- Do not stock pile diapers.
I know lots of new moms like to stock up on diapers before baby is born especially through baby showers but for us, I’m so glad we didn’t. We received a few boxes which was great because you need SOME to start out with, but I’ve seen some folks stock pile 20+ boxes of diapers. Now there’s two things I see that could go wrong with this. 1. You do not know how that brand of diaper will fit on your child.
Pampers Snugglers worked the very best for us. The diapers are made bigger, so a Pampers number 2 is larger than a Luvs number 2. They curved around the girls legs much better and was tight but not too tight in the back. I found that other brands if not pulled tight in the back would leak but then would leave marks on my baby because they were too tight. Which leads me to my second though that 2. Some brands just make better diapers. We took a trip out to Albuquerque when the girls were just two months old and out of desperation we bought a package of cheap no-name-brand size 1 and they were awful. They didn’t fit correctly, the girls leaked out of them especially at night, the tape on the sides were so small I felt like it was squeezing them. But mind you they were in Pampers size 1 and I think like with anything you’ll find that you like certain brands better than others and in some cases bigger brands make better diapers. So just be careful when stock piling, as you do not know how certain diapers are going to work and fit your child, oh and also keep in mind that diapers can also work differently depending on if you have a girl or boy using them.
- Do not stock pile bottles.
For the same reason you shouldn’t stock pile diapers, you shouldn’t stock pile bottles. We were given a few different types of bottles through our showers and I had a few different types on our registry. I was drawn to the more “natural” look and feel to the nipples on the bottles. Phrases like “just like mom” caught my attention. I knew I would be returning to work after three months of maternity leave so I knew their grandma would have to feed them with bottles but I also wanted to breastfeed so I wanted the more natural bottles so that the girls wouldn’t go through nipple confusion. UGH – I could write an entire post on this but let me just say this didn’t work out. You know what bottles they liked the best? Dr. Browns. Yeah, the hard one-hole nipples. I tried to get them to take the flimsy natural nipples and they hated them!! So I have about six to ten bottles just sitting in the cupboard because the refuse to drink out of them. So again, be careful what you stock pile because you may be getting a bunch of bottles/nipples and you’re baby isn’t going to take to them.
- Have bottles on hand even if you plan on exclusively breastfeeding.
I am so glad we were gifted bottles. I had planned on breastfeeding until at least one year of age but sadly my supply didn’t fully come in, and we had to supplement with formula right away. My heart was crushed but luckily those bottles were in the cupboard when I needed them. Not that we couldn’t go out and buy some but trust me, in those first few days and weeks you’re not thinking straight and anything you can do to make it easier on yourself, do it!
- Prefolds make great spit rags, burp cloths, chew tows etc. and are cheaper!! Prefolds are the old school cloth diapers. They’re super soft (and get softer the more they are washed), and I think are more handy than the labelled burp cloths. You can buy 10 on Amazon for $7.66.
- Babies tell you when they are hungry not the schedule. I haven’t been one to tell my kids, “no sorry, it’s not time to eat.” I know other moms are different but in my heart, if a baby is hungry they are hungry. I’m not going to make them wait 30 more minutes until they can eat again. Now, I do have the girls on a schedule in an app called Baby Daybook but that’s just so I know who got fed last, when everyone was change, who had medicine when etc.
- Do not spend a ton of money on Newborn, 0-3 month clothes.
Babies grow so fast, especially the first few months. My girls grew 2 and 3 inches between month three and four. They were in size 0-3 clothes for about a month before transitioning completely to size 3 month. Obviously you need some clothes in every size but don’t spend a ton of money on lots of clothes. Get them discounted at a resale shop, or on sale, take hand-me-downs, and put them on your registry.
- Don’t try to keep up with the Jones’
You will go broke. People seem to think they need the best thing out there for their babies and don’t get me wrong there are a lot of neat things now-a-days for baby but do you really need that $150 jumper? Probably not. Babies do not need much in the first few months of their life, just a safe place to sleep, clothes, blankets, bottles (if not breastfeeding), and you! Babies are designed to learn right away, so get down on the floor with them, and talk to them. They will soak up every minute of it and studies show this helps babies develop and cross off milestones sooner. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having swings, bouncers, jumpers, play yard etc. but if you don’t have the room, can’t afford it or for whatever reason don’t have it, don’t worry – you’re not missing out. You (and baby) do not NEED those items. They just need to be safe.
- Babies do not need shoes!!
Yes, I know they are cute, but overall they are useless. They fall off and get lost. Don’t spend your hard earned money on these!! Especially when your child is at the stage of learning to walk – shoes can hinder this process as they cannot feel the ground under their feet.
- Buy baby medicine BEFORE baby comes home.
Find a brand that works for you, whether you like Little Remedies or go with something more natural and organic, find your brand and stock up because they are going to need it. You don’t want to need it and not have it. On hand we have;
- Tylenol
- Mylicon
- Nasal Spray
- Gripe Water
- Probiotic
- Keep on hand at all time;
- Baby Water
- Formula (if not breastfeeding)
- Baby Meds
- Wipes
- Diapers (in the next size up too)
- Clean Clothes (next size up too)
- Clean Burp Cloths, Blankets etc.
Bonus: Try not to worry about milestones. Having twins it is easy for me to see the differences each baby has when reaching milestones. I have one girl who was rolling from her back onto her tummy when she was just two months old, and her sister still cannot do it at four months (she’s almost there!). But it was the one who cannot roll who noticed faces, and her hands first, she laughed first and found her thumb first. This has taught me that babies learn at their own pace. Some will be strong and have great gross motor skills, while others will have fine motor skills. It doesn’t mean they’re behind, they are just different. I actually really enjoy it because it makes each baby special in their own way and we get to celebrate these achievements individually with them. So, don’t worry if your friend’s baby is crawling before yours, don’t worry if the kid in the nursery is saying words before yours, and don’t judge your baby based on what another one their age is doing. Unless the doctor has concerns and says “we’re going to keep our eye on this,” your baby is doing fine and will develop at their own pace. Do not get wrapped up in the “but they are…” and remember to celebrate whatever stage your baby is currently in.
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