I
made this list a while back and thought I'd share. If you're pregnant (or your
wife's pregnant) here's some things I'd wish I'd known sooner than later. A lot of these items you can get at consignment stores like Just Between Friends. Check your local listings for gently used items near you.
First Get on a budget.
Second budgeting for maternity clothes is a must. It
will help your wife’s well-being and help ease the changes coming with the
pregnancy. I hear for women too it is a big stress reliever and it is fun.
Perhaps looking for friends/family/church who have maternity clothes already
would be a good start?
Third if you don't already have one start an Emergency Fund.
Emergencies will always happen. Best to be prepared. Also a good idea
independent on if pregnant or not to start a Baby Savings Fund.
Fourth a few of preliminary questions to think about:
A) What other debts do you have?
B) How much is your Emergency Fund? I would imagine 3-6 months
of expenses would be a good place to be at to be considered “fully funded.”
Maybe more depending on your comfort level.
C) Do you plan on using a mid-wife or a doctor/hospital?
D) How many baby showers do you think you’d have? (i.e. family,
friends, church, other?)
E) Is your family planning on contributing major items (Crib,
Car Seat, Mattress, etc.) or will you have to pay for that yourself?
F) Will you be decorating a room? If so you will need paint,
decorations, etc.
G) Assuming you have insurance how much will your
co-insurance/deductibles be? Don’t forget you pay a deductible for Mommy AND
Baby.
Fifth a list of baby items…
Here’s
the basic list we made for our baby. We didn’t actually get all these things
but it is a good starting point. Especially the items that are bold. Of course
it really depends on factors such as income, number of baby showers,
socio-economic status of those invited, socio-economic status of family, etc.
I. Furniture
A)
Crib or bassinet
B)
Mattress
C)
Mattress pad (2) – to avoid leaks
D)
Crib bedding set
E)
Fitted sheets (2 to 4) – You will want to wash these
II. Baby
A)
Baby CDs with classical, lullaby, or fun music – Our son particularly enjoys
Kenny G. We also found that a good Scripture CD is helpful. I'll get the name
of it when I get home. Lol!
B)
Receiving blankets (4 to 6) – This is what the baby will be in the first few
weeks of his/her life.
C)
Absorbent bibs (4 to 8 ) – These are a life saver! I would say 10 actually
would still not be enough
D)
Booties or socks (3 to 6 pair)
E)
Shirts and one-pieces (6 to 8 )
F)
Bouncer seat or Swing – Some people have one or the other. We were given both.
G)
Stroller – Our child is a couple of months old now it comes in handy.
H)
Rear-facing car seat – Can’t leave the hospital without one. This is where we
carry the little one.
I)
(If needed) Car seat base for 2nd car
J)
(If needed) Sling or soft carrier – We found that we don’t particularly like
these. Some people do.
K)
Diapers – If buying disposable diapers Amazon Mom allows you to buy diapers at
a 20% discount. For boys Pampers; for girls Huggies.
L)
(If needed) If cloth diapers, plastic pants and/or Velcro® covers (6 to 12)
M)
Diaper bag – We registered for 1 and got 4. The more the merrier. Keep an extra
with diapers/wipes in the car.
N)
Diaper and accessory organizers
[b]
O) Rash ointment and powder
P)
Wipes (at least 2 packs at all times; don’t want to run out of these) – We
prefer to buy in bulk.
Q)
Washcloths (6 to 8 )
R)
Gentle shampoo or body wash
S)
Bathtub or contoured sponge
T)
Hooded towels (2 to 4 )
U)
Baby Monitor – We live in an apartment so we really haven’t used the one we
got.
III. Just for Mom
A)
Prenatal vitamins – One a Day is what my wife took.
B)
Maternity wear (pants, comfortable shoes, etc.) – for 1st, 2nd, 3rd trimesters,
as well as post-delivery; Wifey borrowed a lot of these as wow maternity
clothes are so expensive!
C)
Sleep pillow – Guys don’t generally like these but the ladies seem to love it.
Very comfy to sleep in at night I hear.
D)
Parenting magazine – helpful, my wife read these. I just went with the flow)
If
Nursing:
E)
Nursing bra – Cup sizes increase during pregnancy and especially if nursing.
F)
Breastpump
G)
Breastpads, shields, and cream
H)
Lap pads (4 to 6) and burp cloths (3 to 4)
If
Using Formula: (Keep in mind that not all women can nurse)
I)
Formula
For
Both Nursing or Formula
J)
Nursing pillow and/or nursing stool
K)
Bottles (6 to 8 of various sizes)
Sixth the essentials…
Bottom
line you can never have enough burp cloths, diapers, and baby wipes. Remember
you need a car seat to leave the hospital. Sign up for Amazon Mom and get a 20%
discount on diapers in bulk and free delivery for a year.
Hope
this helps. This is an exciting time and will be a great adventure!
Are there other items that you found either helpful or necessary
with a baby?
-------------------------------------------------------
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