Clothing
A contentious subject. If you're short of money just put them in a sleep suit and be done with it. Affordable, easy to get your baby in and out of, don't take up much space in the changing bag, are some of the numerous advantages. That just isn't going to happen though is it - you'll want to but some nice clothes. Bear in mind though that they grow awfully quickly in the first few months - blink and some of the stuff you've bought will never be worn.
There's also the decision of whether to buy cheaply, as they'll have outgrown them soon anyway, or better quality, which means that the clothes actually still look halfway decent after 2 washes. We found that shopping for better quality in some of the discount shopping villages did help, but much of the stuff they sell is out of season and you're never quite sure how big your baby will be 3 months down the line!
We found that relatives and friends gave us a lot of clothes. It was very nice of them but beware - their taste is not necessarily yours, and may not suit your child!
Wipes
In the early months we found cotton wool and water to be perfectly adequate. Only later did we start to consider re-usable cotton wipes, but plumped for disposables as they are very convenient and easy to use. I preferred Huggies as they are thicker and tend to keep their moister for longer in the packet. My wife preferred the Pampers variety as they smelt nicer! Look out for BOGOF or even 3 for the price of 1 offers and stock up then.
The Nursery
Don't rush out and get a cot - we found that for the first few months we did not use it, though again your mileage may vary. We co-slept using a Snuggle Nest which we found worked well - our baby hated the Moses Basket, even when placed alongside the bed! The cot purchase can wait until they come up to 6 months old, the point at which WHO suggest they can start sleeping separately,
A changing table is nice to have and makes life easier when a baby is very young, but when they become more active are considered a danger (according to the UK NHS) as its a long way for them to fall. A blanket and changing mat (the one you can get free with the Boots bag in the UK) on a bed does just as well.
Its nice to have matching wardrobes and cabinets, all coordinated with the cot, but trust me, the baby really does not notice or care! Somewhere to organise and store clothes, nappies etc is vital though, as the last thing you want to do when you have a screaming baby at 2 in the morning is ton have to hunt for a clean sleep suit.
Next time we'll take a look at Breast Pumps, Toys and Car Seats
19 July 2011
What You REALLY Need For You New Baby
Eleven months ago we found ourselves proud parents of a little baby boy. In the run up to the big event we found ourselves running around trying to get everything prepared for the big day. I found it difficult to determine what we actually needed and what we did not. As the result of our experiences I've jotted down some of my views of what is essential, what is nice to have, and what you really could do without.
Nappies (or Diapers if talking US English)
OK, the biggy first. Do you go for one of the myriad different types of re-usables or disposables? We went for reusable at first but eventually succumbed to the guilty pleasures of disposables. We found the supposedly waterproof outer liners on the particular brand of re-usables we chose were far from waterproof as our baby grew and began to generate more waste. They are also big and bulky, meaning it is difficult to put on trousers and take up a lot of room in the changing bag (both spare and used nappies). We also found that our washing machine was constantly on the go, using up considerable amounts of electricity. If you do elect to use re-usable nappies, don't bother with all the expensive used nappy systems that claim to trap odour etc. Just get a small plastic bin from Poundshop/Ikea etc with a sealable top. Does the job just as well, until of course you need to open the lid!
Modern disposable nappies are slim and incredibly absorbent. The argument about using up landfill I think is spurious - they're made of paper and cotton and contain biomass once used - they'll degrade faster than anything else in there! You're not using vast amount of energy with the washing machine on, and with the offers that are constantly around you can get them at a reasonable price. Its easy to carry several in a changing bag, then throw them away - you're not carrying a bag of baby pooh around for the rest of the day. If you need nappy sacks, get the economy ones (about 12p for 100 in the UK) in the supermarket. They are well up to the job.
Admittedly it helped that our boy is one of those babies that just sees a full nappy as a bit of extra warmth, so we only go through a handful a day. I'd recommend disposables any day, but, as they say, your mileage may vary.
The Pushchair/Pram
This is one of the big costs a modern parent faces. You can easily spend several hundred pounds on travel systems and the like. An admission here. We have a Bugaboo Bee and we love it. Lightweight, easy to move around shops, takes a car seat on top. We've had several people come up to us to get our opinions of it as they've regretted getting the equivalent of a massive 4x4 when all they need it for is the high street. They current trend seems to be for these massive pushchairs with huge wheels. You just don't need them - they are far to big and bulky. There is the question of going cross country but how often do you actually do that? We've taken the Bee across muddy fields and tracks with few problems. Which leads me to my next point...
YOU DON'T NEED A PUSHCHAIR. Wow. Got that off my chest now. Seriously, much of the cost of the pushchairs is to enable them to be used to carry infants at a very young age. Once they're 6 months old and able to hold their head upright a cheap £20 one from a Supermarket will suffice. Up to then you can use a relatively inexpensive infant carrier or sling - a huge selection are available. It keeps your baby close to you and means you don't have to manhandle a huge pushchair around the place and you can go places a pushchair can't, like up STEPS! Once the baby gets too heavy to carry, use the £20 pushchair from the Supermarket or get a backpack baby carrier.
