A Place For Them To Sleep
You dont need a $5,000 crib and changing table. All you need is a pack n play. You can use a pack n play from the time they are born until theyre ready for a big bed. You can even get a pack n play with a changing attachment if youd like. But honestly, chances are that youll just wind up changing your baby on the couch, floor, bed, or any other moderately flat surface you can use especially as they get older.
Fun Facts About Newborns
Get to know your new little one! Here are 10 fun facts about newborns:
Best Organic: Burt’s Bees Baby Wearable Blanket
As the best-seller in its category, Burt’s Bees Baby organic cotton sleep sack is a win-win for delicate skin and the environment. Its breathable material is also a smart choice for baby’s with sensitive skin or those who live in warmer climates. You can choose from a wide variety of pastel-colored prints and sizes small through large. With nearly 11,000 five-star ratings, the sleep sack is a fan favorite because of its soft material and durability after many trips through the wash.
To buy: $18â$36
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Review Health Insurance And Delivery Costs
It is very important to make sure you understand the costs of labor and delivery and what exactly your insurance will cover. For example, with my insurance, I was told I would just have to pay my usual hospital stay co-pay and that would cover both my child and myself. Turns out that was not the case and I got slapped with a huge hospital bill for Lily after giving birth. Thats a specific example of what happened to me, but please make sure you are very clear about what your labor and delivery costs will be.
How To Save Money On The Baby Essentials
Preparing for your babys arrival can quickly become expensive. If youre trying to stick to a budget, take a look at the tips below. They can help you save money while still getting everything you need to be prepared for delivery day.
- Create a registry before your baby shower, and put all the baby essentials on the list.
- Ask for baby essentials as gifts for your birthday or Christmas.
- Check with family, friends, and colleagues for hand-me-down baby essentials.
- Have a look at thrift stores to get the larger baby essentials, like furniture and strollers, for cheap.
While purchasing all the newborn baby essentials may be pricey, it doesnt even compare to the joy and fulfillment of giving birth and bonding with your baby. You cant put a price tag on love!
Start with the basics like a crib, diapers, Cleansing Wipes, and Gentle Cleansing Gel then go from there. With this baby essentials shopping list, youll have everything you need to be fully prepared for your little ones arrival!
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All Of The Soothing Baby Chairs
While a stressed-out parent will do anything to soothe a screaming baby, you don’t need to fill your home with plastic “baby holders,” according to Banks. “Choose one or maybe two from a swing, bouncer, rocker, lounger, Pack N Play, Exersaucer, etc.”
We’d suggest going for items that have some longevity, too: Some baby bouncers convert to chairs for toddlers, so they have a longer shelf life than a Jumperoo-style toy a baby will only be able to use for a few months, for example.
Chicco Physioforma Soft Silicone Orthodontic Pacifiers
Why pick this one? The nipple of this pacifier is angled upward and shaped so that itâs flatter at the bottom and rounded at the top. There are tiny ridges on the flat side to encourage your little oneâs tongue to sit against it. In this way, the manufacturer claims, your babyâs tongue will be coaxed forward, which helps to clear the airways.The base of the nipple is thin so that your little one can close their mouth over the nipple more easily than over a thicker nipple base.This pacifier is made of silicone with a satin feel. Itâs both BPA and latex free.Once your baby is older, you can buy this same pacifier in designs for 6- to 12-month-olds, and for toddlers older than 16 months.Highlights: This pacifier comes with a storage case that also doubles as a sterilizer. Simply place the pacifier in its case with some water and microwave it for easy sterilization.
Price*: about $5.99 on
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How Many Diapers Do Babies Need In The First Year
Newborn babies go to the bathroom a lot, primarily because of their milk-heavy diets and small bladders. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, in the first year alone, youâll change an average of 3,000 diapers.
On average, babies will go through a total of 8,000 diaper changes before potty training, so be prepared for a messy, expensive ride. Another thing to keep in mind when shopping for baby accessories and essentials is that as your little one grows, so do the size of their diapers. You canât stockpile a single size and call it a day, so donât overbuy.
