, even poops.

Now that I'm giving him some rice cereal, I usually feed him at 5 or 5:30pm,
but that's also when he happens to be hungry. I'm noticing now that he's going
to soon need some cereal in the morning, too. (and feeding may sound soon for
some in here, but my pediatrition approved it, since baby was acting like he
was hungry all the time).


2) Get Dad involved with baby care from the get-go, and
leave Dad *alone* with the baby (even if only for brief
periods of time early on) so that he can establish his
own way of parenting without your interference and so
that he learns to be competent instead of always looking
to you for baby care.

Yep. I gave Daddy his space, and now he has his own little routines. I think
it's made him more attached to the baby, and it's been a great help to me.


4) If you're breastfeeding but you really want to be able
to give a bottle, introduce a bottle around four weeks--
but ONLY if breastfeeding is really well established.
You only have to do the occasional bottle to keep them
in practice (maybe once a week), but you'll have better
odds of having them take a bottle than if you wait until
6-8 weeks or more. But if breastfeeding is still a bit
dicey, wait so you don't cause any confusion that might
make things more difficult.

I didn't breastfeed, but the nipples on the bottles I use are different from
his pacifier. I switched back and forth from day one, and he's never had an
issue.


5) Don't worry about what you're supposed to do. Let your
baby be your guide. You'll save yourself tons of worry
if you don't even look at the clock. It just doesn't
matter when the baby last ate. If she seems hungry, feed
her. You'll know if it's really out of line and
problematic. No need to fuss about precise timings.
Just respond to your baby. You'll find yourself falling
into patterns and eventually you'll build on those to
create routines that make life easier for everyone, but
you don't need to worry about that in the beginning.

The only time I ever doubted myself was when I wanted to do something I had
heard or read may not be a good idea. So, I'd ask people or look around on the
internet to see if anyone else had done the same. One example is bathing; the
hospital said sponge bath only at first, but I thought it was best to get him
in water right away to get him used to it. Was just careful not to get his
circumcision wound wet... several moms told me they'd done the same, so I felt
better about doing it myself.


Best wishes,
Ericka

JuliesSolo wrote:

Was just thinking of things related to a first baby from birth to three months;
things I'd heard from my mom or friends, things I just somehow thought would
work, things I've learned the hard way, and things I wish I'd known sooner. If
a list like this has been done before, I haven't seen it, and I thought it'd be
something that could help women expecting their first baby… please add your
own lists!

For reference, my first baby, a boy, is now 3 months old.

Baby supplies I either knew I didn't need, or bought but didn't use:

Baby bath tub:


We just bathe baby in the big tub with an adult. It's
more time consuming and requires two adults (or a place to park
a wet baby while you get out of the tub), but babies love it *so*
much it's worth the extra effort.


Large stroller/travel system:


Don't like travel systems, but like big stroller (use
sling when space is limited).


But most of my comments would be more about things to do...


1) Once it's bedtime (whenever that might be) change the
baby into pajamas (I also like the gowns--much easier for
any nighttime diaper changes that might be necessary).
Sounds ridiculous, but I think it's a useful signal that
it's nighttime. After that, it's as little light and
stimulation as possible until morning. Nurse in the dark.
Don't turn the tv on. Don't have conversations with DH.
Tempting as it may be, don't play with the baby. Keep
nighttime as boring as possible.

2) Get Dad involved with baby care from the get-go, and
leave Dad *alone* with the baby (even if only for brief
periods of time early on) so that he can establish his
own way of parenting without your interference and so
that he learns to be competent instead of always looking
to you for baby care.

3) When people offer to help, ACCEPT! Be specific about
what would be useful to you.

4) If you're breastfeeding but you really want to be able
to give a bottle, introduce a bottle around four weeks--
but ONLY if breastfeeding is really well established.
You only have to do the occasional bottle to keep them
in practice (maybe once a week), but you'll have better
odds of having them take a bottle than if you wait until
6-8 weeks or more. But if breastfeeding is still a bit
dicey, wait so you don't cause any confusion that might
make things more difficult.

5) Don't worry about what you're supposed to do. Let your
baby be your guide. You'll save yourself tons of worry
if you don't even look at the clock. It just doesn't
matter when the baby last ate. If she seems hungry, feed
her. You'll know if it's really out of line and
problematic. No need to fuss about precise timings.
Just respond to your baby. You'll find yourself falling
into patterns and eventually you'll build on those to
create routines that make life easier for everyone, but
you don't need to worry about that in the beginning.

