gray area
So busy lately… house guests, traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday, seeing friends, and lots of studio time. I’ve been really into black and white since winter arrived. The silhouette of trees against the snow, india ink drawings, clean lines. Wanting to pitch b/w to all my clients lately and have to fight the urge.
My thoughts lately haven’t been so black and white. Lots of different shades of gray. I’ve been researching baby gear now that I’m nearly 30 weeks (so close!). I’ve been procrastinating on all of it because I don’t want a lot of stuff for no reason… only the essentials please and thank you.
But even with that in mind, it’s amazing how many varieties of everything are out there! I mean… How do you know what you’ll use and what will collect dust? Which kind of bottles won’t leak (amazon reviews vary widely)? Whether to go with glass or bpa free plastic? And what kind of pacifier the baby will take to? (There are different shapes apparently.) How will the cloth diapers that were recommended by a trusted friend work for my kiddo? It’s all confusing and a jumble. (And expensivo-rivo if you don’t watch it.) And it all makes me nervous.
I suppose I’ll be a pro at it soon enough… when we figure out what works for our family, but dang. I wish I could skip this part. sigh…
you’ll do fine. just keep trusting in the one who made you!
we use bum genius 3.0 and love them! very little leaks. they are a bit pricey but so worth it in my opinion. I find 22 is a great amount to get you through two days worth. (though we used disposable until his umbilical cord fell off). good luck!
I purchased some bottles incase I had to feed with formula, but I am still breastfeeding to this day (Ethan is 10 months). So they are definitely gathering dust in their packages!
Muslins / wraps, lots of little onsies and washers/flannels are very useful when you have a newborn. I found the cloth nappies/diapers I use didn’t fit until Ethan was a bit older. I recommend Peapods but they an Australian brand, I have heard only good things about Bum genius.
If you get a sling, try to get one that works for different ages. I’ve been through a few as Ethan grows.
It’s been a while since I had my baby (he’s a 15 year old six foot kiddo now!). There is so much stuff invented since then. In reality ya hardly need much. So don’t think you do. Babies don’t need much. Milk, sleep, basic comfortable clothing, clean bottom and love!
less is more.
feel free to email or call anytime…
i’m happy to tell you what did and didn’t work for us.
you’ll do just great, mama…
i have complete faith in you.
;-)
sending love to you and your girl.
xoxoxo
mmm, love the photo collage! it inspires me bigtime.
and i know all bout the baby stuff–we have the excuse to stay SUPA minimal with our itty house. i am getting the fuzzibunz cloth diapers though–also recommended by a close friend. i had seen them and they seem really good for a lot of practical reasons but so many choices….
omg…yer so close! i’m thinkin bout yous!!! xoxo
One of the goofy things I thought I’d need before my daughter was born was diaper pins. I still have the unopened package…really, who uses diaper pins anymore. Babies don’t need a whole lot of gear, especially in the beginning. The one thing I wish I had been a little more careful about was in selecting our jogger stroller since it’s something we’ve been using for years.
Enjoy the remaining weeks of pregnancy. It is such a special time for you and your partner. I miss that delicious closeness I felt when my daughter swam around within me.
When she is born you will get to know her and her wants and needs. From there you will easily figure out what you will need for her. The other comments are right, babies don’t need much. I do remember being at Babies R US (pregnant w/ Bella) and being overwhelmed by the selection of bottles, pacifiers and everything else in general. At that time my friends were all babyless and I was on my own. It sounds like you have a lot of people to bounce ideas off of and get suggestions and helpful advice from. Don’t sweat it. It will all work out. Just avoid buying anything until after she is born. That little girl will let you know what you need to get.
You only have to go through this part once – you’ll know exactly what you do/don’t want/need for numbers two, three and beyond… ; )
Have to second the recommendation for FuzziBunz. We used those alongside the Bum Genius (Genii?). The latter had better colors, but the former were easier to use and did not risk scratching the baby with the sharp velcro bits. (My son once had horrible chafing from the edges of the velcro tabs… maybe the 3.0′s are better.) Also, the FuzziBunz held up better in the wash. But, honestly, if you are going to do cloth diapers, you might want to use the trifolds. We did that for about eight months with a diaper service and it worked very well.
But I agree with everybody else here — you’ll figure it all out very quickly! The minimalist approach is very sensible, I agree.
I remember when I was pregnant the first time I got everything which I read on lists of baby “essentials”. What I really didn´t need (but unfortunately bought) was a baby weighing scale. I never used it. My doctor said, that as long as she is feeling well and not looking sick, I wouldn´t need it and he was so right. I first used glass bottles, but soon switched to plastik bottles, as they did drop often and also because they were leighter.
Both of my kids never used pacifiers.
