[...] Million Dollar Journey has tips when shopping for a newborn. [...]

[...] Shopping for a Newborn I – The List. [...]

[...] Shopping for a Newborn – The List [...]

[...] Dollar Journey had a couple of posts which I really enjoyed where he talks about Shopping for a Newborn and part II is [...]

[...] MDJ participated in the Carnival of Family Life this week which was hosted by Diary of 1.  MDJ submitted the article Shopping for a Newborn – The List. [...]

[...] Shopping for a Newborn I – The List [...]

Thanks for participating in this week’s Carnival of Family Life, hosted at Diary of 1!!

Even if you need to buy (other than the car seat, which is essential and probably should be new, unless you know the previous owners). Wait until you feel you need it. Your kid will determine if it’s useful. (Borrow stuff, if you can to see if they like it). I found I slept with our son for the first several months, so crib stuff wasn’t essential in the beginning.

Definitely look into freecycle.org. There’s almost ALWAYS someone giving away baby stuff.

Finally, have you considered cloth diapers? We were given a starter pack at our baby shower, and they’re fabulous. They’re not really any more work than disposables, and now we’ve got enough diapers for all the rest of the kids we plan to have. (If you want more info., let me know. I could go on at length).

Sorry for such a lengthy reply from a newbie, but I guess I have a lot to say about baby stuff!

This is just plain false. Children might learn some vocabulary by watching TV, but they don’t learn language very well via television. The best way to stimulate language development in children is to talk to them.

[...] those of you interested in this topic, make sure to check out yesterdays post and especially the comments thread.  My wife and I read over the comments last night and we're very appreciative of all the [...]

Despite being the most widely used brand in the world Winnie the Pooh is not responsible for corruption in big business. He’s a very nice bear. Don’t feel guilty … did i say I had already said too much?

Don’t forget a good baby book. I recommend “what to expect in the first year”. also have a suggested list to show people/grandparents for your baby shower. You’ll be suprised how generous people can be.

If you know the source of a car seat (One was given to us from a family member, another two i recently bought from a nurse, and another was a baby shower gift) the thing you have to ask, is if it was in an accident. If a seat is gently treated, from a reliable source and only a few years old you are can be pretty sure if is safe to use. It is also good to have the safety manuals, or find them online.

Bumper pads are not considered safe at least for the first while… they increase risk of SIDS, although it can be frustrating to balance this against the risk of the baby bumping their head, and waking themselves up crying. I recommend a huggy device by “safety first” that you should be able to find at walmart (basically like two hollow ventilated pillows) that helps the baby sleep on their back(the recommended safe sleeping position. I also found this useful for nursing lying down to prevent rolling on the baby. I found putting a pillow between my knees also reduced this risk greatly. You can also buy guards to put along the bed or side sleeping cribs that can be pushed next to the bed or pushed away when time to encourage independent sleeping comes.

When feedings were frequent I spent many hours sleeping upright nursing in an upholstered swivel rocker (sometimes it was the only way to get rest) It was just the right size for me, and supported my neck… i found a peanut shaped nursing pillow, and microgel pillow have been very useful. A wooden rocking chair is not very comfortable, and as the baby gets bigger you may find it necessary to have a place to spread out more. A comfy couch with lots of pillows can do the trick. After a year of sleep deprivation, I started using a timer so I could wake up and get the baby in the crib and decent rest in my own bed. You will need a footstool at an ergonomic height as feet tend to swell when you nurse, and it involves many hours. Many people swear by gliders, even if the interior decorator in me doesn’t love them, it feels like being on a cloud if you have a good one. We are lucky in that the best gliders in the world for nursing are made here in canada by dutalier.http://www.dutailier.com/ I’d prefer a upholstered dutailer and ottoman, and would have loved to had one customized for the nursery, but we saved cost and went with one of the ones carried by sears at their introductory price. I figured after three years of nursing I had earned my dream nursing chair, and wish I had had it earlier. you should be able to get one for 399 dollars with a footstool if you catch it at the right time. I padded it with a fleece blanket to take the edge off of the wooden part of the arms, and it is doing a great job of helping my little guy get to sleep.

my other tip: let other people get carried away with toys, because they will. If you are moving into a new house, just make sure the nursery is painted way in advance… we had new paint and carpeting and I kept the baby with me until the toxins had gone. I can’t recommend a good air cleaner enough… apparently the honeywell true hepa is the best deal for the money (just don’t get one too big or small for the space). the white noise helps everyone to sleep better, and it’s a much healthier environment.

in terms of making things beautiful.. valances are excellent value for money. I love the kidsline series…. don’t be afraid to mix and match themes to do something unique as long as it works. sometimes using one piece out of a series has as much punch as having everything too matchy matchy. In fact mixing thing up can give you the best of many different worlds and be less expensive. Mix old and new. Save here, splurge there. It’s what high end decorators do.

Second hand cribs in good shape can be just as pretty as a new one.. but even new, most of them are not are not that expensive. Just get a name that you can trust like stork craft. I found the Baby Einstein playpen to be excellent value. It is brightly coloured, comes with all kinds of toys and doubles as bassinett for the first few months.

Change tables will save your back, and this is especially appreciated in the first few months after giving birth, and who doesn’t love storage… but frankly when it came to my second baby, I think he may be in preparation for the wrestling team. After he hit five months I’ve only been able to change him on the floor. It was the only safe place… have lots of interesting toys on hand to distract them.

Again, second hand clothing and bedding are healthier and softer, but you’ll soon be washing it often enough, so I wouldn’t be too worried about the toxins in new materials. (-:

Don’t feel badly about using second hand. Many people buy more than they can ever use, or have a chance to wear out. And as one friend said when it comes to accepting a favorite hand me down outfit “you know the love is already in it”.

Other than that.. be patient with each other. Sleep deprivation can by trying, but once you get through it they are the best and most amazing thing in the world. Better than your first million by far.

Congratulations!