6) Don't fall behind on the eating/drinking/resting curve,
especially in the first few weeks. If you let yourself
get too hungry, thirsty, or tired you may have a heck
of a time getting back on track. Even when you start
feeling normal again, don't drive yourself too hard or
you'll start to affect your milk supply and your coping
reserves.

I'm sure there's more I'm not thinking of, but it's a start.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Baby supplies I either knew I didn't need, or bought but didn't use:
I stocked up on diapers and wipes from day one. Glad I did. Saved many a
trip to the store, espically in the middle of the nite for us.

Baby bath tub:
We got one, used it 2 times and that was it. Started to bathe Izabella in
the tub with me. Found that the 2 times we used the bath tub, all of the
water ended up out of the tub, and she hated it. She loves the water so she
could not do much splashing or moving around in such a small tub.

Bath thermometer:
Did not bother to get one of these, figured if it felt alright for me (and I
hate hot water) it would be okay for Izabella to go into.

Diaper wipe warmer:
Did not bother with this either. She loves having cold wipes on her it
seems. Though I never tried warm ones.

Large stroller/travel system:
We bought one, and I use it all the time, minus the car seat which we do not
use with the stoller anymore.I use the snugli when we are going somewhere,
where its not a good idea to take abig stroller. After Xmas I am going to
get an umbrella stroller that can recline (sp?) and has a basket under it to
use. But we still will not ditch the big one.

Bottle warmers:
Did not buy, I am breastfeeding so no use for us.

Diaper rash ointment:
Had 2 tubes given to us, we use it because it does not only clear up diaper
rash its good for alot of other things, even for adults! Izabella has never
had diaper rash. I mean I guess we could have done with out it.

Baby nail trimmers:
We purchased small baby nailclippers and they are so great I love them,
perfect size.

Dreft:
Not sure what this is but it seems to be detergnant or some sort. We use
baby soft or baby ivory snow. we tried tide and other kinds and she had a
reaction to it.

Mirror for car to view baby while you drive:
Did not get one of these, really did not see the point.

I am so glad we got many a toy for Izabella to play with, I loved her swing,
and her saucer she loved to be in, as well as now her playpen with all her
toys. Glad we got a mobile for her crib that helped alot, as well as some
CDS with lullabuys on them to help her fall asleep.
Glad I bought a pump, which helped when I was too tired to feed her and DH
could. (which was not that often, but hey just in case)
I did stock up on clothes, and glad I did, espically diaper shirts!!!
Also thankful for the snugli to carry her around it. She loves to be in it
and she always falls asleep in it.
Thank ful for Tyenol (sp?) and gripe water (it worked a few times but after
that it really did not help any)
Oh and the weather shields for the stroller, we can go out in the rain with
it!!

I agree with having everything ready to go, I had thought I did but when I
bought Izabella home I realized that her 0-3 month clothing would not fit
her and needed to go out and get premie clothes instead. So I was not as
prepared as I thought I was.

--
Laura
Mommy to Izabella **Feb 10th, 2003**
And 2 felines *Ashes(2) & George (4)*
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/i/izabellawelburn/







"JuliesSolo" wrote in message
...
Was just thinking of things related to a first baby from birth to three
months;
things I'd heard from my mom or friends, things I just somehow thought
would
work, things I've learned the hard way, and things I wish I'd known
sooner. If
a list like this has been done before, I haven't seen it, and I thought
it'd be
something that could help women expecting their first baby. please add
your
own lists!

For reference, my first baby, a boy, is now 3 months old.

Baby supplies I either knew I didn't need, or bought but didn't use:

Baby bath tub: my mom woulda beat me about the head if I had bought one.
She
bathed me in the kitchen sink until I was too big to fit in it. I bathe
Baby
in it, and it works just fine. Plus, it MAKES me keep the sink spotless
(which
I never did before). I keep a basket of bath supplies under the sink for
easy
access; baby shampoo, baby brush, plastic Dixie cup, 2 wash cloths, baby
soap.

Bath thermometer: It only takes a time or two of bathing baby to figure
out
the right water temp. I gave mine away unused.

Diaper wipe warmer: received this at my shower, gave it away. Seemed
silly,
and my baby actually seems to like a colder cloth on his bottom.

