kp2171
Mar 21, 2006, 06:23 AM
Wrote this for a friend who is expecting his first child and asked for tips... stuff good to have to be prepared, things to know that I'd learned by stepping in it. Started with help when baby is sick, but it grew from there.
I know it’s quite long. Oh well. It still is not complete. Posted in two parts for length.
After sending this to Chava (Orange) she suggested posting it on the forum boards. (thanks for the idea) If there's anything I should add in please reply with a followup post.
*****************************************************
PART 0NE:
So here goes it… a bunch of random thoughts about things I learned trial by fire.
The first and foremost comment is to enjoy this crazy time. It’s all new and unsure, but they’re this little for a short time. The first year has so many milestones. Enjoy it all.
Be sure to be selfish and ask for help. Sometimes you just need to take an hour to yourself. Friends and family are there to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask. When you’re tired and at your wits end remember that they’re just little… they’re not little adults. They really aren’t trying to drive you mad (most of the time). They save that for the teen years. They just haven’t connected all of the neurological dots yet.
If the mother is breastfeeding consider getting an electronic breast pump. Can cost a couple hundred dollars and worth the weight in gold. Allows the mother to keep ducts clear and avoid painful mastitis. You can freeze the milk, which is awesome for the baby. Also gives the mother some relief when she needs the baby to nurse but wont or cannot, like when at work or traveling. The best $175 ($250 new) we spent in the first 6 months hands down. We bought a used, sterilized double-breast pump from a midwifery clinic and saved some money. If it wasn’t worth it, I wouldn’t have even mentioned the topic.
Don’t be frustrated when your baby cries and you cannot figure out what is wrong. You’ll get to know his rhythms and his cries. When they’re hurting from something like a gas bubble, the cry can be higher pitched and more intense. Sometimes they just need to cry. It’s the only communication they know. You’ll figure it out together. When they’re just inconsolable there are times when all you can do is try to comfort them and know at least they’ll probably sleep well after they’re done.
Take an obnoxious amount of pictures. They change so fast in the first year you’ll be shocked when you look back. A video camera is also great to have, especially after the first couple of months when they begin to show more personality.
We had a sterilizer container that you put into the microwave… was domed and you put water in the bottom. In 8 minutes you can have sterilized bottles and pacifiers. Especially nice if you have the breast pump and need clean bottles. By the time they’re a year old the sterilizer is a joke. They’re eating bugs and dirt and whatever else they can get into their mouths with those stubby, sticky fingers.
Get a couple of strollers. One or two cheap umbrella strollers and one good walking stroller that rolls well and you can maneuver easily. We bought our walking strollers through consignment stores, but the first one was a bit heavy and awkward compared to the replacement. The umbrella strollers are lightweight and easier to throw in a car. Some have poor reviews, but they’re perfect for quick jaunts through a mall. For the bigger strollers make sure you look at it’s closed size, see if you can close it with one hand if possible, and make sure you can lift the collapsed stroller as high as your trunk with two hands.
By the way, kiddie consignment stores are great. Especially when young, they grow so fast. Old navy has good end of season sales that can stock you up for the next year if you buy a few sizes bigger.
It’s nice to have a combo baby carrier car seat when they’re little. This lets you bundle them up from the cold and not have to get them in or out if they fall asleep. We also had the “bundle me” fleece wrap that you can put into the carrier to keep the baby warm without fussing with big, bulky coats. Loved it. Babies-R-Us online.
Get a couple of decent window screens for back seat windows of the car. The little ones sit so low that sunlight gets to them when adults don’t get it.
When getting a baby monitor set its nice to have one with two different receivers. We leave one plugged in the bedroom at all times, and the other receiver is “roaming”, used wherever else in the house we want to be.
Little ones get sick. It just happens. Some things to have: get a 5mL dropper syringe from the pharmacy, baby section. Allows you to give a measured amount of liquid into the baby’s mouth…. Important for meds. Also useful when they have the tummy flu. In fact, buy two.
