CONGRATULATIONS! IT’S A BABY! NOW WHAT???

For many people, having a new baby is an exciting and happy time.
But along with that comes fear and uncertainty.
Even if it’s not your first time!

I just had my sixth baby a little over 5 months ago. While it was a
very exciting time for my family, I still wondered, "Do I have
everything that I need to take care of him?" Especially for the first
couple of weeks.

The question: "What do I need for my baby?" can be almost
overwhelming.
Diapers - how many?
Formula - how much?
Clothes - what do they wear?
Bed, swing, car seat???

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

RELAX! TAKE A DEEP BREATH, IT WILL BE OK!

That’s what this blog is all about!


Many people tend to over-do it when it comes to buying for baby!
The truth is, babies grow fast! You really don’t need as much as
you might think.

Many of the items you will need you may get as gifts from family
and friends or a baby shower (if you have one), but there will
probably still be things you will need.

I am going to go into a little detail on a few items because they
are the most important. Don’t worry, we will recap all of this on
the checklist included below.


DIAPERS
When my son was born, I decided to take note of how many diapers
he used. By the time he was about a month old (1month and 3 days),
he had used 172 diapers. Most of those were newborn size. ( I think
we switched to size 1 at about 3-4 weeks) About 2 ½ weeks later, he
was up to 244 diapers. 2 weeks later, 300 diapers and again 2 weeks
later, 356 diapers and switching to size 2.

As you can see, we went through 356 diapers (and 2 sizes) in the first
11 weeks of his life!The number of diapers your baby will use on a daily
basis will be more in the first few weeks and probably decrease a little
after that. I think the reason for this is that newborns don’t sleep
through the night so you tend to change them more often. As they get
a little older, they sleep longer at night so you change them a little less,
unless you are a parent who wakes their baby up just to change them.
I don’t recommend this! LOL :)


FORMULA
When I had my son, I breast fed and formula fed. The split was
about 50/50 until he was about 2 months old. Then we went to
100% formula. I didn’t keep track of the formula like I did the
diapers, but what I do know is now, at 5 months, he goes through
about 10 or so 12.9 ounce cans of the powdered formula per month.

If you are strictly formula feeding your baby, we can easily calculate
the approximate amount of formula your baby will eat as a newborn.

A 12.9 ounce can of powdered formula makes about 94 ounces.
When a baby is first born, he or she will eat anywhere from ½ ounce
to 2 ounces at each feeding (about every 2-3 hours).

We will calculate on the higher end.
2 ounces every 2 hours = 12 feedings per day.
12 feedings x 2 ounces = 24 ounces per day.
24 ounces per day x 4 days = 96 ounces

So we can estimate that one can of formula will last your baby
approximately 4 days. Of course every baby is different. Smaller
babies tend to eat less where larger babies tend to eat more.


One important thing I want to note:
If you are considering getting on the WIC (Women, Infants and
Children) program ( a program for lower income families), they
will cover the cost of most, if not all, of your baby's formula,
however, they do not start before your baby is born so it is a good
idea to still purchase a couple of cans before your baby arrives to
hold you over until you can report the birth to WIC.

Also, you should get on WIC early on in your pregnancy for 2
reasons:

1. They give pregnant women things such as juice, cereal, milk
and other things to help maintain their health.

2. You are already signed up so when your baby arrives, it will
be easier to report and get his/her appointment.

To find out where your local WIC office is, or to get additional
information visit:
(PRESS CTRL WHEN CLICKING THE LINK TO OPEN IN NEW TAB!)
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic


CAR SEATS
I won’t go to long on this topic but it is a very important one.
Many people do not know that you can NOT bring your baby
home without the proper car seat. The hospital will not let you.
Some hospitals have a loaner program, but you should check
with yours first if you need to.

Choosing a car seat can be tricky. They make some that are
car seat/carrier combos, some that are only for infants, some
that are only for bigger babies and so on.

What you want to look for is one that says specifically for infants
from birth to however many pounds and rear facing.

I prefer the car seat/carrier combo, although you will have to get
a second car seat when your baby gets a little larger. Usually around
5-7 months.

If you do choose to get one that is for infants and older babies, make
sure that it can be rear facing until they reach a certain age/weight.
The disadvantage to this kind is that it is not the kind you would
carry your baby around in.


Now, with all that being said,
lets get on to our checklist.

It is designed to help you know what you will need for the first
couple of weeks, although some of the items will be used much
longer of course.

The checklist is divided into 3 sections.
Section 1 - The basic everyday items you will need.
Section 2 - The bigger items you will need.
Section 3 - Other items to have on hand.


SECTION 1 - THE BASICS
Diapers - 80 - 90 newborn size
Formula - 3 - 4 cans (if using powdered)
Baby Wipes - 1 plastic tub and 1 refill bag
Alcohol and Qtips - for umbilical cord care
Bottles - 4 - 6 small size with newborn or small nipples
Pacifiers - At least 2 with newborn or small nipples (if you use them)
Burp Rags or cloth diapers - 10 - 12
Receiving Blankets - 8 - 10
Heavier Blankets - 2 - 3
Diaper Bag
Onesies - 10 - 12 (t-shirts that snap at crotch)
Socks - 6 - 8 pairs
Sleepers - 10 - 12 (PJ’s)
　

SECTION 2 - BIG ITEMS
Car Seat - Make sure it is for infants!
Swing - No baby should be without!
Bed
Stroller
Diaper Pail


SECTION 3 - OTHER ITEMS
Container to store pre-made formula or breast milk
Bath Towel/Wash Rag
Baby Bath Tub
Baby Wash
Baby Lotion
Baby Powder
Thermometer
Infants Tylenol - Ask Your Doctor
Infants Gas Drops - Ask Your Doctor


Hopefully this list will help you prepare for the arrival of your
new little one. Don’t forget that all babies are different so some
of this will vary from one baby to another.
　

A few things worth mentioning....

DON’T give your baby a tub bath until his or her umbilical cord
has fallen off. A baby wipe bath will do fine until then.

DON’T over buy on newborn diapers. Most babies will outgrow
them in 3 - 4 weeks, some even less.

AVOID buying too many outfits (regular clothes) or shoes. As cute
as they may be, babies grow out of them quickly and some of them
can be costly.

Some stores sell a combo set of the big items that can include: bed,
highchair, swing, stroller and car seat. Although you will not need
the highchair for several months, sometimes buying the set can save
you money.

Most of all, just love and enjoy your baby.
That is what he or she will need the most!!

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