We made the 9.5 hour drive from where we currently live in Maryland, USA to Ontario, Canada this past week. I really didn't know what to expect from Lilah, but was mentally preparing myself for it to be a LONG, challenging journey. Lilah has never had to travel any great distance in the car. I think the longest trip we have taken in the last year or so was about two hours. Anyway, I couldn't have been more wrong about how she would act! She was fantastic for the entire trip!
We debated for a long time about WHEN to do the driving. At first we thought getting in the car right before bedtime would be the best because she would hopefully sleep the entire way. We ultimately decided, however, to drive during the day because we thought it would nice for her to have time to settle down after the long journey, get used to her surroundings and then have a good, uninterrupted sleep.
I should mention that we used Lilah's infant car seat for this trip. She has always been pretty happy with her infant seat. It was only when we recently started using a new seat that she started to put up a fuss about being in the car. She is just barely under the height limit for her infant seat so we decided that we would use it for this trip because we knew she would be happier sitting in it. The next time we make the trip, she will have no choice but to sit in her new seat and my hope is that after she gets used to it and forgets about her infant seat, she will be content to ride in it.
Anyway, we started off the day by visiting the doctor for Lilah's 15 month needles. We hadn't really planned on this being a part of our adventure, but it may have helped in that it might have made Lilah a little more sleepy than usual. On the other hand, it could have totally blew up in our faces if she had developed a fever or had some kind of adverse reaction to the immunizations which apparently is more common with this round of shots.
We hit the road at about 9:00am and were able to drive for about 3 hours before making a stop. During this time, we read stories, played with a few favourite toys, watched a couple of Elmo episodes, had our morning snack and lunch. We stopped right before it was time for Lilah to take a nap so that she could stretch her legs and have a diaper change. It was a brief stop (~15 minutes) and we were back on the road. Lilah didn't fuss even a bit about getting back in her seat which really surprised me.
She fell asleep pretty bang on to her normal nap time and slept for a solid 2.5 hours which was FANTASTIC! That is a little longer than is typical for her and may have been a result of the immunizations. Whatever the reason, it was welcomed!
When she had fully woken up from her nap, we stopped for the second time (we had been in the car for close to 3 hours). It was another quick stop to nurse, stretch and change her diaper and again, there wasn't a single complaint about getting back in the seat.
We ended up making two more very brief stops (Duty Free, dirty diaper change) and were at our destination in just under 9.5 hours (the typical drive time). Lilah was happy as a clam through the very last agonizing minutes of the journey. I was so pleasantly surprised that it went so smoothly.
Things that worked for us:
1) I sat in the back seat with Lilah for the duration of the trip.
2) I packed a few favourite toys and lots of books (the toys/books that Lilah seemed particularly interested in in the days leading up to the trip.) We also took our labtop computer and a few of Lilah's favourite videos and several of her Cd's.
3) I packed lots of food for the journey (fresh fruit, yogurt, egg salad sandwiches, raisins, cookies, goldfish, cheerios, milk, water, juice.)
4) We had screens on the windows in the back seat to block out the sun and an extra blanket to drape over the car seat while she slept so it was a little darker.
5) I took her favourite blanket and a few of the toys she has in her crib for nap time.
6) We kept everything as close to our regular schedule/routine as possible (IE. snacks/meals/nap/nursing were all at their usual time.)
Hope this helps those of you planning road trips this coming summer! Think positively and happy travels!
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Travelling with Baby
My daughter has been on more flights in the first six months of her life than I was on in the first 20 years of mine! How crazy is that!
We live in Baltimore, Maryland, but call Ontario, Canada home. Before Lilah was born, my husband and I would drive the roughly 10 hours back and forth. Lilah was born in Ontario so we drove when we came back to Baltimore when she was just a month old, but at that time she was still sleeping more than she was awake and slept most of the way (we also stayed the night in a hotel and did the drive over two days). Since then, we have yet to brave the trip in the car because Lilah is older and more active and would need more frequent stops making the 10 hour drive significantly longer. Instead, we have been flying back and forth when we travel home.
Lilah and I flew alone for the first trip back when she was about 4.5 months old. I was a little stressed out about travelling alone with an infant. I was worried about whether or not she would sleep, if and when she would eat and where I was going to feed her, if she would have trouble with her ears on the plane, if she would cry on the plane...and the list went on. Looking back, I really didn't need to worry so much (which is the way it usually plays out).
