What items are must haves or a waste of money when buying for a new baby?

[nickie]

I enjoy reading all the replies. All the information is useful. My SIL has to do the fertility treatments and might end up having a baby around the same time if everything works out between the both of us. This will be her first and she hasn't had any experience before so she is nervous. I'm definitely going to pass the information everyone provided to her also. Due to her work she will have to bottle feed. 

With the slings I've read different articles about being careful that the sling doesn't cover their face. They also said young babies that haven't developed the strength in their necks to watch out for due to the sling can press the chin into the chest and injure the baby. At what age are these good to use? I can always tie back the sling to avoid it being in their face. They do look like they would be comfortable to use till the baby is older. 

Mom'sfolly, you have me now worried about how big my cup size will get. I already have a hard time finding bars that fit. I did see my current size in nursing bars but I'm worried if I get a lot bigger. An in-law of mine had a baby last month and she ended up with a very large chest during the pregnancy. If they become smaller once I stop breast feeding then I won't be to worried. Might have to order the bras online.

 

Go with a sling rather than some sort of complicated front pack for the kid.  I had a front pack for the first and a sling for the second...loved the sling, and the kid loved it too.   This is worth spending some money for, or buying a good second hand one. 

Good quality, well-fitted nursing bras, and a very light weight stretchy exercise type bra to sleep in.  With my first I went from a C-cup to an F-cup.  I didn't even know they made F-cups!  Good bras work.  When trying the bra on, make sure you can open and rehook the nursing part with one hand, the other hand will be busy with the kiddo.  Skip the fancy breast feeding shirts, you don't need them.

A monitor, especially if you have a two story house.

A good stoller, and a cheap light-weight umbrella stroller.

Baby sunscreen, gas drops, nail clippers, nose goop thingy, etc.

Lots of burp pads.

Mitts...they will scratch their faces.

Socks, especially for a winter baby.

Good nursing bras have an impressive amount of stretch to them to acomadate being both full and empty. I found some to fit me during the last bit of pregnancy that I found worked well for me and my huge milk supply. At night I wore a stretchy, camy style sports bra I bought large to provide support and pressure (to prevent leaking) over night.

 

[reveriereptile]

Good nursing bras have an impressive amount of stretch to them to acomadate being both full and empty. I found some to fit me during the last bit of pregnancy that I found worked well for me and my huge milk supply. At night I wore a stretchy, camy style sports bra I bought large to provide support and pressure (to prevent leaking) over night.

Are they comfortable enough to wear as regular bars when you're not even pregnant? I have a problem of going up and down now depending on what I eat so I keep having to buy 2 sizes of bras and can't find the main size I need without driving an hour away.

I checked out the Medela website and there are stores not to far from me that have some pumps. Is it better to buy a double or a single pump? I'm definitely going to try and go without using a pump. I don't want to be running around like my head is cut off if I am unable to breastfeed and need a pump but don't know where to get one. If I have to I could buy one and keep it in the box with the receipt and take if back if I don't need it. The website has rentals listed but I'll have to check and see what places around have the rentals.

The Medela website has a bottle nipple called Calma and it is suppose to make the baby work with its mouth like it would on the breast to get the milk for easy switching back and forth from the breast and bottle. Has anyone tried this? I was wondering if this would work for my SIL since her and her boyfriend will have to switch back and forth due to work so she might be able to breast feed and he could use the bottle. Here is the link to it. http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/594/calma

 

[Livinzoo]

Here is a good site with LOTS of breastfeeding information. This is to the page about bottle feeding the breastfed baby.. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bottle-feeding.html

 

[nickie]

I didn't like the nursing bras much. They worked for what I needed them for, but I couldn't wait to get back to my non nursing bras.

If you want to try to go without a pump then give it a go and have a single hand pump on hand. Avent has a very nice one I used with my first (fed him on one side, pumped the other side the whole six months he was breast fed).

I can't give you any advise on nipples or nipple confusion. My son never had a problem switching from one to another, he got breastmilk in a bottle when I worked. He took any bottle any nipple, any shape, as long as the milk was warm. My daughter never latched, she just couldn't get it right and not for lack of trying on wither of our part (I was a breastfeeding nazi with both of my kids). After trying for two weeks at every feeding and feeding her from a little flex cup, not a bottle and nipple, to prevent nipple confusion, I finally surrendered and pumped exclusively for 2 months.

