Meet
The Author
Hi, my name is Rebecca Wolf.
Here are some excerpts from my e-book, " Thriving
Babies:
How to Use Baby Carriers
from Around the World
to
Promote the Healthy Development of Your Infant"
Site Menu
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Beyond
Baby Carriers
Okay, there's a lot of cool stuff out there for hip moms and dads.
Here's my list of "must-have" products.
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PREPARING
FOR YOUR BABY ON A TIGHT BUDGET
This is the bare-bones shopping list for a new
baby I
compiled AFTER I had my first child and discovered what I REALLY
needed. It is organized by category. Use this list as the basis for
your baby shower gift registry or to create your own shopping list for
your newborn.
FEEDING
If you are breastfeeding, you just need:
-
1 dozen birdseye cloth diapers for
burp cloths or lap pads (if you are cloth diapering, you may not need
to buy extra).
-
a nursing pillow, like a boppy or a
homemade one, is very nice to have, as is a comfy recliner or rocking
chair.
-
Lansinoh or PureLan for mom.
If you are bottlefeeding, you will need:
-
To experiment with which bottle
type works best for you (start with four 4 oz bottles and see how baby
likes them).
-
To ask your pediatrician which type
of formula is best for your baby.
-
A bottle brush
-
A covered pot for sterilizing OR a
dishwasher that heats water up to 180 degrees F
-
A supply of clean dish towels
Rebecca's Reflections:
We chose the Avent system because the nipple shape was supposedly
closer to the real thing. We didn’t use the bottles much
because breastfeeding worked out well for us. We were able to buy soft
Avent sippie cup tops to use with the bottle base, so it still turned
out to be a good investment. |
WASHING
-
A bowl for sponge baths (until
baby’s umbilical cord falls off). We love our cheap EvenFlo
baby tub from WalMart.
-
A hooded towel
-
Baby shampoo (Be careful with baby
wash. My nephew had a rash and it took weeks to discover it was from
the lavender baby wash that I had recommended! My daughter loved it,
but some skin types are more delicate than others. Plain water and a
washcloth is the safest, especially for a sensitive diaper area.)
-
A changing pad (I found some
rubber-backed flannel at Jo-Ann Fabrics that works well because you can
cut it to whatever size you need for your bed, changing table, or
diaper bag)
CLOTHES
-
6 newborn and/or 0-3 months cotton
sleepsuits (with the feet attached)
-
6 newborn size and/or 0-3 months
cotton onesies
-
6 pairs of newborn size socks
-
6 bibs with Velcro or snaps
-
1 sweater
-
1 jacket or coat (depending on the
season)
-
1 pair of mittens (for winter or to
keep baby from scratching)
-
2 newborn hats, to keep
baby’s head warm
-
1 outdoor hat (sunhat for summer,
winter hat for winter)
-
2 receiving blankets (6 more, if
you are having a home birth)
DIAPERS
If you are using cloth diapers, which is surprisingly easy with the new
Velcro, snap or pocket diaper covers available online, you will need:
-
2 – 3 dozen flannel
diaper wipes or washcloths (or disposable wipes)
-
2 – 3 dozen Chinese
Prefold diapers (infant size for up to 15 lbs., premium size for 15
– 30 lbs., toddler size for 30 lbs. and up)
-
4 – 6 diaper covers (my
favorite brand is the ProRaps Classic, you will need to choose one of
the following sizes to start with: Preemies 2-6 lbs., Newborn 6-10
lbs., or Small 9-14 lbs., etc.)
- All-in-Ones are diapers sewed to the
covers. These are super easy to use, but you will need to invest in
more of them because you can't reuse the covers. Buy 12-18 all-in-one
diapers and wash them every 2-3 days. The good news is: Cloth diaper
covers and all-in-ones have excellent resale value, so you can sell
your used diapers to buy the next size up.
-
One large diaper pail (I just
bought a plastic kitchen garbage can with a tight-fitting lid)
If you are using disposable diapers:
-
1 box of gentle diaper wipes
-
1 large bag of disposable diapers
-
You may want a garbage can with a
tight-fitting lid
Rebecca's Reflections:
You DO NOT need a diaper genie
or any other such
nonsense for disposable diapers. Just remember to dump out
baby’s stool
in the toilet. This alleviates much of the smell problem and is WAY
better for the environment! If you don't want to deal with washing
diapers, another earth-friendly solution is G-Diapers. The liner
is disposable and the covers are washable for less mess without
lingering in the environment for hundreds of years!