It was an exhausting day...30 minute drive to the airport, 1.5 hours waiting for our flight, 1.5 hour flight, 30 minutes waiting for baggage, 2 hour drive home. Despite the fact that it was a long day for both of us, Lilah was FANTASTIC! She stuck fairly closely to her normal eating and sleeping schedule which was great. On our first flight, I was lucky enough to find a seat between two very nice women who were helpful and accommodating. I wanted to breastfeed as the plane was taking off to make sure Lilah didn't have any problems with her ears. The woman to my left was more than happy to have Lilah's feet dangling over her lap and the woman to my right was great about trying to shield me a little so I didn't expose myself to the other passengers.
I started to feed Lilah a little too early and she was actually finished nursing before the plane took off. Even though she has never had a pacifier before, I gave one to her just as added assurance. She sucked on it a little, but was soon fast asleep. She slept for just over half of the flight and when she woke up, she was perfectly content to play on my lap for the duration. She did start to get a little antsy toward the end of the flight because it is pretty tight quarters when you are travelling with a lap baby (as a side note, make sure you do a diaper change before you board because there is NO space to do it once you are on the plane unless you are travelling with another person that can help).
On the way back, I wasn't as lucky in my seat choice. I ended up sitting beside a rather antisocial man who seemed slightly annoyed that he was seated next to a baby. I attempted to nurse as the plane was taking off, but again, Lilah was finished before lift-off. She took the pacifier a little more eagerly the second time and again didn't seem to have any problems with her ears. She did cry more during this flight because she was a little overtired and was having trouble falling asleep. She did eventually sleep and the rest of the trip was a breeze.
We recently took the same trip as a family which was much more relaxing! Having a second pair of hands was great! I had the same game plan for this trip (to nurse during take-off, then offer a pacifier) which worked about the same as the last time. Lilah slept during both flights, but had a lot of trouble falling asleep during the flight back to Baltimore which was a little stressful for my husband and I. I was trying not to be stressed out and kept telling myself that it didn't matter what anyone else thought, but it was a challenge never the less (I am not sure which was more stressful for my husband...the crying or having to watch Lilah as she stood on my lap with her hands on either side of the window looking like she was going to jump out of the plane. It was really quite amusing to see my husband squirm in his seat as if she could actually fall out of the plane).
Funny story...
As we were sitting on the plane waiting to take off on our way to Detroit, we noticed a beeping noise. We didn't think much of it until other people on the plane started to ask "What is that beeping?" Everyone started checking their phones and other electronic devices. We don't have a cell phone so didn't think it could possibly be us, but my husband picked up his carry on bag just to check. Sure enough, the beeping was coming from our carry on bag! We had packed Lilah's baby monitor in our carry on bag so that it wouldn't get broken in our checked luggage. It is set to sense her movements when she is sleeping and alarm us when there is none. The switch had accidentally been flipped when we boarded the plane and because it was not hooked up to the sensor pad, the alarm was going off. It was quite funny, but a little alarming to the other passengers on the plane, especially because in the midst of the searching for the mysterious beeping noise, my husband blurts out "It sounds like it is coming from the wing!" Nice one dear!
We live in Baltimore, Maryland, but call Ontario, Canada home. Before Lilah was born, my husband and I would drive the roughly 10 hours back and forth. Lilah was born in Ontario so we drove when we came back to Baltimore when she was just a month old, but at that time she was still sleeping more than she was awake and slept most of the way (we also stayed the night in a hotel and did the drive over two days). Since then, we have yet to brave the trip in the car because Lilah is older and more active and would need more frequent stops making the 10 hour drive significantly longer. Instead, we have been flying back and forth when we travel home.
Lilah and I flew alone for the first trip back when she was about 4.5 months old. I was a little stressed out about travelling alone with an infant. I was worried about whether or not she would sleep, if and when she would eat and where I was going to feed her, if she would have trouble with her ears on the plane, if she would cry on the plane...and the list went on. Looking back, I really didn't need to worry so much (which is the way it usually plays out).
It was an exhausting day...30 minute drive to the airport, 1.5 hours waiting for our flight, 1.5 hour flight, 30 minutes waiting for baggage, 2 hour drive home. Despite the fact that it was a long day for both of us, Lilah was FANTASTIC! She stuck fairly closely to her normal eating and sleeping schedule which was great. On our first flight, I was lucky enough to find a seat between two very nice women who were helpful and accommodating. I wanted to breastfeed as the plane was taking off to make sure Lilah didn't have any problems with her ears. The woman to my left was more than happy to have Lilah's feet dangling over her lap and the woman to my right was great about trying to shield me a little so I didn't expose myself to the other passengers.