The Changing Bag
This is just a bag with convenient places to carry the paraphernalia that comes with having a baby, from a bottles through foodstuffs to nappies and spare clothes.
YOU DON'T NEED A CHANGING BAG. At least not at first. During the run up to your new arrival you'll get lots of vouchers and offers (in the UK at least). Among these will be one for a baby pack from Boots. Included in this is a respectable looking changing bag FREE OF CHARGE. It even includes a changing mat. This will be all you need for the first few months, until you start needing to carry solid food and bigger clothes. Even then, you have to think, is there a bag that I already have that can carry out that function? Be very careful with this purchase.
To be continued...
Next post will cover clothing, baby wipes and nursery furniture.
Nappies (or Diapers if talking US English)
OK, the biggy first. Do you go for one of the myriad different types of re-usables or disposables? We went for reusable at first but eventually succumbed to the guilty pleasures of disposables. We found the supposedly waterproof outer liners on the particular brand of re-usables we chose were far from waterproof as our baby grew and began to generate more waste. They are also big and bulky, meaning it is difficult to put on trousers and take up a lot of room in the changing bag (both spare and used nappies). We also found that our washing machine was constantly on the go, using up considerable amounts of electricity. If you do elect to use re-usable nappies, don't bother with all the expensive used nappy systems that claim to trap odour etc. Just get a small plastic bin from Poundshop/Ikea etc with a sealable top. Does the job just as well, until of course you need to open the lid!
Modern disposable nappies are slim and incredibly absorbent. The argument about using up landfill I think is spurious - they're made of paper and cotton and contain biomass once used - they'll degrade faster than anything else in there! You're not using vast amount of energy with the washing machine on, and with the offers that are constantly around you can get them at a reasonable price. Its easy to carry several in a changing bag, then throw them away - you're not carrying a bag of baby pooh around for the rest of the day. If you need nappy sacks, get the economy ones (about 12p for 100 in the UK) in the supermarket. They are well up to the job.
Admittedly it helped that our boy is one of those babies that just sees a full nappy as a bit of extra warmth, so we only go through a handful a day. I'd recommend disposables any day, but, as they say, your mileage may vary.
The Pushchair/Pram
This is one of the big costs a modern parent faces. You can easily spend several hundred pounds on travel systems and the like. An admission here. We have a Bugaboo Bee and we love it. Lightweight, easy to move around shops, takes a car seat on top. We've had several people come up to us to get our opinions of it as they've regretted getting the equivalent of a massive 4x4 when all they need it for is the high street. They current trend seems to be for these massive pushchairs with huge wheels. You just don't need them - they are far to big and bulky. There is the question of going cross country but how often do you actually do that? We've taken the Bee across muddy fields and tracks with few problems. Which leads me to my next point...
YOU DON'T NEED A PUSHCHAIR. Wow. Got that off my chest now. Seriously, much of the cost of the pushchairs is to enable them to be used to carry infants at a very young age. Once they're 6 months old and able to hold their head upright a cheap £20 one from a Supermarket will suffice. Up to then you can use a relatively inexpensive infant carrier or sling - a huge selection are available. It keeps your baby close to you and means you don't have to manhandle a huge pushchair around the place and you can go places a pushchair can't, like up STEPS! Once the baby gets too heavy to carry, use the £20 pushchair from the Supermarket or get a backpack baby carrier.
The Changing Bag
This is just a bag with convenient places to carry the paraphernalia that comes with having a baby, from a bottles through foodstuffs to nappies and spare clothes.
YOU DON'T NEED A CHANGING BAG. At least not at first. During the run up to your new arrival you'll get lots of vouchers and offers (in the UK at least). Among these will be one for a baby pack from Boots. Included in this is a respectable looking changing bag FREE OF CHARGE. It even includes a changing mat. This will be all you need for the first few months, until you start needing to carry solid food and bigger clothes. Even then, you have to think, is there a bag that I already have that can carry out that function? Be very careful with this purchase.
To be continued...
Next post will cover clothing, baby wipes and nursery furniture.
NZ Move Back On The Agenda
We had almost finalised arrangements for our move to NZ, with a job lined up in Wellington and our preferred area for living reconnoitered. Unfortunately, I then found myself mobilised and in Afghanistan for 6 months. This was an incredible and exciting experience, but it meant that on my return to the UK in 2009 the job situation on NZ had completely changed with the credit crunch. NZ Immigration, quite correctly, declined our application to extend our visas so our dream of emigrating disappeared.
A couple of weeks ago we were sitting in a KFC (I know, but any port in a storm) with grey skies outside and surrounded by the establishments usual unhealthy looking clientèle and my wife turned to me and said - "I miss the cafes in New Zealand". We are now investigating option to emigrate but this time with my wife as the lead applicant, which does mean that she'll have to register as a Physiotherapist with the necessary authorities - a process more traumatic than the Immigration procedures!
Of course the other big change is a little boy in tow...
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