Large stroller/travel system: Nearly broke my back with a big stroller!
If
you want something to use with an infant carrier, consider a Baby Trend
Snap-n-Go or the Kolcraft model. My snap-n-go has a drink tray and and
underneath basket, just like a regular stroller.

Bottle warmers: Bought a couple on clearance, gave them away unused.
Wound up
just sitting the bottle in a mug and running hot water over it. Shake to
disperse hot spots.

Diaper rash ointment: really not necessary for me. Just apply Vasoline
liberally at every diaper change. My baby was in ICU for one day after
birth,
and came home with a horrible diaper rash. vasoline cleared it up within
two
days, and it hasn't been back since.

Baby nail trimmers: Awful looking. I just use adult cuticle scissors at
a
time when baby is falling asleep and relaxed.

Dreft: I don't see the need. For mine, I use regular detergent, and
Snuggle
fabric softener sheets. He never had a bad reaction.

Mirror for car to view baby while you drive: Maybe if you have a baby
with
health issues, it might be good. All I ever saw was a baby asleep or
smiling.
Gave my mirror away.

Things I'm glad I had:

White noise device by Gerri (sp?): For the first month, this would calm
him
when he cried. It's very small and has Velcro strips that can be used to
attach it to your wrist. Have seen them on eBay for about $15. Mine was
a
gift at a baby shower. have it in storage for baby number two. This thing
may have single-handedly saved my sanity!

Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rocker: Another Godsend for me! It rocks,
it
vibrates, it can be positioned to where baby lies flat. It's so great, I
bought another! Had a baby swing, but this worked so well, I returned the
swing. An older model that folded up was recalled; be sure to get a new
one.
Very sturdy and baby loves it! If you have this, you don't need a
bouncer.
Can easily carry baby in this from room to room.

Mylicon drops: anything that breaks up gas is nice to have on hand, just
in
case. I didn't breastfeed, and baby wound up with issues related to cow
milk-based formula at one month. The Mylicon drops helped until the soy
formula took full effect.

Nursettes: If you decide to formula feed, it's a good idea to have the
nursettes, which are 2 oz bottles of formula that are ready to go. just
attach a disposable nipple and they're ready. I know that for the first
two
weeks, I just was not up to preparing bottles and the work involved.
Expensive, but well worth it.

Playtex nursers with Drop-In liners: Again, if you formula feed, these
are
wonderful. Much easier than regular bottles.

8 oz. Cans of formula, ready to feed: Great for when you're on the go.
You
just open it like a can of soda. No refrigeration needed before it's
opened,
and you don't have to mix with water.

Happiest Baby on The Block: Book and DVD. Wound up finding these too
late for
my first, but I wish I had! Great tips for soothing a crying baby.

A good nasal aspirator: Nothing worse than a baby who has a nose full of
snot.
The aspirators designed for babies with a removable bottom are useless. I
would spend 15 minutes trying to get out a small clump! I got one like
they
have at the hospital, and can get out snot with one try.

Baby layette gowns and zippered sleepers: Before your baby is sleeping
through
the night, these are wonderful! I know that at 4am, I was in NO mood to
snap a
million snaps. Gowns and zippers offer quick and easy access. Liked
gowns and
zippered sleepers so much I bought more and gave away my snap sleepers.

Gymsuds: Found at Gymboree. When I change baby, I examine his clothes
and
spray Gymsuds on any stains before putting in the hamper. NONE of his
clothes
are stained. I've not seen anything else work this well.

Disposable bags: I use Especially For Baby brand. They're small, but big
enough for diaper and wipes, and smell like baby powder, and they have
handles.
Very nice for when you're changing baby in public.

Disposable Changing pads: Great to protect baby from icky diaper changing
station surfaces, but disposable so you don't have to worry about cleaning
them.

General tips:

Don't stock up on too many diapers. You may have to use a couple of
different
brands before you find what you like best. Baby is 3 months, and he has
outgrown Newborn and Stages 1-3 sizes!

Don't stock up on too many baby clothes. At 3 months, some of his 6-9
month
clothes are too small. I have lots of new clothes in storage for baby
number
2!

Definitely have everything ready to go before baby arrives. I had
everything
set to go, and it was so helpful. I made some changes later, but it was
nice
to have things like his bath station, bottle station, diaper bag, changing
table, infant carrier and stroller, and clothes closet all set.