I started to feed Lilah a little too early and she was actually finished nursing before the plane took off. Even though she has never had a pacifier before, I gave one to her just as added assurance. She sucked on it a little, but was soon fast asleep. She slept for just over half of the flight and when she woke up, she was perfectly content to play on my lap for the duration. She did start to get a little antsy toward the end of the flight because it is pretty tight quarters when you are travelling with a lap baby (as a side note, make sure you do a diaper change before you board because there is NO space to do it once you are on the plane unless you are travelling with another person that can help).
On the way back, I wasn't as lucky in my seat choice. I ended up sitting beside a rather antisocial man who seemed slightly annoyed that he was seated next to a baby. I attempted to nurse as the plane was taking off, but again, Lilah was finished before lift-off. She took the pacifier a little more eagerly the second time and again didn't seem to have any problems with her ears. She did cry more during this flight because she was a little overtired and was having trouble falling asleep. She did eventually sleep and the rest of the trip was a breeze.
We recently took the same trip as a family which was much more relaxing! Having a second pair of hands was great! I had the same game plan for this trip (to nurse during take-off, then offer a pacifier) which worked about the same as the last time. Lilah slept during both flights, but had a lot of trouble falling asleep during the flight back to Baltimore which was a little stressful for my husband and I. I was trying not to be stressed out and kept telling myself that it didn't matter what anyone else thought, but it was a challenge never the less (I am not sure which was more stressful for my husband...the crying or having to watch Lilah as she stood on my lap with her hands on either side of the window looking like she was going to jump out of the plane. It was really quite amusing to see my husband squirm in his seat as if she could actually fall out of the plane).
Funny story...
As we were sitting on the plane waiting to take off on our way to Detroit, we noticed a beeping noise. We didn't think much of it until other people on the plane started to ask "What is that beeping?" Everyone started checking their phones and other electronic devices. We don't have a cell phone so didn't think it could possibly be us, but my husband picked up his carry on bag just to check. Sure enough, the beeping was coming from our carry on bag! We had packed Lilah's baby monitor in our carry on bag so that it wouldn't get broken in our checked luggage. It is set to sense her movements when she is sleeping and alarm us when there is none. The switch had accidentally been flipped when we boarded the plane and because it was not hooked up to the sensor pad, the alarm was going off. It was quite funny, but a little alarming to the other passengers on the plane, especially because in the midst of the searching for the mysterious beeping noise, my husband blurts out "It sounds like it is coming from the wing!" Nice one dear!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Getting Ready for Baby...The Little Things, Part 2
A note on diapers...In my last post, I talked a little bit about my experience with diapers. After posting, I was given some feedback from a few friends about their experiences. I had questioned whether Huggies diapers might be better for boys and in fact a friend of mine told me that she has found this to be the case. She passed along a cute little quote "Hug a boy, pamper a girl." Another mom noted that she has always used Huggies with her girls (3) and hasn't had any problems. I would definitely recommend when buying diapers for your new baby, to get a package of each until you decide which you prefer.
Now, on to more about getting ready for baby! Again, these are my personal preferences. There are so many options out there and you need to choose what is best for you and your baby! I am sure there are things that I am forgetting to mention so if you have questions about anything, feel free to comment!
Clothes
If you are going to buy clothes ahead of time, don't get a lot of newborn stuff. Babies grow incredibly fast! My daughter was 7.12 pounds when she was born and she had outgrown her newborn clothes within 3 weeks.
Don't spend a lot of money on "outfits" either. As you can imagine, it is a challenge dressing a tiny little baby and the less fuss you have to deal with, the better. Socks, shoes, booties, hats and bibs are cute, but not necessary. I have a million bibs and have not used a single one to this day. I will start using them when my daughter starts teething and eating, but up to now there really has been no need. She didn't start wearing socks or shoes until she started wearing pants around the 1 month mark. She did wear booties and a hat on a couple of occasions, but you really don't need more than one of each. When they are in sleepers, they don't need any of that extra stuff.
Sleepers are the way to go! My daughter lived exclusively in sleepers for the first month or so. Make sure you get sleepers with snaps (down both legs) rather than zippers. Zippers may seem like they would be easier, but they only unzip down one leg which can make getting the other leg out rather difficult. There is the risk of getting baby's delicate skin pinched in the zipper and you have to unzip the whole sleeper to change a diaper rather than just the snaps around the legs which means more cold air can get at baby.
