Can I ask some baby questions?

[raangoli]

May 2, 2016 9:37:02 GMT -5 bex1973 said:

My tip I give everyone is to get a lingerie bag for socks. So much easier for keeping track of them when doing laundry!

Yes! Those tiny socks get lost but using the lingerie bag is a huge help.

We have a bib on baby when she feeds and after since she spits up and drools often. We have like 12 and hardly get through them bc we do laundry often enough.

We also use the foldable cloth diapers as burp cloths and it's been fine.

Since our baby was so tiny we did use the flannel receiving blankets to swaddle since the A&A seemed so huge.

Oh and she's still in her bassinet in the room with us at 3 months. I'm not sure when we will move her but I know I'm not there yet.

[statgirl]

1. No bibs while breastfeeding here. We just used them with bottles and solid foods. My first never used them with bottles but went through them a lot with solids. My second used them with bottles but skipped them with solids. So--completely different with each. Do what makes life easier for you.

2. Burp cloths--my first didn't use many but my second needed all the cloths. We used receiving blankets as burp cloths a lot.

3. Receiving blankets--I used them as burp cloths, to cover baby in the car seat or stroller, as a place to sit the baby, and to cover myself while nursing. The Target Circo, Gerber, and large homemade flannel were the best. The cheap ones tended to stay wrinkled. I also rolled them up and used them as head supports when the boys were really little because their heads seemed to flop everywhere in the car seat and stroller.

4. Mine slept in the room longer, but once I moved the second, he slept better. Probably should have moved him earlier. The first didn't sleep at all so I kept him in my room longer since I wasn't sleeping anyway. He was noisy though. Do what is best for you and the baby.

5. No mobiles here--we had one but didn't put it up for the first. When I got it out to put it up for the second, the first co-opted it and wouldn't give it up.

6. If you plan to pump when you return to work, get an extra set or two of pump parts and enough bottles for 2-3 days. I got my extra pump parts from the hospital because they were compatible with my pump. Some nights you are not going to want to clean bottles. The extra three bottles I bought for my second really made my life much easier--way more than I thought they would.

[Kit]

DS is a sloppy eater, so we use a ton of bibs - for milk and solid food.

We use the burp cloths to clean up any random spit up. They're just handy to have and fairly cheap.

We got a ton of receiving blankets and never used them. We do use the Aiden and Anais muslin swaddle blankets when we're out and about (he will sit on them, or lay on them, or whatever. Again, just handy to have in the diaper bag).

We got a mobile. It's dumb, you don't need it. He LOVES this though: www.amazon.com/Baby-Einstein-Sea-Dreams-Soother/dp/B006YBHE6M/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1462204249&sr=8-1&keywords=crib+aquarium+for+baby

DS is also a drooler. We love, love, love these and have a ton of them. www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=drool+bibs

[mandymay]

We used bibs when he was little because he spit up so much and really enjoyed the surprise spit up attacks. We didn't need them with our daughter.

You'll definitely need a ton of burp cloths. Gerber makes some thick flannel ones that we still use for things today. They hold up well too because I saved all the ones from when my daughter was a baby and four years later they worked just as well for my son.

You don't have to have the baby in your room, it just might be easier with breastfeeding. It's definitely a personal preference thing though. I thought I'd want my daughter in my room for six months and she got booted to her own room at six weeks

Neither of my kids had mobiles and at least one of them has turned out all right It's too early to say about the 18 month old. Lol!

[Gato]

May 2, 2016 9:30:00 GMT -5 Bernadine said:

Ahould she wear a bib while I'm breastfeeding? I only have three bibs, and I do plan on pumping at some point. How many bibs should I have? I only used bibs once my kid was sitting up and eating solid food.

I have five burp clothes- I'm thinking I'll need a few more? I never used them because my kids hardly ever spit up.

What do I actually do with receiving blankets? For swaddling, or for someplace clean for the baby to lie when you're out and about.

I'm planning on having her in our room for only 2-3 weeks.  Is that reasonable, if I'm breastfeeding through the night? I don't think it's something you can plan.  DD1 was out of our room after one month; DD2 stayed with us for 7 months because she was so high-maintenance at night.

Does she really need a mobile? Nope

[MixedBerryJam]

Everyone's already answered all your questions, so I won't bother, but I will just add that receiving blankets are the greatest invention of all time. I still use them! I have them under appliances on the counter and the TV so they don't scratch surfaces when I slide things around. I will never not have receiving blankets!