Rawf8 – stock.adobe.com
Diapering Essentials Checklist For Your New Baby
- Diapers: Youll want one jumbo size box of Newborn size diapers, but after that youll want to stock up with 1-2 boxes of Size 1 diapers. Most babies are not in Newborn size diapers long!
- Diaper Pail: Unless your nursery room is on the first level of your house, where you can take the diaper right to the trash can, youre going to want a diaper pail for those smelly diapers.
- Baby Wipes: You can never buy too many baby wipes! Youll need these for years to come.
- Diaper Rash Cream: One large tub of A& D.
- Changing Pad: If you plan to have a dresser or changing table for diaper changes, youll want a secure changing pad for on top.
- Changing Pad Covers: Register for two of these, that way when one gets dirty you have a backup while the other is washing.
- Diaper Bag: You can use a traditional diaper bag or opt for a diaper backpack to go hands-free! Either way, youll need one to pack and bring baby items on the go daily.
Related:17 Pretty Ideas for Nursery Shelves
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Soothing A Crying Baby
To begin with, your newborn babys only way of communicating is crying. If your little one is crying it can be helpful to run through a quick checklist:
- Are they hungry or thirsty?
- Do they need a nappy change?
- Are they too hot or too cold?
- Are they tired or overstimulated?
- Could they be ill?
- Do they simply need to be held and comforted?
If your baby is crying continuously, or their cry changes to a high-pitched or an unusual cry, seek medical advice.
If your baby cries a lot but is otherwise healthy, your GP might say they have colic . Take a look at our article about how to cope and keep calm with a crying baby. Excessive crying can be tiring and emotionally challenging so try to remember that there is help available and its important to seek support.
How To Plan Your Newborn Baby Shopping
Theres a lot to think about when youre having a baby and quite a few baby things to buy before the birth. So its worth taking some time to plan how you are going to shop for the baby.
Here is a list of some useful things for first time mums to consider that will help you plan your baby shopping better.
Read Also: How Often Do You Breastfeed A Newborn
Hats With A Wide Brim
For older babies, I particularly like this UPF 50+ sun hat. During 6-9 months is when you often see babies start to crawl. With them moving around a lot, this hat has a wide brim to protect the face, but its not too huge to obstruct his or her vision.
Its light and can be easily folded for the diaper bag. It has a chin strap for windier days.
The best part is that theres an adjustable toggle so you can loosen or tighten the width of the hat so its always the perfect fit and stays on your babys head.
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Diapers: Buy The Right Sizes
Every mother hits the nesting phase in late pregnancy and wants to stock up on the necessities. Diapers are a definite necessity, and those who use disposable diapers will want to purchase the correct sizes. Most infants only remain in newborn diapers for a very brief period of time: it is wise to avoid purchasing too many packages of the newborn size, as a baby will outgrow them by the time they are 9-10 pounds .
Infants will remain in size one diapers for a month or so, and will spend the majority of their first year in size 2 and size 3 diapers. The amount of time spent in size 2 vs. size 3 will vary by the baby children vary in weight as they approach the 1 year mark. In general, you can expect your baby to double his or her birth weight by six months, and triple it by a year.
It is better to buy several packages of size 2 and 3 diapers than many packages in the newborn size: babies grow quickly!
In addition to diapers, you will need:
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What Do I Need For My Newborn Baby Checklist
There are a few things youll need for your newborn babys check-list if youre planning to adopt: a passport, drivers license, social security card, medical records, and a death certificate.
First and foremost, youll need to get a passport. A passport is an important document that will allow you to travel and live in other countries.
Next, youll need a drivers license. A drivers license is a necessary document to drive in most states.
Next, youll need social security card. Social security cards are important because they will allow you to receive government benefits, such as food stamps, welfare, and medicare.
Lastly, youll need medical records. Medical records are important because they will show the doctor or hospital where your baby was born, the date of birth, the parents occupations, and any health problems your baby may have.
