A note on shopping for Baby (and mom)

new_mum

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Feb 23, 2017 · 5 min read

Planning for a new born is an exciting time..we make a list of all the things we think we will need, try to guess baby’s needs and mix it up with all the thing we want the baby to have…

Its hard NOT to be emotional.. specially when you see cute stuff in shops.. but more often than not, things we buy out of emotions are usually a waste.. the baby either doesnt like / use it or they are used for a very short period of time..

May be thats why, all marketing people price the baby products quiet high…

When we were planning our shopping list for our baby, we decided to

concentrate on what we would need, rather than what we want…

I was well advised by my friends not to get too emotional, and

just plan for 2–3 months at a time, as the babies grow too fast and their needs change with age…

Here, i am going to write down my shopping list..as it was.. and mention what was useful and what was not… and what extra we had to buy which we did not plan for…

Required / Helpful Stuff

1. Breastfeeding/nursing/maternity bra — really helpful…though don’t buy before child birth…buy 5 days AFTER child birth.. as breast and body size change drastically…or buy a seamless one..
2. Maternity sanitary pads — required of course, but i felt that normal pads work just fine, no need for special maternity ones…
3. Muslin cloth to wrap baby — really helpful — awesome to settle the baby and put to sleep
4. breast pads / nursing pads — really helpful.. as i had a great supply and a big let-down
5. nursing tops (or loose dresses which open from the top) — required.. makes is easier to nurse (especially in public) when most of the things are a mess…again, buy after child birth to ensure right size
6. nappies and wipes — required of course, you may plan for disposables or cotton ones — baby used 8–10 nappies per day initially..
7. hand sanitiser — required — especially for all the guests you will entertain
8. car seat — required of course — along with ‘baby on board’ sticker :)
9. baby blanket — required — babies are happier when kept warm and soft
10. baby clothes — we decided not to buy as we got lots as gifts… but some onesies / body bags would be good to have
11. baby bath towel and some face towels — just to keep his stuff separate from ours
12. baby Toiletries — baby wash, cream, massage oil etc — this is a tricky one — we do get this stuff as gifts but they are mostly of ‘johnson and johnson’ and of no use — doctors say dont use anything for bath, or use QV products…- but i got to know about QV very late, i had already bought Aveeno products, but then found this article :

11. Sling / Pram — we decided to go with a sling ( as we find prams very bulky ) and got Ergo sling and infant insert…

Sling — Pro :

1. hands free
2. baby hugs you and sleeps mostly
3. cheaper than pram

Sling — Cons

1. i was not able to carry initially — due to my wound — i could take him out in week 5
2. gets very hot.. (depends on weather too)
3. small baby does not sit properly sometimes — even with the infant insert

may be we should have researched more on lighter slings…but we dont take the baby out much anyway..may be once a week…

Pram — Pro

1. might be easier for mum to take the baby out

Pram — Cons

1. bulky…a vehicle in itself
2. might need to change with age
3. costlier than sling

Found this very good article :

I am planing to delay buying a pram as much as i can…

Did not plan for :

1. Pacifier / soothy — this has been a blessing for me.. but as there are lots of opinions around its usage, it totally up to the parents to decide wether to use it or not.. (though my paediatrician did not object on its use)
2. Curash cream — for nappy rashes… extremely important

Less used / Optional stuff

1. Baby head cap -1 or 2- optional- we use only for pics and when going out..- depends on weather
2. toys — babies sleep mostly, and have their surroundings to keep them interested when they are up… we did not buy any toy…got some as gifts and use it if required (hardly ever)..my bub is happier in my arms than with a toy
3. baby socks, mittens — it gets cold in nights, and my bub kicks off the blanket, hence these are handy
4. Cloth to lay baby on — i dont know whats a better name for this, but we lay/pick up baby on thick cloths.. as in we dont lay him directly on any surface

Not used at all ( in first 6 weeks )

Baby cot, mattress, sheets / linen— due to the moro reflex, the scare of some cloth covering his face, and the pain of getting up every time, the bub sleeps next to me rather than in cot… he has slept in it hardly 4–5 times till date…

though we did contemplate buying a bassinet or cradle, but as they were of short term use, we decided not to..

cots are expensive, research thoroughly before buying.. we bought a less-used-second-hand one

1. Cot mobile arm and mobiles — essential if you are getting the cot.. it will keep them busy and interested
2. Baby BATH TUB — bub is still very small and we are scared to put him in the tub (though it has a seating facility), will use after some months [i finally used it when he was 4+ months]
3. Baby bottles — we bought them just in case we need to express and feed him.. but haven't used them till now… will come handy in future for sure [BUY ONLY WHEN YOU NEED..as the teets/nipple vary by age due tot he flow control..and also the bottle size varies as their feed grows with age]