[liverandonions]

Bibs will be dependent on whether she's a spitter, or a dribbler. Breastmilk doesn't get as much of a funky odor if it spills but it's still nice to be clean and dry. I have like 40bibs but I had spitty kids and I like them to match. Now that he's on solids they get used and washed a lot!

Definitely get more burp cloths-And ditto the cloth diapers as the best ones.

Julia uses her old receiving blankets for her baby dolls, I use Robbie's as burp cloths now since he was throwing up full bottles for a while.

With Julia I slept in her room and started Exclusively pumping at 6 weeks, put her in her crib at 7 weeks and she started STTN at 10 weeks. Robbie I breastfed much longer and he was in the Rock n Play in our room until about 8 weeks and then I attempted the crib. I usually ended up bringing him back in my room to feed him but sometimes I nursed in the glider.



We didn't have a mobile but have used the same crib soother for both kids-The fish tank one-They have both learned to turn it on themselves so they can entertain themselves as needed and it has a remote.

[tacoflavoredkisses]

I'm just about 5 weeks in.

I've used one kind of bib sometimes for breastfeeding- the bandana looking kind. My baby was on the smaller side (5lbs) and they fit her well enough to catch the dribble. Mostly I just tuck a burp cloth (I use cloth diapers) under my boob and catch dribble as it happens.

The cloth diapers for burp cloths are the best.

We thought we had too many swaddle/receiving blankets but having a decent number has been great on the few days she has been overly messy. I usually have at least 2 with us when we leave the house. I've also used the a&a swaddle blankets as nursing covers and to cover her car seat when she's in the stroller and we've been out in the sun so she has some shade.

We still have her in our room but I mostly BF in the nursery at night since my H is back to work. I just like having her next to me still but we are transitioning her to her crib.

The mobile isn't necessary. It looks nice. But J LOVES the baby Einstein aquarium soother. I can turn it on and put her in her crib if I need to switch laundry or go to the bathroom or whatever.

[sapphireblue]

May 2, 2016 9:30:00 GMT -5 Bernadine said:

Ok, this one is real dumb, but I have no idea- should she wear a bib while I'm breastfeeding? I only have three bibs, and I do plan on pumping at some point. How many bibs should I have?

I have five burp clothes- I'm thinking I'll need a few more?

What do I actually do with receiving blankets?

I'm planning on having her in our room for only 2-3 weeks.  Is that reasonable, if I'm breastfeeding through the night?

Does she really need a mobile?

Please feel free to tell me other random stuff that I'll need to know.

We didn't use a bib when he breastfed but we use them a lot now (he is 9 months). We have/use daily at least 2-3 bibs. We should have more.

We never used burp cloths.

He is still sleeping in our room! I stopped breastfeeding when he was about 3 months old. We just aren't ready to not have him there. He sleeps in his crib.

Receiving blankets are handy. Grab a couple and you can cover the baby in the carseat or stroller quickly. They make a good pillow for diaper changing if it's a hard surface. I don't know--we were given a TON of them and don't use them all that much.

No mobile for us! We are moving in a month and I'll probably set one up then. I think he'll like it.

My most important thing--stockpile food! The best thing for us in the first few weeks home with a new baby was having food we could just dish out and heat up in the microwave.

[jennistarr1]

Oh I had these questions too

My baby is on solids and I still rarely use bibs, I've ruined a few outfits but oh well, at this stage we have SO MANY CLOTHES. FWIW i never used a bib breastfeeding. If baby gets especially spit-up-y than sure, it can't hurt.

I did a few swaddles with receiving blankets in the early days, and then they became spit up rags. I actually used to keep one on my changing table because small messes could be easily contained with that instead of changing the whole pad. In the diaper bag they are good as a changing pad too. Basically keep one on hand for lots of purposes that may or may not come up.

I think the mobile is forgettable, someone gifted us one, we used it...it wasn't lifechanging or anything

I did crib from day 1. Our room is REALLY close to the baby's room.

[clairedunphy]

My first baby needed all the bibs, I ended up buying more after he was born, (sturdy, terry-cloth large bibs) because he spit up so bad. He would eat and then half of it would come right back up.  Better to soak the bib than his clothes.  But I didn't know that until after he was born.
I also used lots of burp cloths.
Mobile is not necessary, my kids never looked at it.
I kept each child in my room with me for about 4 weeks each, but by then, I got them out because their non-stop grunting and whimpering in the night would keep me up.  I was shocked at how "loud" babies are when they sleep, even when they are not crying.  By then I felt comfortable enough to let them be in the next room.
I used receiving blankets for a little of everything--to keep them warm, to swaddle, to lay them on the floor, etc.
ETA:  Receiving blankets work great as a nursing cover, that is what I always used.