HELP! I'm having a baby....

Well, my friend is :) I get asked here and there for my two cents...probably cause people know I share it whether they ask or not so they better just ask so I'll shut up for a little while! A friend recently found out she is expecting baby #1 and wondered about registering so I'm going to do my best to organize my thoughts...HUGE task...and give her advice on here so I can reference it to others that ask later. Babies dont need half the junk the stores say they do. KEEP IT SIMPLE!!! Babies eat, sleep, and poop. 1. Eating- if you plan on nursing or not your milk will come in. So have a plan a head of time what you're going to do and invest in it. Nursing takes tons of practice and true determination. It isn't for the lighthearted...but neither are newborns! So take a class, read about techniques, ask friends their advice, watch someone nurse (weird I know but could help answer a lot of questions)...or make more if you don't know them well enough!!!! You will need nursing pads and I recommend Lansinoh brand they are the thinnest that stay in place and hold a lot of milk before they leak. I have tried many and these are my favorite. They are very reasonable at Wal Mart and Target and go on sale a lot. Babies R Us is overpriced on this kind of thing cause they can be. There are TONS of bottles to choose from. I have been able to nurse and only feed my kids random bottles when I am out, so I'm not the best to ask about bottles. The bottles I do use are Advent. THey are super simple and all my kids have taken them very easily...well as easy as a nursing baby can :) I would register for a few if you plan to nurse and a set if you plan to do all formula. Pumping- this all depends on your schedule and future plans. The most cost efficient thing to do if you're not sure at this point how life will change is to get a manual handheld pump. This will do the same job as an electric pump just may take a little longer, but much cheaper. My Medela electric pump has pumped for six kids and is still going. So, they are well worth the money but can be bought used or later on depending on how things play out feeding wise. You don't really pump for about a month or so. Pumping is for getting out milk during a time when your baby is sleeping for a long period (around 6 hours)of time and that milk is used for a feeding you won't be around for. Some working moms will use the first few months to pump regularly to store up the milk for when they go back to work. This is all converstation to have with people once you are closer to having the baby,etc. 2. Sleeping- babies DONT sleep all the time especially after you leave the hospital! They make sure no nurses are around and they decide to let oyu know how they really feel about you taking them out of their quiet spot. SWADDLING is HUGE!!! Swaddling is very safe and VERY VERY effective. I would recommend the Summer Infaant swaddle blankets with velcro. I used sleepsacks from the time they aren't swaddled til they are walking and bothered they can't get up and stand in their crib...usually 18-24months. These are great so you dont have to put blankets in the crib and they love having their warm space to sleep in. I also recommend swaddling with their arms in and down by their side. I have heard way too many moms say they just keep waking up and their arms are out. Please strt from the beginning putting their arms in and keep it very snug. This is a very calming and normal way for them to sleep. It is completely safe and can be done anytime they are sleeping. I am asked by non-swaddling or less Natzi swadlers than me..."are they ever not swaddled?" Yes..when they're eating or awake during the day. During the night I do my very best to keep them swaddled all night long....diaper changes and choice of jammies may not allow this...oh yeah and a BLOWOUT!!! No one can prepare you for those in the middle of the night :) I swaddle for several months. Each of my kids I have swaddled less and less but that is because of sleeping through the night...a true 12 hours and I put them on their bellies once they get close to the 12 hours to help them sleep even better...unswaddled. 3. Pooping- There is going to be LOTS and LOTS of poop. The hospital will probably give you pampers diapers but not the absolute best. I love them but many people have their favs that are cheaper. You have to play around with them and find out what diapers you A: can afford and B: keep your baby and you happy. Amazon Mom is something I discovered a few years ago and has saved me lots of money on the brand name diapers. Wipes are something you will never without after you have a baby. Everyone has their favorite and my best advice is to get Unscented for newborns. You want to keep anything off their skin that has a chance of irritating it or causing diaper rash. I love Costco's price and quality of wipes, but I was a Pampers girl before that. I will switch back and forth for a great deal...you'll get used to the idea of sale prices and improvements on things like this consuming your once very normal and adult brain!!! Creams and vasaline all that jazz really isnt necesary for daily use. Your baby really shouldn't have ongoing rashes. If that is the case there is something usually wrong with the ingredients in the diapers or milk they are drinking. I have a plethera of info on nutrition should any problems arise in that area...AKA a baby who crys a ton, doesn't gain weight, constant ear infections, constipation,etc. A brand I do recommend for diaper cream is California Baby. Its expeinsive but does the job well when you do need something. Now onto equipment...getting tired already?? Carseats are like cars you can go all out or just get one you know is safe and you like what it looks like. Britax is the highest rated on crash tests but also the most expensive. Chicco is a brand that everyone loves the style, ease of use, and the price. So my advice is get a price range or a group of family members who want to buy a big gift and get one you like the colors of and check the ratings online to make sure other moms like how it buckles, installs in the car and clicks into strollers. Strollers- There are probably hundreds of strollers out there. I just had this converstaion with two moms having their second child...how do you choose?? IF you love to walk or run I highly recommend a jogging stroller that the front wheel swivels. Baby Trend is a brand I really like. If you are not a big outdoor exerciser I would say get the stroller Travel System that matches your carseat. They fold up nicely and are susually easy to push. Strollers you will soon learn are not things you want to always buy new unless you have no way