Best Baby Hair Brushes
Some days, the motto is crib hair, dont care. Other days, styling is a must. A baby hair brush can relieve your child of tangles, tidy up those adorable tufts and even stimulate their scalpthe last of which is thought to promote hair growth. Youll want a baby brush that does the job delicately, since infant hair is typically very fine and babies are undeniably sensitive. These two options are safe bets.
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Newborn Baby Essentials For Minimalist Parents
Continuing our series during this final year of AoS of the top 12 published posts of all time , I adore that this one is so popular, at number 5, because my kids are now 10, 12, and 15. How time flies! Weve updated links, so the info here is still relevant just know that if it applies to your life, youll blink and be in the passenger seat doing drivers ed with that baby before you know it. Perhaps this is comforting: I remember dealing with almost none of whats in this post.
xoxo, Tsh
The Countdown: 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Theres a lot out there in stores you dont actually need for a newborn babybut this doesnt mean you need nothing. Throughout human history, parents have managed to raise the next generation with very few items the must haves of todays culture werent even invented not that long ago.
Here are the eight things I do find essential during the new baby stage.
What Should You Put On The Baby Registry For Dad
Dads are an important part of your babys life. I recommend getting things that make daddy / baby bonding time special. If your husband or significant other will be helping take care of the baby, you definitely dont want to forget a rocking chair, bottles for pumped breastmilk or formula feedings, and books!
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How Do You Feed A Newborn Kitten
If you need to bottle feed a kitten, youll need to use special baby bottles. Tiny baby bottles with tiny nipples for kittens can be purchased online or in pet stores. These bottles typically hold small amounts of formula so they are easy to handle while also holding a small kitten. If you cant find a tiny baby bottle, you can also try using a syringe without the needle, especially if the kitten wont take the bottle readily. Oral syringes can usually be purchased from a pharmacy and used for this purpose.
Heat your homemade or store-bought formula until it is warm and test a few drops of milk on your wrist first. It should feel just a little warm or even cool, not too warm or hot. It is not recommended to use a microwave. Most people put the formula in the bottle or syringe and then place the bottle or syringe into a bowl of hot water to heat it up. Once the formula passes the skin temperature test, you are ready to feed the kitten. Keep the kitten in a natural feeding position on its belly and offer warm formula every three to four hours until the kitten begins to wean to solid food. Kittens should eat about 8 mL of formula per ounce of body weight a day. This means that if the kitten weighs 4 ounces, they should eat about 32 mL of formula in total within a day, so you can give 8 mL of formula every 4 hours.
If constipation occurs, add one drop of vegetable oil to each kittens formula, no more than once daily, until the problem is resolved.
How Much Should You Feed Your Adult Cat
As your kittens metabolism starts to slow down and he reaches adulthood, you might notice him start to put on excess weight. Obesity is a common issue among adult cats and, when not corrected early on, may lead to complications later in life. Regular exercise and a well-controlled diet will help to prevent obesity and keep your cat in good shape.
Whether you feed your cat homemade cat food or the best commercial cat foods, its critical to feed him the right amount per day. But theres no single amount of food that every cat should eat each day.
Calorie needs vary from cat to cat, with many factors coming into play. When deciding how much to feed your cat, youll have to consider his breed, age, reproductive status, underlying health conditions, and more. In general, however, the recommended daily caloric intake is about 20 calories per pound of bodyweight.
that helps you identify how many calories your cat needs per day.
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Shop Smart For Your New Baby With This Checklist Of Infant Necessities Nice
When it’s your first time registering for a baby shower, it’s so easy to get overwhelmed. Both online and brick-and-mortar retailers may have you convinced that you need everything they have on offer. But the list of things your baby actually needs is fairly short. Before your guests blow a small fortune, it’s important to understand which items are essential and which are totally unnecessary.
To help you wade through the hype, we’ve drawn up this list based on our own experience and that of other parents. The must-have baby items are categorized as “necessities,” while those that might make your life easier are listed as “nice-to-haves.” We also mention unsafe products that you should avoid. Every parent’s needs are different, so this list can be modified to your tastes.