[dawnrenee58]

Ok, ladies, I am freaking. I adopted a baby from Nicaragua, and picked him up out of the orphanage at 11 months old. So I have never ever ever had an infant. After we got home, to my complete and utter surprise, I got pregnant. I am due in a little over 3 months, and I can't ignore it anymore. I have to start getting ready for this baby. My question is this.....what do I need for a newborn? It is a boy, so I will have clothing for 12 months and up. But what do newborns wear? What other kind of gear do I need? I know I need an infant car seat, but what else? I think we are going to move Timo, our older son, into a toddler bed in a different bedroom, so our nursery will basically stay the same.

I know I could go to other websites for help....but I just love it here on a.com and know that you all can help me!! Thanks in advance!!

Dawn

[redbonec]

Hi! Time flies, doesn't it? He will be here soon!

I'll list some things, but you might also check the thread on general adoptive parents where 2manyks asked about what to bring to the hospital too.

newborn size diapers, disposable changing pads, wipes, q-tips and alcohol for umbil. cord care, baby wash, soft washcloths, baby tub, pacifiers, hat, socks, lotion, lap pads, changing table pad and cover, diaper pail and liner if necessary, baby hangers

car seat, infant support head rest, swing, bibs, burp cloths, nasal aspirator

We had great luck with:
-vibrating bouncy seat
-sling (I have a Moby wrap, have heard great things about the Maya Wrap)
-The Happiest Baby On the Block book and DVD--don't know what we would have done without it
-swaddling blankets--30x30 or the miracle blanket is supposed to be good too
-white noise machine (or a staticy radio station)
-Moses basket
-clothing dividers for closet (rings you label with sizes and hang on rack to divide clothes--handy!)

an activity mat is great but not necessary right as a newborn

I'll think of more things later, I'm sure!

[redbonec]

pack-n-play, also sheet to go with it
pacifier clips

[dawnrenee58]

Thank you! It is amazing how something so tiny could need so much! I thought my son needed a lot, but most of it was toys!

I will probably be back here with more questions as time progresses. Thanks for your help!!

[HBV]

Boppy nursing pillow, Diaper Genie, drawstring gowns, one of those dishwasher "cages" for washing all the pacifiers, bottle parts, and stuff----so handy!!!

And a lullaby CD for that midnight feeding when you just can't sing anymore...

I also got some decorative containers and put one in each room in the house where we spent much time. I stashed diapers, wipes, a changing pad, some hand sanitizer and disposal bags in each so I wasn't hauling myself up and down stairs all the time carrying a newborn. I'm a klutz when I'm tired and I was afraid I'd drop him.

[mommamarci]

In an ideal world, sure get all the stuff, but you could live without a bunch of it. Here is my list:
-Very few newborn diapers (Cameron was only in newborn size for a few weeks)
-Size 1 diapers
-Wipes
-Clothes (size 0-3 months) a few onesies, pants, and sweaters, several gowns and sleep and plays, socks
-Baby wash, wash clothes, towels (Can get a baby tub, but we only used ours for about a month and switched to a bear shaped sponge on the bottom of the tub. Cameron was too cold because too much was out of the water in the baby tub.)
-Car seat

We had no luck with a bouncy seat. Cameron did not like it. We gave it away when he was 6 weeks. He loved the swing though. (Do your research because we went through several swings.) For the bigger stuff, borrow from someone before you buy. That way if he does not like it, you can just give it back!

Keep in mind that years ago, babies did not have all of this stuff. They slept in a dresser drawer. Just get the basics and then you can always get more later. Definitely don't need the pack and play unless the babe will be sleeping in your room or you travel a lot. We have used our pack and play once (besides while awaiting ICPC). Thankfully we bought a cheap one!

[OnTheJourney]

Congrats! This time will pass soooo fast!
When buying clothes, a word of advice, buy just a few things to start you off. Everyone likes different stuff and its hard to know until you try, so buy something of each to see what you like. DS was small so we needed NB size but they grow out of it so fast, the 3 month stuff lasted longer. Now we are in 6 month size generally.
When he was brand new, I liked the night gowns with the flip over mits (our house is cool at night) and in a bunting bag at night. In the day I liked and still like diaper shirts (long sleeve) and sweats or jeans. At night now, I like the one piece snug fitting sleep wear (no feet) with a fleece sleeper on top. My Neighbour wears the thin cotton sleepers on her DD day and night, doesn't like clothes.
You also get a lot for gifts, so with clothes, as much as you want to buy buy buy, spend a bit on a couple things and wait to see what you like and need, then BUY BUY BUY!!!!

Good Luck!

[StorkWatcher]

Oh, my - these ladies have gotten you off to a great start!!!

You've had such a rough road getting Timo home - I hope you have time to enjoy the first few weeks with the new baby and the new big brother!

I cannot stress enough - RUN RUN RUN out to buy (or register, if you are having a shoer) the Boppy and The Happiest Baby on the Block!!!

Our son loved the bouncy, couldn't have cared less for the swing. If you have the opportunity, borrow both to try out from a friend, before you invest. Although the bouncy seats I think are fairly cheap.

A Boppy pillow, swing or seat and carrier will allow you hands on time with Timo yet still have the baby right with you.

I had a sling carrier for the beginning, then moved on to a basic front carrier. I'm now moving into the Mei Tai carrier (can google for the MTC Mei Tai website- she's a WAHM who makes them herself - you can use them up to preschoolers, and there are several styles. You may end up with 2 - one for Timo too. He may enjoy being worn since the baby will be carried so much.)