to get a nice used one. Sit N Stands are my all time favorite for mulitple kids. They have tons of variety of use and last a long time and sit front to back so you can get in any doorway or aisle :) Swings, swings swings...again tons out there go simple and I recommend a portable swing(seats very near to the ground). You can move it to any room and very easy to carry. They have lots of fancy decor and settings on them but really you just need one that will swing with ease and give out on you in the middle of the night....keep a stash of batteries just for it in your house at all times. There might be nights that your baby will only stay asleep if they are in the swing. I have and love the Fisher Price one I got on Craigslist barely used. All fabric is machine washable. Bumbo Seat with tray...this is something I have loved having with all my kids. They can use this at about three months or when they can hold their head up well. They can be near you in a sitting up position and they LOVE that. The tray allows you to have another highchair form of a seat to put toys and or food on. Highchair...thse get disgusting if they have fabric or corners, so I recommend the fisher price strap on highchair. Its super cheap and can be dunked in the sink or Ive taken it out several times and hosed it down with the water hose. It is made of all hard plastic and straps onto any household chair...travels well also. This is something you can use very early as well one they are hold their head up if you put folded up blankets around them in the chair to help hold them up. Just stay simple in this area because really they just need to eat in it and you have to clean it mulitple times a day! Pacifiers...just pick some you like. The hospital will send you home with their kind. Through three children not one of the was messed up by giving them a paci from day one. They all nursed fine and were much more content to suck on the pacy when we went thorugh times of their bellies hurting. We let our kids use them til they are a year old and then ween them off shortly there after. Not the end of the world and well worth it for the first year to have them content and able to calm themselves down with it. If you are going down the paci route please get pacifiier clips. You dont want to be places with no paci in sight if they are used to having one :) This also helps at night once they start lerning how to grab their own to put themselves back to sleep!! There are whole other theroies out there so please do what you feel best on pacifiers in general. They won't go to Kindergarten with them and in ten years it wont matter what you did anyway. Clothes...newborns need tons of jammies/sleepers/those outfits that have feet in them. Yes you can dress them up when you go out but keep it simple when you are at home....oh wait that is a lot of the time and if you follow my Natzi rules about swaddling people wont get to see the clothes have the time anyway. Kids clothes cost just as much as adult clothes and much of it is ridiculous! Dont register for any cause you will get plenty at your showers and from friends. Bedding...this is an area where its totally up to the mommy :) You can go all out and have the whole room match or you can piece it together. You can spend as little or as much as you want. Just do what is best or your pocketbook and remember once they are a toddler and out of their crib you want to not still b in debt for the bedding you bought the first time. Lots of people do neutral bedding that is the beding for all their babies. Lots of people buy gender specific bedding each time...skies the limit! Pack N Play..pick one you like but what I hear and experience myself is that Chicco makes about the best ones. Graco makes good ones as well. They have tons of styles and are very dependable and travel well. If you want baby to sleep in your room, I would recommend using a pack n play if you are not needing one somewhere else in the house cause they come with a bassinet setting as well as a playmat attachment. Killing three birds with one stone. Bathing...Need somthing to help that VERY slippery baby hold still while you are trying to bathe them during their screaming rages! I love the bath tub that is shaped like a whale. Its simple, cheap, and has a foam back so little ones dont slip around. You will use this for about 4-6 months depending on size of the baby, but you won't reall need a spa one or fancy things you just need a safe place to wash them. j Baby food makers- just be careful they aren't really small. We invested in a Cuisinart food processor for this reason and for cooking other things but it has been awesome. It allows me to make huge batches of food very quickly. This whole area is something you can ask for later or decide them what is best for your needs. I would recommend the baby food ice trays with lids for frezzing food if you go this route. Pediatricians...yes you can shop for these:) Visit some offices and talk with them. You want them to have good vibes. They will be giving you advice for several things for your children. Feel free to disagree. You are the parent. If you sense something is wrong with your child express that and insist that they consider what you're saying. Feel free to do things differently. Many peds are going to treat your kid just like any other kid. There are charts to follow and standard procedures for certain ailments. Feel free to tell them no thank to the vaccination schedule, feeding schedule, antibiotics,etc....if you want to do anything different you can. Not all peds are into new ways of doing things and certainly not all on board with natural remedies or seeking out the source of the problem rather than treating the symptoms. Routine/schedule...this is big in our house. I didn't want to nurse every hour and have them "telling me what they need" their whole life. By about 6-8 weeks you will be able to get into a somewhat predictable routine. EAT, AWAKE, SLEEP, YOU time. It's the EASY method. YOu are simply training your baby to Eat be awae for a period of time, then sleep til the next feeding, and then you get your time :) There is tons to say on how to set up routines and this doesnt mean you watch the clock all day it simply means you help teach your baby about routine and get them in a healthy rythym. It makes for a very happy and adjusted baby and mommy :) Again another area where there are tons of theories out there. But just remember you are the mommy and kids dont alsways know what they need. Ok, now I'm tired. Trust me I can talk much more about babies and whats in your house but this should cover most of it. Just ask cause its in my blood for me to share...hence I used to be a teacher!