Depends adult diapers (the kind that are made like underwear): Wore these
immediately after delivering until 2 weeks later. bled like crazy the
entire
time, never had a leak. Having had an episiotomy, I really didn't want a
pad
rubbing against me down there. These felt like I was wearing underwear.
Even
the nurses at the hospital commented on how wonderful they were, and said
they'd recommend that the hospital start carrying them. I recommend them
to
everyone.

For baby equipment, do your research first. I didn't with some stuff, and
wound up throwing money away, basically. A good research site is
www.epinions.com

I'm sure I'm missing something, and will post as I think of more.. If you
have anything to add, please do!

"JuliesSolo" wrote in message
...
Was just thinking of things related to a first baby from birth to three
months;
things I'd heard from my mom or friends, things I just somehow thought
would
work, things I've learned the hard way, and things I wish I'd known
sooner. If
a list like this has been done before, I haven't seen it, and I thought
it'd be
something that could help women expecting their first baby. please add
your
own lists!

1. Don't expect the dreamy soft focus instant love first meeting. It took me
a few weeks before I was madly in love with DS and I have spoken to other
Mums who agree. Of course often it is like that just not always :-)

2. Waste of time baby gear (in my case)

- frontpack and backpack. I had a very big baby and we used a pushchair most
of the time
- plastic pants
- underarm thermometer
- lots of toys, DS just wasn't interested
- port a cot (pack and play in the states?)
- overly complicated outfits


3. Couldn't do without

- off road buggy
- Kooshies fitted nappies
- lots of wraps (they get dirty all the time)
- head snuggler for carseat
- steriliser

4. General tips

- Accept help
- Don't try to be perfect
- Remember to look after you relationship
- Enjoy it, it is over SO quickly
- Look after yourself after the birth, even an easy labor takes a lot out of
you, eat well and rest when you can.
- If you're not feeling okay then ask for help, this one is really important
when I went to a PPD support group most of the Mums had two kids and had
just tried to soldier on with number one.

The one most important thing I can say is, it will be totally differenet
from what you imagine! I'm not saying bad, just different :-)

Judy

In article ,
JuliesSolo wrote:

Bath thermometer: It only takes a time or two of bathing baby to figure out
the right water temp. I gave mine away unused.

we got one of the toy ones, a tugboat. I didn't need it, but if I wanted DH
to bathe the baby he needed instrumentation

Dreft: I don't see the need. For mine, I use regular detergent, and Snuggle
fabric softener sheets. He never had a bad reaction.

I used regular detergent in whatever brand was available perfume & dye
free. Fabric softener didn't seem to come unscented, but at least it
spared the mite clashing perfumes.

Disposable Changing pads: Great to protect baby from icky diaper changing
station surfaces, but disposable so you don't have to worry about cleaning
them.

wish I'd though of this one, would have been good.

Things I wish I'd gotten sooner, boppy, footstool, and sling.

Actually I had the sling before the baby came, but didn't know how to use
it since it was secondhand. DD was around 8 weeks when I got the hang of it
and it would have been really nice from day 1.

With baby on the boppy and my feet up on the footstool I didn't have to
worry about dropping the baby if I fell asleep nursing.

We got a whole pile of the little Sassy baby toys, rings, rattles, spinny
things. Bright colors and patterns, variety of textures. They're
inexpensive and Grace was fascinated by them for months.

Floor gym, ours was from Tiny Love. It meant Grace would actually consent
to be out of someone's arms for minutes at a time. This was more of a 3 or
4 month item than brand newborn, don't recall exactly when.

"Liz S. Reynolds" wrote in message
...

Things I wish I'd gotten sooner, boppy, footstool, and sling.

Actually I had the sling before the baby came, but didn't know how
to use it since it was secondhand. DD was around 8 weeks when I got
the hang of it and it would have been really nice from day 1.

I got a sling via ebay at the weekend, with instructions. Now I /know/ I
have visual-spatial awareness problems - I get into a real topological mess
every time I try to put the thing on! I think that'll be this weekend's
task, learning how to wear it, and how to put teddy in it...

1. Don't expect the dreamy soft focus instant love first meeting. It took me
a few weeks before I was madly in love with DS and I have spoken to other
Mums who agree. Of course often it is like that just not always :-)

I agree totally. I had an infection when I delivered, and they had given me
some funky pain meds. My head was literally swimming when I delivered. When
they placed Baby on my chest, I kept thinking "get this THING off me, now!". I
didn't want to hold him while in the hospital... first off, I was miserably
sick, and I was so woozy I was afraid I'd drop him.

