Things to Buy Baby

A List of Things to Buy before Baby comes home

Hooded Bath Towels:
Baby bath towels with hoods are specially sized for little ones, and the cotton material is gentle against sensitive skin. The great Kodak moments provided after bath time are an added bonus! These towels can also do 'double duty' once your infant grows into toddlerhood - and discovers the world of super heros.

Infant Car Seat:
This is probably the single most important item you can buy before baby comes home. Buy a car seat early on in your pregnancy – but definitely by your third trimester. Find one that fits your car, and your life style (read our car seat article for tips and hints regarding car seats). Make sure your baby’s car seat installed – and checked – by the time you hit 30-32 weeks. For most moms, this isn’t a real concern, but we recommend you purchase and install your seat sooner rather than later just in case you run into some complications during your last few weeks – such as bed rest, preterm birth, or other complications that might arise. You don’t want Dad to have to handle this task on his own when he’s worried about you, and you won’t be able to take your baby home from the hospital without a car seat.

Onesies
Simple onesies with lap shoulders are a staple. There are many hours a day that all your baby will need is a onesie, or a one piece sleeper.

Rocking Chair or Glider
A comfortable chair for you that has a gentle rocking motion makes feeding time, bedtime, late nights and general cuddle time much more comfortable for you. The gentle rocking motion does wonders to comfort baby during sleepless nights and teething, too. Gliders and rocking chairs also transition great for story time as baby grows a little older. When purchasing one, we suggest finding one that is comfortable for both mom and dad. Many come with an ottoman (or footstool), which we would never use, but might be more comfortable for you.

Sleep Sacks
Similar to sleepers, but a ‘sack’ instead of individual legs. These are great for nighttime diaper changes. You can also get a type of nightgown (yes, for boys and girls) which have elastic at the bottom, instead of buttons or snaps, so there is nothing to undo or get baby out of during diaper changes.

Stroller
These days you are usually able to purchase a stroller with your infant car seat, so that your car seat can simply snap to the carrier. One feature you might consider is a seat that inclines to a "flat" position, so that there’s still room for baby to sleep once they’ve outgrown the car seat, or for those occasions that you don’t want to bring the car seat, too. It stands in as a great changing table when you’re on the go, too.

Once baby’s neck is strong enough (at about 4 months or so), you may want to invest in an umbrella stroller (which are considerably less expensive than the larger strollers). Umbrella strollers are smaller, lightweight, fold down smaller, and are great for taking baby to events such as fairs, mall shopping, the zoo, and festivals where a big stroller is a little too bulky.

Thermometers
During birth classes you should learn about the variety of thermometers, and how to use them. One of the questions you should ask your baby’s pediatrician before leaving the hospital is how high a temperature should be before you bring your baby in (or call). While you should call your pediatrician any time you have a question or concern, it helps to know when you should call about a fever (usually 103 degrees or higher). There are many scary moments for new parents, and one of them is having your baby come down with their first few fevers. Also talk to your pediatrician about Infant Tylenol – when and how much to give.

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