[dawnrenee58]

THank you so much for all of your help! I did go to BRU and spent $100 on who knows what. Onesies, receiving blankets, etc. Who knew a baby needed all this! I felt so silly, walking around with my 19 month old son asking what infants needed!

I don't think we are going to get a bassinette. We have a pack and play for Timo which has a bassinette you can put on it. We have never used that part, but I think I will put it next to our bed and the baby can sleep there, at least as long as I am breastfeeding. EEK! That thought makes me terrified. Breastfeeding. That is what they are for, but still, I had thought mine were labeled "no output"! Anyone think Timo will have an issue with this, since he was never breastfed? Booby envy?

I think we will get a bouncy seat, just because I will need a place to put him when I am working around the house. A friend of mine has a 5 month old, so maybe we will go test drive all of her stuff before we buy! The last time we were there, Timo (all 26 pounds of him!) tried to sit in the bouncy seat! He was so sad when he figured out he was just too big for it!

Any other things you think of, keep em coming. I am really taking your advice to heart!

Dawn

[OnTheJourney]

Regarding Timo in the bouncy seat:

I have a infant seat (Linkadoos brand) that doesn't bounce but does rock. DS could get it rocking himself at 2 months, he is a squirmer. It has two positions for the back and a 'kick stand' which makes it a great napping bed. It reclines enough for a newborn and now sits up enough to feed cereal in.
The beauty, it can be used as a toddler rocker (40lbs I think) so if Timo wants to 'share' it, he can. My 2 year old neice spent the whole weekend they visited 'sharing' Baby's chair.
It's was about $50 canadian.

m

[rjsmom]

Here is our list of could not live withouts
1. The swing
2. The pack 'n play
3. A mobile for the crib
4. The bumbo seat
5. Exersaucer

Neither one of my kids cared for the bouncy seat.

Lots of onesies, sleepers and burp rags.

Good luck.

[StorkWatcher]

We went through TONS of bibs and burp cloths (I prefer cloth diapers for these. They now have some really cute prints out in cloth diapers). Our son wasn't so much of a spitter as a drooler, and sometimes a messy eater with the bottle.

[rredhead]

Congratulations!

For your older son, I'd recommend the Fisher-Price Infant to Toddler Rocker. It goes up to over 30 pounds, and my friend's 3 year-old LOVES to sit in it when she comes over. It's around $35-40. I think it's the same one that OntheJourney is recommending.

The one book I adore is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. BEST sleep book I've read, and I've read a lot of them. DS was an unhappy napper until we implemented the advice from this book.

For burp cloths, I go to Target and buy the bundles of wash cloths. There are generally 10-12 wash cloths for $3-4. Cloth diapers cost $9 for 3 (at least at our Target). They're easy to wash, and you can color-coordinate.

My list of the extras that I couldn't do without:
- sling (Over the Shoulder Baby Holder) and video to explain the sling (if you're not a spatial relations kind of person and need to see in real space how to tie the thing)
- sleep sacks (BRUs often has sales on these for 0-9 months - so worth it!)
- Swaddle Me (blanket with Velcro for the swaddling impaired)
- bouncy seat
- Boppy pillow
- baby gym (I didn't want one, but my friend found one used for $6. Jack LOVED it! Next baby will get a new gym... and will probably hate it. Babies!)
- Baby Einstein books Cats and Babies. Jack loves these! Even when he was a little baby, he could turn the pages, which made him very happy.

That's all I can think of, outside of the toy arena, where every baby and parent is different.

Congrats again!

[Poleczech]

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!

Second of all, BREATHE!!

Now one item I didn't see on anyone's list was bottles. Don't buy a bunch of one kind though, because different babies like different bottles. Also, as they grow, they might not like the same one anymore. We had the gerber bottles to start that are just like the avents, but as DS grew, he would suck the nipple inside out and there would be formula everywhere. So we switched to the playtex ventaires and he did great on those (less gas). We are now on plain bottles, as he can feed himself a bottle (and quite often wants to -- Mr. Independent!). So I would get just get a few bottles and try and see what the baby likes. After you figure that out, you'll want several, otherwise, you'll spend all your time in between feedings washing bottles!

I would also wait on buying formula until you see what they havae the baby on inthe hospital -- some hospitals use Emfamil, others use Similac (those are the two most popular). And most hospitals will send you home with a diaper bag with formula samples and other freebies. My DS started out on Emfamil and because he has tolerated it so well, we've just kept him on it since birth -- he is 7-1/2 months now.

And don't forget to go out and sign up at some of those sites like pampers.com or huggies.com -- you'll get coupons and freebies in the mail. Just google free baby stuff and you'll get tons of sites you can go to.

Best wishes!!

[Stormster]

A few baby questions since ours is coming mighty soon and even though I really do THINK I know what I'm doing...

I'm going to be in a hotel for almost three weeks. I am bottle feeding. Do you think a boppy pillow would be good for us anyway?

Also, re: the crib...I have decided not to use bumpers but only a crib sheet. But in pics there is always something beneath the mattress but above the bottom frame...is it another mattress? Some kind of Valance? even though our crib has a drawer underneath I feel like it needs "something" underneath the mattress.

Soon I won't be worrying about such ridiculous stuff!!!!