I started dressing my daughter in pants and onsies when she got a little bigger and that is now our standard outfit for everyday. Cute outfits are nice for special occasions, but if you are going to be chumming around the house most of the time, you want baby to be comfortable.
If you have a girl, you might be tempted to buy some cute little dresses, but let me tell you, dresses are a pain in the ass! You have to constantly pull them down. We wear dresses on special occasions, but that is it! When she can walk, dresses will be much easier to manage!
You are also going to need clothing for outdoors. My daughter was born in the winter so we had to buy a one piece snowsuit for her to wear. A hat and mittens are also essential for winter babies! A few light sweaters or sweatshirts (with hoods) are all that you really need once the weather starts to warm up.
I would also highly recommend a few pairs of the little mittens that can be worn to prevent scratching. I recently read that these are no longer recommended because babies need to be able to 'feel' their world. These people have obviously forgotten how difficult it is to cut a newborn baby's fingernails! My daughter wore mittens every time she slept for the first few months until it became easier for me to cut her nails and she does not seem to have suffered any adverse consequences. Of course, it is important to take them off when baby is awake when baby will actually be 'feeling' their world, but putting them on for sleeping is essential unless you want a baby with a scratched up little face!
Bedding
Start with a crib mattress pad that has a plastic backing to protect your mattress and to provide a little more cushioning to the bed. You will need at least a couple of fitted cotton crib sheets so that you have one to swap out in case of spit-up or diaper leaks (you will also need these items for the bassinet). Be sure to get a few soft cotton blankets and at least one good sized cotton blanket that can be used for swaddling. We used a hand-knit blanket for swaddling for the first couple of months and then transitioned to a sleep-sac and soft blanket. A sleep-sac is great because you don't have to worry about baby getting cold if they happen to kick of their blanket. I didn't use receiving blankets at all for swaddling rather I used them for burp cloths, but regardless of what you use them for your should get half a dozen or so.
Getting the crib ready is really exciting (even though baby won't be using to for a few months if you are going the bassinet route). Everyone wants to get a cute crib set that includes a comforter, bed skirt, fitted sheet and bumper pads. The truth is that bumper pads are not recommended because they put baby at risk of suffocation and you won't use the comforter while baby is actually in the crib (it ends up being more for looks). The crib skirt and sheet, however, are nice to have. If you do buy a set (or someone buys it for you), you can use the comforter as a play blanket so that you get use out of it and there are alternative ways to make use of the bumper pads (I am in the process of trying to find a creative way to use the bumper pads that came with my daughter's crib bedding...there are several suggestions online, I will keep you posted on this.)
Toys
My daughter didn't really get into her toys until she was about 4 months of age and even then, there were only a few that she preferred to grab and hold on to. Soft toys that make noise and have color contrast are good for the early months. Chewable toys are good as they get a little older and want to put everything into their mouths. Board books and a few baby CDs are great to have as well!
We have a playmat that she has really enjoyed, but now that she is 5 months old, she has become less interested in it. She started using her activity jumper as soon as she was strong enough and could touch the ground in it and she loves it now! We don't have a Jolly Jumper, but I know a lot of people like them. We have a Bumbo chair, but my daughter is not a fan of sitting in it. It actually forces them to sit quite awkwardly and I recently heard mumblings about them not being good for their posture. We used a swing for the few few weeks, but then my daughter decided that she did not like the cradled position that it forced her to lie in. We also have a bouncy chair which is awesome to have so that you can take a shower once in awhile! A Boppy pillow is great for sitting baby in before he/she can sit up an his/her own (as well as for breastfeeding in the early days).
It is recommended regardless of what jumper/activity center you have, that babies are put in them for only short periods of time. The best way for a baby to develop is to just play on a regular blanket. Lots of tummy time is really important!
A few other things you might want to consider...
For the nursery...
*A diaper pail of some kind. We have a Diaper Genie II and it is great! I was originally just going to use a garbage can in the nursery, but I am super glad I went the diaper pail route. It keeps the odor contained and you can put a lot of diapers in it before it needs to be changed (many more than in a small garbage pail).
*Get some baby hangers for items that are better hung than folded.
*A rocking chair in the nursery is wonderful! It is great for rocking baby to sleep when they are really young and for story time as they get older.
For travel...
*Sun shields for your car windows are really great for keeping the sun out of baby's eyes when you are travelling.
*A mirror that can be mounted on the back seat so you can glance at baby while you are driving is also essential.