When little ones get a rotavirus in their tummy they cannot keep food down. Daniel had this probably twice in each of his first two years. In time all kids build up immunity, but until then its time to be sick. They are little puke machines. They become lactose intolerant until it moves further down in the gut, at which point they get diarrhea. Whee. Babies are just cute leaky bags. So you can use the syringe to get small amounts of liquid into them, a bit at a time, when they won’t drink from a bottle. Water is absorbed right away in the stomach, so you just need to keep them hydrated. The food intolerance lasts usually a day or so. And yes, its ok if the baby just won’t eat food for a day or two… as long as he’s hydrated its fine. Juice, popsicles, soup broth are all good to try though sugary drinks can make diarrhea worse. Ice chips are good too. Dehydration is marked by no urine output or very dark, concentrated urine, dry, sticky mouth, no tears when crying. It's serious, so get med help if this happens or when in doubt.
Get some pedialyte from the pharmacy baby section. Used to keep little ones hydrated when they cannot stomach anything else and is electrolyte balanced. Never give sick little ones a lot of distilled water, as it can throw off their kidneys due to electrolyte imbalance. Can be serious. And you really don’t want to be going to the pharmacy at 2am when they suddenly get a tummy flu… so better to stock up on meds sooner than later. Also lets you use coupons, look for sales, etc.
We try to make sure we have all meds ready for the aforementioned reason. Just sucks to have to leave the house w sick baby or in the middle of the night.
You can also stock up on and look for sales of analgesics/antipyretics. Baby Tylenol and baby Motrin. Used when the little ones throw a fever or are teething, which they will. Studies show that little ones who have at least one high fever in the 1st year are stronger later concerning immune system, so hey, there is the silver lining. I think you’re supposed to get a docs approval for meds when under 6 months. If Ok’d, you can cycle between the Motrin/Tylenol to help with fever. Good to have a noninvasive thermometer. We have a $40 temporal scanner…. Uses infrared to take the temp off the forehead. Really helpful. I’ve heard also that the digital pacifier thermometers are good too. Again, when the kid is hot you need to know is it a “normal” 101 high temp or is it a dangerous 104+ high temp. Fevers suck more than puking. Hate fevers. But be prepared and it helps a lot.
Teething is another thing that just cannot end soon enough. Ours never cared for teething rings, but still good to try it. There’s mixed info about teething being tied to low grade fevers. Docs don’t believe it generally, as research just hasn’t proven a numerical correlation. Lots of moms do believe it, as they notice the kids drooling and gumming things and also the low grade fever. Either way, just use an analgesic and see if you can find something the kid likes to chew for comfort. I think Daniel took a year to get most of his teeth in. Our daughter’s came in much faster. If they just won’t eat any food, solid or soft or liquid, you might want to look at the back of the throat to see if it’s red. Nice to have a penlight flashlight for this. A few times we thought Daniel was teething when he was just starting to get a sore throat.
The rubber bulb snot suckers are almost useful. They tick the little ones off as much as help, so you’re trying to get gunk out of the nose and then they cry… which makes their nose run. Can help to have a saline mister for the nose… just lets you spray a little saline water into the nasal passage when they’re dry and clogged and cannot breathe well. If only they knew how to blow their noses… life would be easier. The mister helps loosen the dry nose up a bit. A humidifier in the winter helps also.
We get baby wipes and diapers from Sams’ club at a great price. When they’re only on milk their movements are runny, so you need liquid absorbent diapers. Pampers seemed to fit ours best and wicked away moisture well, but I've heard others prefer other brands for fit. Once the baby goes on solid foods and the stools harden the Sam’s club smiles brand was good to use. Not as good as the pampers, but great price and did a fine job. Diaper wipes there are also cheap and good.
Diaper bags are fine. We found a lightweight backpack that we use instead. My wife was kind enough to do this so I wouldn’t be carrying around a frilly, flowery, purse looking thing. And in the end, we both liked the backpack better. Just make sure if you use one that it is not too heavy on its own… we checked out a leather one that was nice, but the weight wasn’t balanced well to throw over one shoulder.