Target stores carry avent and modela pumps.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Working and nursing is not necessarily incompatible. With my first I chose a baby sitter near work so that I could visit him at lunch and nurse him. I was fortunate in that he was five months old when I returned to work, but even if I had gone back earlier I would have chosen that route. I did leave bottles for him, but he usually would not take bottles from anyone but me (I know--exactly opposite of what you read about how they will take a bottle from everyone except mama).

Slings work from day old until through toddlerhood. Make sure to get a better quality one, and make sure you learn how to use it properly.

Your breast will grow with milk, and the largest will be the first few days when your milk comes in. Once you are nursing regularly, the size will stabilize. There are specialty stores that have all kinds of sizes that you would not normally expect, both in nursing bras and regular ones. These same stores also carry prostheses for women who have had breasts removed, and are not likely to be at your local mall. Maternity stores also carry nursing bras in a wider range of sizes than you will typically find at places like Target or department stores.

I enjoy reading all the replies. All the information is useful. My SIL has to do the fertility treatments and might end up having a baby around the same time if everything works out between the both of us. This will be her first and she hasn't had any experience before so she is nervous. I'm definitely going to pass the information everyone provided to her also. Due to her work she will have to bottle feed.

With the slings I've read different articles about being careful that the sling doesn't cover their face. They also said young babies that haven't developed the strength in their necks to watch out for due to the sling can press the chin into the chest and injure the baby. At what age are these good to use? I can always tie back the sling to avoid it being in their face. They do look like they would be comfortable to use till the baby is older.

Mom'sfolly, you have me now worried about how big my cup size will get. I already have a hard time finding bars that fit. I did see my current size in nursing bars but I'm worried if I get a lot bigger. An in-law of mine had a baby last month and she ended up with a very large chest during the pregnancy. If they become smaller once I stop breast feeding then I won't be to worried. Might have to order the bras online.

Quote:

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: A sink in the utility room is ALWAYS a useful thing, regardless of cloth diapers.

There are more good pumps than just Medela, but the cheap ones are pretty useless. There are some okay hand pumps, but the hospital grade is far superior. I remember hearing once that when a woman can't pump her milk, she usually blames herself, but that about 99% of the time it is the pump that is faulty. Not all hospitals rent pumps, but lactation consultants often do. You may even be able to get insurance to pay if your pediatrician writes a prescription. You may or may not need a lactation consultant; just realize that they know far more about nursing than do many nurses. You can also get plenty of help from La Leche League at no cost.

The Womanly Art of Breasfeeding is an absolute must read.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Do your research on pumps and pick out what you would want IF you end up needing one. Most women who stay home with their infants do not need a pump, so know what you would choose, but don't bother purchasing until you need it. You might also find that your hospital provides a breast pump (mine did with #2). DS#1 never had a problem with nipple confusion or switching back and forth between nursing to bottles. DS#2 was vastly different, and became very confused. A nipple that did not change how the baby has to work its mouth might have helped him.

 

[reveriereptile]

Are used breast pumps safe to use? What got me asking is I seen someone list one a month ago for sale and it was a barely used double automatic medela pump kit with the bag, bottles, storage containers, new boxes of nursing pads, breast guards, and a bunch of other stuff with it that they were only asking $300 for the set. I've seen them online for a ton of money new. It got me wondering if a used one would be safe since it wouldn't be much different than renting one incase I come across a deal like that again especially if I needed a pump.

I've also been looking up wall and floor designs since my husband and me are going to build a house and I seen some very cute wall mural paintings. I was wondering if I painted a wall painting after I knew I was pregnant in the nursery if babies like looking at them or if they are more just for the looks of the room? I wouldn't mind having some cute paintings on the wall and the ceiling. I would like to have them in other parts of the house but my husband has night terrors and wakes up seeing stuff. The last thing he wants is to see something on the wall and think he is having another night terror when he wakes up.

I know from my niece that she loved looking at stuff animals and pictures. I didn't know if having maybe animal pictures painted on the walls would give the baby something to look at and add more color to the room. Even if I didn't paint all the details I would love to have silhouette shapes. I'd love to have silhouettes in different light colors with a fence, barn, and farm animals on the walls. Definitely would have to include a mother chicken with her chicks.

 

[EweSheep]

Yes it still will be safe to buy used and sterilize everything. It would not be a bad idea to get two new cups the ones that would express milk if you are that worried. Its a good price. I paid mine $250 brand new but it was the middle priced Medela.

 

[cravenchx]

ok, it's been awhile, but
I never used nursing pads, the medela pump,, well, you can
buy all new or sterilize the used. I would put the plastic bags
inside the bottles and pump. My children were 12 months apart,
breast fed the first one for 6 months and the 2nd for 10. Breast feeding
is the best, if it works for you.