*A diaper bag for travelling is a no-brainer. My diaper bag goes with me wherever I go. It doubles as my purse now with a section devoted to my things.
*Little pads to cover the car seat straps are nice so that the straps are not against baby's delicate skin. I also use these on the straps in the stroller.
*We do not have a pack-and-play, but if you are going to be doing a lot of travelling with baby and baby is going to need a place to sleep, you might want to invest in one. They are very expensive so spend the cash only if you are going to get a lot of use out if it.
*A carrier is a great investment. You are not always going to want or be able to take a stroller wherever you go. It is also nice to just be able to take a walk with baby in the carrier rather than the stroller. I currently use a Fisher Price carrier that we were given, but if I was to invest in one, I would get the Baby Bjorn Sport carrier.
For everyday...
*You absolutely need some baby nail clippers. I had both the regular clippers that are similar to adult clippers and the ones with a larger handle. After using both, I have found the regular clippers to be much easier to use and handle.
*You will also need to have on hand a soft brush (and comb for longer hair), a digital thermometer (for the armpit is easiest), a nasal aspirator, baby oil (for cleaning little nooks and crannies and for cradle cap), infant Tylenol (for after those nasty immunizations), Vitamin D drops (babies should be given these every day while they are exclusively breastfed unless they are exposed to at least 5-10 minutes of sunshine everyday), and Gripe Water (to soothe a colicky baby or just to soothe cramps or hiccups).
In my next post, I am going to start talking about the topic that everyone has been waiting for...BREASTFEEDING! Stay tuned!
Now, on to more about getting ready for baby! Again, these are my personal preferences. There are so many options out there and you need to choose what is best for you and your baby! I am sure there are things that I am forgetting to mention so if you have questions about anything, feel free to comment!
Clothes
If you are going to buy clothes ahead of time, don't get a lot of newborn stuff. Babies grow incredibly fast! My daughter was 7.12 pounds when she was born and she had outgrown her newborn clothes within 3 weeks.
Don't spend a lot of money on "outfits" either. As you can imagine, it is a challenge dressing a tiny little baby and the less fuss you have to deal with, the better. Socks, shoes, booties, hats and bibs are cute, but not necessary. I have a million bibs and have not used a single one to this day. I will start using them when my daughter starts teething and eating, but up to now there really has been no need. She didn't start wearing socks or shoes until she started wearing pants around the 1 month mark. She did wear booties and a hat on a couple of occasions, but you really don't need more than one of each. When they are in sleepers, they don't need any of that extra stuff.
Sleepers are the way to go! My daughter lived exclusively in sleepers for the first month or so. Make sure you get sleepers with snaps (down both legs) rather than zippers. Zippers may seem like they would be easier, but they only unzip down one leg which can make getting the other leg out rather difficult. There is the risk of getting baby's delicate skin pinched in the zipper and you have to unzip the whole sleeper to change a diaper rather than just the snaps around the legs which means more cold air can get at baby.
I started dressing my daughter in pants and onsies when she got a little bigger and that is now our standard outfit for everyday. Cute outfits are nice for special occasions, but if you are going to be chumming around the house most of the time, you want baby to be comfortable.
If you have a girl, you might be tempted to buy some cute little dresses, but let me tell you, dresses are a pain in the ass! You have to constantly pull them down. We wear dresses on special occasions, but that is it! When she can walk, dresses will be much easier to manage!
You are also going to need clothing for outdoors. My daughter was born in the winter so we had to buy a one piece snowsuit for her to wear. A hat and mittens are also essential for winter babies! A few light sweaters or sweatshirts (with hoods) are all that you really need once the weather starts to warm up.
I would also highly recommend a few pairs of the little mittens that can be worn to prevent scratching. I recently read that these are no longer recommended because babies need to be able to 'feel' their world. These people have obviously forgotten how difficult it is to cut a newborn baby's fingernails! My daughter wore mittens every time she slept for the first few months until it became easier for me to cut her nails and she does not seem to have suffered any adverse consequences. Of course, it is important to take them off when baby is awake when baby will actually be 'feeling' their world, but putting them on for sleeping is essential unless you want a baby with a scratched up little face!