We keep an emergency stash bag in the car. Extra diapers, wipes, a set of clothes, and a few plastic sacks and Ziplocs. The only issue is when its winter, wipes left in the car are either useless (frozen) or uncomfortable (nearly frozen).
I know it’s quite long. Oh well. It still is not complete. Posted in two parts for length.
After sending this to Chava (Orange) she suggested posting it on the forum boards. (thanks for the idea) If there's anything I should add in please reply with a followup post.
*****************************************************
PART 0NE:
So here goes it… a bunch of random thoughts about things I learned trial by fire.
The first and foremost comment is to enjoy this crazy time. It’s all new and unsure, but they’re this little for a short time. The first year has so many milestones. Enjoy it all.
Be sure to be selfish and ask for help. Sometimes you just need to take an hour to yourself. Friends and family are there to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask. When you’re tired and at your wits end remember that they’re just little… they’re not little adults. They really aren’t trying to drive you mad (most of the time). They save that for the teen years. They just haven’t connected all of the neurological dots yet.
If the mother is breastfeeding consider getting an electronic breast pump. Can cost a couple hundred dollars and worth the weight in gold. Allows the mother to keep ducts clear and avoid painful mastitis. You can freeze the milk, which is awesome for the baby. Also gives the mother some relief when she needs the baby to nurse but wont or cannot, like when at work or traveling. The best $175 ($250 new) we spent in the first 6 months hands down. We bought a used, sterilized double-breast pump from a midwifery clinic and saved some money. If it wasn’t worth it, I wouldn’t have even mentioned the topic.
Don’t be frustrated when your baby cries and you cannot figure out what is wrong. You’ll get to know his rhythms and his cries. When they’re hurting from something like a gas bubble, the cry can be higher pitched and more intense. Sometimes they just need to cry. It’s the only communication they know. You’ll figure it out together. When they’re just inconsolable there are times when all you can do is try to comfort them and know at least they’ll probably sleep well after they’re done.
Take an obnoxious amount of pictures. They change so fast in the first year you’ll be shocked when you look back. A video camera is also great to have, especially after the first couple of months when they begin to show more personality.
We had a sterilizer container that you put into the microwave… was domed and you put water in the bottom. In 8 minutes you can have sterilized bottles and pacifiers. Especially nice if you have the breast pump and need clean bottles. By the time they’re a year old the sterilizer is a joke. They’re eating bugs and dirt and whatever else they can get into their mouths with those stubby, sticky fingers.
Get a couple of strollers. One or two cheap umbrella strollers and one good walking stroller that rolls well and you can maneuver easily. We bought our walking strollers through consignment stores, but the first one was a bit heavy and awkward compared to the replacement. The umbrella strollers are lightweight and easier to throw in a car. Some have poor reviews, but they’re perfect for quick jaunts through a mall. For the bigger strollers make sure you look at it’s closed size, see if you can close it with one hand if possible, and make sure you can lift the collapsed stroller as high as your trunk with two hands.
By the way, kiddie consignment stores are great. Especially when young, they grow so fast. Old navy has good end of season sales that can stock you up for the next year if you buy a few sizes bigger.
It’s nice to have a combo baby carrier car seat when they’re little. This lets you bundle them up from the cold and not have to get them in or out if they fall asleep. We also had the “bundle me” fleece wrap that you can put into the carrier to keep the baby warm without fussing with big, bulky coats. Loved it. Babies-R-Us online.
Get a couple of decent window screens for back seat windows of the car. The little ones sit so low that sunlight gets to them when adults don’t get it.
When getting a baby monitor set its nice to have one with two different receivers. We leave one plugged in the bedroom at all times, and the other receiver is “roaming”, used wherever else in the house we want to be.
Little ones get sick. It just happens. Some things to have: get a 5mL dropper syringe from the pharmacy, baby section. Allows you to give a measured amount of liquid into the baby’s mouth…. Important for meds. Also useful when they have the tummy flu. In fact, buy two.