I use cloth, so I splurged and got a Thera-Blue
hand-held bidet that attaches to the toilet, to
make clean up of cloth diapers even easier. (An
added perk: breastfed babies have innocuous stool that
doesn’t smell as rank as formula-fed babies.)
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SLEEPING
-
Large bed or mattress on the floor
if you are going to co-sleep with baby
-
A large, rectangular basket covered
with a blanket will do as an inexpensive bassinet
Rebecca's Reflections:
I made the mistake of spending
a LOT of money decorating our first nursery
with expensive wallpaper, border and curtains, but my daughter ended up
co-sleeping with us. We still don’t use that room much except
for storage and diaper changes.
I wish I had saved my money by just
using 2 coats of paint, maybe a cute border, and making my own
curtains. A nursery doesn’t need to cost hundreds of dollars
to be functional and cheery.
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TRAVEL
-
A rear-facing carseat
-
A backpack for diapers, wipes, a
change of clothes, a changing pad, and anything you need (snacks and
water are a must for breastfeeding moms)
-
Here are some of my favorite high
quality Travel Toys
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A baby sling or other carrier
suitable for newborns (see the Thriving
Babies E-book Manual for reviews and recommendations)
ACCESSORIES
Okay, you don’t need to go wild here, but there are so many
gadgets on the market it is all too easy to do.
-
Baby toys (For the first year, I
recommend soft cloth books, teething rings, a set of toy keys, a ball,
a gymini playmat, blocks, stacking cups, squirt toys for the bath, bath
or hand puppets, and sorting toys). We don't have tons of plastic toys.
I decided to buy well-made toys that inspired creativity. Here is one
of my favorite places to find wooden toys, hand-crafted
Waldorf Dolls,
and old-fashioned treasures, like this Play Stand (click image below), that are difficult
to find.  
-
A multi-stage feeding chair, with
harness, that attaches to an existing chair, is a versatile and
cost-effective alternative (at around $40) to a high chair. If you
simply MUST have a high chair, the Fisher-Price
Healthy Care high chair is
the best rated for the money.
JUST FOR MOMS
If you are breastfeeding, you may want:
-
Lansinoh or PureLan cream
-
2 towel covered bags of ice are
great for the first week of engorgement
-
Breast pads, for the occasional
leaking
-
2-3 all cotton or cotton/spandex
nursing bras and perhaps 1 sleep bra (to keep breast pads in place and
for light support)
-
You will need to learn how to hand
express or rent/buy a breast pump if you will be returning to work
while you breastfeed
Post-partum
care:
-
1 dozen disposable or old cotton
underpants.
-
1 package of overnight or maternity
sanitary pads. (I made my own cotton reusable pads that I LOVE from a
pattern at New Conceptions called Personal Things. It also includes a
pattern for breast pads, mini-pads, and a waterproof tote. These are
way more comfortable than paper pads, cheaper and better for the
environment.)
-
A peri-bottle or Thera-Blue
hand-held bidet (I got mine from Mother of Eden. It's a huge timesaver
if you use cloth diapers, too!)
-
A rubber ring cushion (if you had a
natural delivery)
-
If you had a c-section, you will
need to wash your incision every day with antibacterial soap and a
washcloth. It will also be helpful if you have someone to help you get
out of bed for the first few days. Regular walking and lots of rest
will help you recover quickly.
-
Ibuprofen or whatever your doctor
prescribes for pain relief
-
Lots of pre-made dinners in the
freezer (and/or friends who will bring you dinner for the first week or
two)
-
Healthy quick snacks and a water
bottle, especially if you are breastfeeding
RECOMMENDED
RESOURCES TO HAVE NEARBY:
-
Pediatrician’s phone
number
-
Lactation consultant’s
phone number
-
La Leche League Leader’s
phone number/e-mail address
-
Lots of support from family and
friends
Recommended
Resource Books:
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Baby
Sling Secrets
by William
and Martha
Sears