Have somee wonderful days ahead of you. Take care,
Kerstin
wait – don’t over think this….as it was pointed out above, babies don’t need much. Some babies don’t want pacifiers, some babies like different nipples on bottle, some are easy, some are more demanding. only get the bare minimum to start and figure it out as you go along. that’s the fun part!
you look fantastic
Christine
I think everyone has already covered it, wait until she gets here and go by instinct. Apart from bottles and nappies / diapers and babygrows we started with nothing and didn’t buy much more than that until they got big enough to need it. Babies don’t need pacifiers generally unless there is good reason for it. Exciting times!! I miss those early days, they are so precious :D
I breastfed and pumped for times when I couldn’t be with my daughter. I tried four different brands of bottles until she took to the MAM brand. She like the nipple on that one best and we lucked out that she never had trouble with colic or gas. Buy one bottle at a time until you find one that works so you don’t end up with a cupboard full of bottles that will never be used.
I’m about 12 weeks behind (we’re also having a girl!) and my husband has spent a LOT of time doing research this week. I’d be glad to share info if you’re interested. But I tend to agree with “babies don’t need as much as we are marketed to believe” posts above. Yay and congrats. Also – the book Baby Bargains gives a lot of advice on what’s needed and what’s optional and reviews products as well.
I remember feeling so OVERWHELMED by the sheer volume of choices available in baby products. I would CRY when I would go to stores like Babies r us. The best things that helped me once my son was born were: boppy pillow, mustela lotions & burts bees (he couldn’t handle the johnsons products), a wipe warmer (i know, sounds like just another useless gadget, but it really helped w/ changing), a bassinet, and a little bouncy chair. The bouncy/vibrating chair is great because you can put the baby in it and put it in the bathroom while you shower. I also recommend that you freeze a lot of meals now. Trust me, you’ll be so tired that the last thing you’ll want to do is cook those first few months. Good luck you!!! becoming a parent is so amazing! Also, I second the BAby Bargains book!!!
Thank you all for the good advice and words of encouragement! I hadn’t thought of the idea of just waiting and seeing what I needed once the little bean is here and can tell me. Pure genius. (I’m smacking my forehead!) You all rule. :)
As a new mama to a 4 month old, I can confirm that the learning curve is steep but swift, and, yes, a lot of the gear can certainly be left until after the little one arrives. If you have friends who have done this recently, more Stuff than you will want to deal with may arrive on your doorstep in the next weeks.
That said, I would suggest that if you’re having a hospital birth, find out if they will have breast feeding pillows available, and if they won’t, do buy one and bring it along. That is one tool that can be used immediately, and (for me) it made a HUGE difference in getting comfortable with breast feeding.
Best of luck to you! Enjoy these last few weeks, even as you look forward to what’s ahead!
I’m expecting and due in April…with our first…a little boy! I liked reading through all of these comments, too…helpful and reassuring. :)
You are an angel face.
That’s all.
:)
xoxoxo
Breathe.
xxoo
C
In my humble experience, you won’t know jack before your kid is born, and even then ît’s trial and error. The ten thousand pacifier models, breastfeeding, bottle, nappies, bedcovers, onesies, t-shirts, overalls… you’ll end up trying them all, spending a lot of money and still perhaps not find the magic trick that will calm your crying baby. Sometimes all you need is just you.
Ah. Was reviewing my links and notes to self this weekend (we’re getting pressure to start the baby registry) and found:
http://themomspeak.com/2008/08/the-bare-bones-baby-gear-guide/
I love how down to earth you are, Penny. I was sorry to miss Squam and the chance to meet you. Hopefully there will be more workshops with you, yes? xo
before my daughter heron was born (she’s almost 7 months old now!) i sent out an urgent letter to some friends who are mothers. not all of my friends, mind you, but the ones whom i saw carrying their personal convictions of simplicity into their mothering. these are women who had ignored all of the must-have-baby-gear hype. this helped SO much, & we were able to get some sacred answers about the really bare essentials. so we were prepared, but not over-prepared, & the rest we’ve waited for little heron to tell us what she needs. that said, my indispensable baby products would be: a sling for the newborn (we had a “peanut shell”), then an ergo carrier for when she’s a few months old until she’s about two (we LOVE this!); cloth diapers (i’ve loved g diapers, but with cloth inserts instead of the disposable ones); lots of onesies (when she’s tiny, then shirts with no snaps work better over the cloth diapers) with babylegs (make your own out of women’s knee socks–just cut off the feet if you don’t feel like hemming them); a good swaddling blanket (heron still loves her plain white aden + anais). ooh, sorry, i’m a stranger so i didn’t plan to give you any advice!
all the best,
elle garrels
(saw your work at harrison gallery in IN when you were showing with my sister-in-law gala bent)