When little ones get a rotavirus in their tummy they cannot keep food down. Daniel had this probably twice in each of his first two years. In time all kids build up immunity, but until then its time to be sick. They are little puke machines. They become lactose intolerant until it moves further down in the gut, at which point they get diarrhea. Whee. Babies are just cute leaky bags. So you can use the syringe to get small amounts of liquid into them, a bit at a time, when they won’t drink from a bottle. Water is absorbed right away in the stomach, so you just need to keep them hydrated. The food intolerance lasts usually a day or so. And yes, its ok if the baby just won’t eat food for a day or two… as long as he’s hydrated its fine. Juice, popsicles, soup broth are all good to try though sugary drinks can make diarrhea worse. Ice chips are good too. Dehydration is marked by no urine output or very dark, concentrated urine, dry, sticky mouth, no tears when crying. It's serious, so get med help if this happens or when in doubt.
Get some pedialyte from the pharmacy baby section. Used to keep little ones hydrated when they cannot stomach anything else and is electrolyte balanced. Never give sick little ones a lot of distilled water, as it can throw off their kidneys due to electrolyte imbalance. Can be serious. And you really don’t want to be going to the pharmacy at 2am when they suddenly get a tummy flu… so better to stock up on meds sooner than later. Also lets you use coupons, look for sales, etc.
We try to make sure we have all meds ready for the aforementioned reason. Just sucks to have to leave the house w sick baby or in the middle of the night.
You can also stock up on and look for sales of analgesics/antipyretics. Baby Tylenol and baby Motrin. Used when the little ones throw a fever or are teething, which they will. Studies show that little ones who have at least one high fever in the 1st year are stronger later concerning immune system, so hey, there is the silver lining. I think you’re supposed to get a docs approval for meds when under 6 months. If Ok’d, you can cycle between the Motrin/Tylenol to help with fever. Good to have a noninvasive thermometer. We have a $40 temporal scanner…. Uses infrared to take the temp off the forehead. Really helpful. I’ve heard also that the digital pacifier thermometers are good too. Again, when the kid is hot you need to know is it a “normal” 101 high temp or is it a dangerous 104+ high temp. Fevers suck more than puking. Hate fevers. But be prepared and it helps a lot.
Teething is another thing that just cannot end soon enough. Ours never cared for teething rings, but still good to try it. There’s mixed info about teething being tied to low grade fevers. Docs don’t believe it generally, as research just hasn’t proven a numerical correlation. Lots of moms do believe it, as they notice the kids drooling and gumming things and also the low grade fever. Either way, just use an analgesic and see if you can find something the kid likes to chew for comfort. I think Daniel took a year to get most of his teeth in. Our daughter’s came in much faster. If they just won’t eat any food, solid or soft or liquid, you might want to look at the back of the throat to see if it’s red. Nice to have a penlight flashlight for this. A few times we thought Daniel was teething when he was just starting to get a sore throat.
The rubber bulb snot suckers are almost useful. They tick the little ones off as much as help, so you’re trying to get gunk out of the nose and then they cry… which makes their nose run. Can help to have a saline mister for the nose… just lets you spray a little saline water into the nasal passage when they’re dry and clogged and cannot breathe well. If only they knew how to blow their noses… life would be easier. The mister helps loosen the dry nose up a bit. A humidifier in the winter helps also.
We get baby wipes and diapers from Sams’ club at a great price. When they’re only on milk their movements are runny, so you need liquid absorbent diapers. Pampers seemed to fit ours best and wicked away moisture well, but I've heard others prefer other brands for fit. Once the baby goes on solid foods and the stools harden the Sam’s club smiles brand was good to use. Not as good as the pampers, but great price and did a fine job. Diaper wipes there are also cheap and good.
Diaper bags are fine. We found a lightweight backpack that we use instead. My wife was kind enough to do this so I wouldn’t be carrying around a frilly, flowery, purse looking thing. And in the end, we both liked the backpack better. Just make sure if you use one that it is not too heavy on its own… we checked out a leather one that was nice, but the weight wasn’t balanced well to throw over one shoulder.
We keep an emergency stash bag in the car. Extra diapers, wipes, a set of clothes, and a few plastic sacks and Ziplocs. The only issue is when its winter, wipes left in the car are either useless (frozen) or uncomfortable (nearly frozen).