Bedding
Start with a crib mattress pad that has a plastic backing to protect your mattress and to provide a little more cushioning to the bed. You will need at least a couple of fitted cotton crib sheets so that you have one to swap out in case of spit-up or diaper leaks (you will also need these items for the bassinet). Be sure to get a few soft cotton blankets and at least one good sized cotton blanket that can be used for swaddling. We used a hand-knit blanket for swaddling for the first couple of months and then transitioned to a sleep-sac and soft blanket. A sleep-sac is great because you don't have to worry about baby getting cold if they happen to kick of their blanket. I didn't use receiving blankets at all for swaddling rather I used them for burp cloths, but regardless of what you use them for your should get half a dozen or so.
Getting the crib ready is really exciting (even though baby won't be using to for a few months if you are going the bassinet route). Everyone wants to get a cute crib set that includes a comforter, bed skirt, fitted sheet and bumper pads. The truth is that bumper pads are not recommended because they put baby at risk of suffocation and you won't use the comforter while baby is actually in the crib (it ends up being more for looks). The crib skirt and sheet, however, are nice to have. If you do buy a set (or someone buys it for you), you can use the comforter as a play blanket so that you get use out of it and there are alternative ways to make use of the bumper pads (I am in the process of trying to find a creative way to use the bumper pads that came with my daughter's crib bedding...there are several suggestions online, I will keep you posted on this.)
Toys
My daughter didn't really get into her toys until she was about 4 months of age and even then, there were only a few that she preferred to grab and hold on to. Soft toys that make noise and have color contrast are good for the early months. Chewable toys are good as they get a little older and want to put everything into their mouths. Board books and a few baby CDs are great to have as well!
We have a playmat that she has really enjoyed, but now that she is 5 months old, she has become less interested in it. She started using her activity jumper as soon as she was strong enough and could touch the ground in it and she loves it now! We don't have a Jolly Jumper, but I know a lot of people like them. We have a Bumbo chair, but my daughter is not a fan of sitting in it. It actually forces them to sit quite awkwardly and I recently heard mumblings about them not being good for their posture. We used a swing for the few few weeks, but then my daughter decided that she did not like the cradled position that it forced her to lie in. We also have a bouncy chair which is awesome to have so that you can take a shower once in awhile! A Boppy pillow is great for sitting baby in before he/she can sit up an his/her own (as well as for breastfeeding in the early days).
It is recommended regardless of what jumper/activity center you have, that babies are put in them for only short periods of time. The best way for a baby to develop is to just play on a regular blanket. Lots of tummy time is really important!
A few other things you might want to consider...
For the nursery...
*A diaper pail of some kind. We have a Diaper Genie II and it is great! I was originally just going to use a garbage can in the nursery, but I am super glad I went the diaper pail route. It keeps the odor contained and you can put a lot of diapers in it before it needs to be changed (many more than in a small garbage pail).
*Get some baby hangers for items that are better hung than folded.
*A rocking chair in the nursery is wonderful! It is great for rocking baby to sleep when they are really young and for story time as they get older.
For travel...
*Sun shields for your car windows are really great for keeping the sun out of baby's eyes when you are travelling.
*A mirror that can be mounted on the back seat so you can glance at baby while you are driving is also essential.
*A diaper bag for travelling is a no-brainer. My diaper bag goes with me wherever I go. It doubles as my purse now with a section devoted to my things.
*Little pads to cover the car seat straps are nice so that the straps are not against baby's delicate skin. I also use these on the straps in the stroller.
*We do not have a pack-and-play, but if you are going to be doing a lot of travelling with baby and baby is going to need a place to sleep, you might want to invest in one. They are very expensive so spend the cash only if you are going to get a lot of use out if it.
*A carrier is a great investment. You are not always going to want or be able to take a stroller wherever you go. It is also nice to just be able to take a walk with baby in the carrier rather than the stroller. I currently use a Fisher Price carrier that we were given, but if I was to invest in one, I would get the Baby Bjorn Sport carrier.
For everyday...
*You absolutely need some baby nail clippers. I had both the regular clippers that are similar to adult clippers and the ones with a larger handle. After using both, I have found the regular clippers to be much easier to use and handle.
*You will also need to have on hand a soft brush (and comb for longer hair), a digital thermometer (for the armpit is easiest), a nasal aspirator, baby oil (for cleaning little nooks and crannies and for cradle cap), infant Tylenol (for after those nasty immunizations), Vitamin D drops (babies should be given these every day while they are exclusively breastfed unless they are exposed to at least 5-10 minutes of sunshine everyday), and Gripe Water (to soothe a colicky baby or just to soothe cramps or hiccups).
In my next post, I am going to start talking about the topic that everyone has been waiting for...BREASTFEEDING! Stay tuned!
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