[JessicaLPT]

Hi,
My husband and I are planning on adopting our first child from an out of state birthmother at the end of May. This came up unexpectedly, so we are trying to prepare everything in 2.5 months (we own NOTHING for a baby right now). Since this is our first child, I am not sure exactly what all will be necessary for care that first week or so (until the adoption papers are finalized and we can remove the baby from the state) and what would be nice to have but isn't necessary. We live in Arizona and the birthmom lives in NC, so we will have to fly (it takes 36 straight hours to drive). So, please, anyone who has experience and can tell us what we need to get ready and bring, please please give us advice!!
Thank you so much,
Jessica

[maxkinzie]

Hi,
Congratulations!

We brought:
several sleepers
onesies
diapers!
wipes
Changing pad for bed/table in hotel
bibs
maps of city
couple blankets if summer
carseat/stroller
bottles 2 oz
bottle scrubber
bottle warmer (great for middle of night!)
film/camera memory (as much as you can, I wish we had had more!)
barf rags
clothes-I'd bring several extras, we got spit up on frequently, even with the barf rags
relative/friends phone #'s
Notebook-write down everything, we love to look at this now
blanket for bed- hotel bedspreads are GROSS!

what we bought there-
formula
more diapers
laundry soap
food for us
bottled water for bottles
Nuks, she was already attached at 2 days old.

Since we didn't know how long ICPC would take, we found out what was there to visit while we waited. So we went sightseeing, museum visiting, shopping

I'm sure there's other stuff people will list, have fun with it!!
Fortunatly I'd read here to be ready early as you never know, might happed early! I had most of the stuff listed packed in a storage tote ready to go "just in case". We had no warning and had to leave in <24 hrs if we wanted this baby. IF?!?!?!

max

[maxkinzie]

for us travelling great distance with a newborn was way easier than we feared, she slept most of the time!! I think it was harder on her sleep deprived parents than her, no, I'm sure of it!

[LisaCA]

Welcome!!! we flew from Los Angeles to Chicago.

for the baby we brought:

some clothes like onesies
blankets
a few bottles
baby sling (turns out she was too small for baby bjorn)

we bought everything else there. Since dd's bmom could have changed her mind, I wanted everything local so I could return it before going home, and I didn't want to schlep it all the way there and back.

most places have a target or whatever, and all of it can be picked up there before the child is released from the hospital.

we also planned to be there two weeks, so be brought work and clothing for the time there. Since you'll have many days to kill (if you're lucky only a week, if you're unlucky many many more), we went to bookstores to buy name books and others.

btw, the perferred wording on the board is "expectant mom" or "potential birthmom"-she's not a birthmom til the papers are signed. don't worry, we all had to learn the vocab of the boards.

congrats and welcome!!!!

Lisa

[HappyTwinsMom]

We, too, adopted our babies out of state...and actually took WAY too much stuff with us. I would recommend buying most stuff in NC after you arrive, but take a diaper bag with a few things and a car seat with you so you're prepared to leave the hospital with the baby. Diapers, formula, a couple of bottles, sleepers, onesies...just the very basics.

Congratulations! I hope all goes smoothly for you!

[ks01]

what do you do about bottle sterilizing while in the hotel?

[gigigeorge]

We bought a microwave sterlizer from AVENT that worked great in the hotel... as for all the other stuff, I would totally agree with picking up stuff in NC... with our son we had no choice because we got called from our agency that a young woman was in labor and had chosen us... but since we had to travel we purchased that bare minumum while we were away...

When our birthmom told us she was pregnant again and wanted us to adopt this child too... well we went way overboard with the purchasing of baby stuff and took most of it with us... in the end she chose to parent the baby and we were left with a car full of unwanted stuff (which we actually just gave to our birthmom rather than having to transport it back)...

hope that helps, also most hotels have cribs or pack n plays our son actually slept in his carseat since we only there a week...

gina

[rredhead]

Hi,

There are 2 other threads regarding What to Bring?.
http://www.familyforums.com/showthre...errerid=120857
What to bring?

I also put up some lists on our web site, because when we came back, a lot of adoption friends asked what we brought.
http://www.rmcsquared.net/adopt.htm#packing

In regards to sterilizing bottles, we were at a Residence Inn and had a stove and a dishwasher. Also, the hospital sent us home with a bunch of ready-to-eat formula and single-use nipples.

YOU WILL NEED A MEDICAL RELEASE TO FLY WITH AN INFANT UNDER 2 WEEKS. I put this in all-caps, because we were nearly thrown off the plane and arrested for not having a release for our 11 day old son.

Good luck!
-Robyn

[nycfsa]

Definitely bring a carseat with you. They won't let you leave the hospital without one, and you may not have time to go shopping for one before the baby is discharged. We flew from NJ to AZ with one before our son was born and the flight attendants finally asked us where the baby was! LOL

Don't bother with a pak n' play. My son slept in a drawer in the hotel (take it out of the dresser, obviously, and put it on the floor with a towel or blankets for a mattress). My younger son slept in his carseat quite a bit a night when he was an infant. I guess it's not as uncomfortable as it looks.

We used Playtex bottles with disposable liners while we were in the hotel. The hospital might also give you the little single serving bottles if you ask for extras. We saved some to take on the plane.

Mary Elizabeth