Got more sick after coming home. finally realized it might be one of the meds
I had been prescribed. Going off of it made a huge difference, but I still
felt off. Went to the doc two weeks after delivering, and they FOUND A SPONGE
IN MY BIRTH CANAL. It had caused an infection. So, I finally got that cleared
up. still, I was always exhausted. I slowly started bonding with the baby,
but it took until he was 2 months until I was to the point where I loved him so
much it hurt. It definitely wasn't immediate for me!

As for a sling, my mom used mine with my baby, but I hated it!

Love the Boppys.

As for a play gym, right now Baby loves his Fisher Price Classical Chorus gym.
It's lightweight, very attractive, and plays the most beautiful music. Baby
goes absolutely nuts over it. He squeals, laughs, and bats and the hanging
toys. I think I could leave him under it 24/7 and he'd be happy, LOL. I put
him under it each evening for about a half hour before his bath time.

"JuliesSolo" wrote in message
...
From: Ericka Kammerer
1) Once it's bedtime (whenever that might be) change the
baby into pajamas (I also like the gowns--much easier for
any nighttime diaper changes that might be necessary).
Sounds ridiculous, but I think it's a useful signal that
it's nighttime.

I was so exhausted most of the first month that he was always in a gown or
sleeper, unless we went out. However, I did change him into a fresh
garment in
the morning when I was ready to take him downstairs (start the day), and
after
his bath at 8pm (start the night).

Eh. My kids tended to live in sleeper suits or onesies, depending on the
weather, until they were almost a year old. Personally, I just don't feel
most other types of infant clothing are very practical or comfortable for
little ones. And I never noticed my babies having any particular problem
going to sleep because I hadn't changed the *type* of clothes they were
wearing. I always found that just ensuring it was quiet and the lights were
out when I nursed them at bedtime ensured they knew it was time to go to
sleep.

But this is one of the very few things about which Ericka and I disagree
g!
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [18mo] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

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"Ericka Kammerer" wrote in message
...
JuliesSolo wrote:
Baby bath tub:

We just bathe baby in the big tub with an adult. It's
more time consuming and requires two adults (or a place to park
a wet baby while you get out of the tub), but babies love it *so*
much it's worth the extra effort.

This is a great idea, but it never would have worked for us for regular
bathing. I cannot stand to be in a tub that's not at least 100 degrees F--I
start shivering almost immediately. And my husband would never have had the
time.

We *did* have a baby bathtub which is part of the changing table. It saved
my back and I found it very convenient--just rolled the whole thing into the
bathroom, bathed the baby, emptied the tub and rolled it all back.

Large stroller/travel system:

Don't like travel systems, but like big stroller (use
sling when space is limited).

Again, I found the travel system really invaluable for my third, but I had
both a heavy baby and needed to do numerous trips on a daily basis to ferry
my daughter to preschool. Since she had to be walked to and from the
classrooms and the baby was often asleep, it was wonderful to be able to put
the infant seat in the stroller. Still, I didn't buy the stroller portion of
the system until Vernon was about 3 months old, which was the point at which
I realized I needed it. It's definitely not something that everyone needs
and something it's best to wait to purchase until you're sure you'll use it.

1) Once it's bedtime (whenever that might be) change the
baby into pajamas (I also like the gowns--much easier for
any nighttime diaper changes that might be necessary).

How do you keep the baby's feet inside the gown, though? My babies were
forever getting the darn things rucked up around their thighs. I preferred
the Carter's footed snap-up sleepers for this reason. A little more trouble
for diaper changes, but the gowns drove me nuts.

The most important piece of baby equipment in my book is a comfy, rocking
recliner. I have one that we bought shortly before Julian was born and I
have spent literally months (cumulatively) breastfeeding and dozing in that
chair. I couldn't live without it. (The poor thing is in somewhat sad shape
cosmetically and wants reupholstering, but I'm afraid that will ruin it. My
mother had a wonderful chair that she reupholstered and it was never the
same.)
--
Be well, Barbara
(Julian [6], Aurora [4], and Vernon's [18mo] mom)
See us at http://photos.yahoo.com/guavaln

This week's special at the English Language Butcher Shop:
"No parking passed this sign" -- hotel parking lot sign

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman