Hey Berries! My husband and I are going to start TTC soon. We made the decision that to take some stress of the actual pregnancy, we would start decided on names now and collecting things now so that we wouldn’t have to do it all during those 9 months. We’ve got two solid names picked out, one for a boy and one for a girl, and are working on a few more so that we have options if the baby doesn’t suit the name we picked.
We also have several things collected such as some gender neutral clothes, a rocker, a bouncy seat, a diaper bag…
I’m going to post my checklist if that’s alright and would love it if you guys would look it over and tell me if there’s anything missing off my baby preparedness checklist.
Also, if anyone have any TTC tips…those would be welcome too!
Baby Checklist
o Clothes
o Going home outfit
o Winter coat
o 5-7 onesies
o 5-7 nightgowns
o 5-7 pairs of socks
o 1-2 hats
o 2 pairs booties and shoes
o Gentle or scent free detergent
o Nursery
o Crib
o Crib mattress
o Bedding
3-4 fitted sheets
3-4 lightweight blankets
1-2 heavier blankets
o Changing table
o Dresser or storage for clothes
o Chair?
o Trash can
o Monitor
o Laundry basket
o Toy bin
o Small lamp
o Bathing, Care and Safety
o Baby bathtub
o Baby shampoo and body wash
o Lotion
o Soft towels and washcloths
o Baby nail clippers
o Nasal bulb thing
o Thermometer
o Smoke alarm
o First aid kit
o Safety gates
o Outlet covers
o Toilet seat latch
o Stove and oven guards
o Cabinet and drawer latches
o Feeding
o A few bottles
o Burp cloths
o Breastfeeding pillow
o Breastfeeding cover
o Breast pump
o Nursing bras
o Bottle brush
o High chair
o bibs
o Diapering
o Diapers
o Baby wipes (alcohol free)
o Rash cream
o Baby Soothing and Entertainment
o Baby swing/bouncy chair
o Pacifier
o Bouncer
o Play mat or play gym
o Small plush toys
o Excersaucer
o Travel Gear
o Car seat
o Stroller
o Diaper bag
o Miscellaneous
o Books to read to baby
o Lullaby music
o Baby journal
o Receiving blankets
Thanks so much for your advice! [name]Will[/name] edit my list for sure! This is exactly why I posted this here. I knew there were great mommies here who would help me out.
I’m already good on Folic Acid, been doing that.
I’m so prepared because I’ve wanted a baby for the last 2 years of my marriage but haven’t been financially stab;e so to console myself I made plans. The planning made me feel better about not having a baby because I felt that when it was time, I would be super prepared and wouldn’t have to stress too much! I was determined to make myself a great prepared mommy!
I’m Australian, so about half that list makes no sense to me - LOL
But the biggest tip I would give anyone is this… start stocking up on gift cards that you can use for groceries after bubs arrives.
[name]Reason[/name] being it’s a kid of forced saving, which relieves some financial stress. Because you can’t really stock up on stuff like lotions/shampoo/wipes beforehand because baby might be allergic, but with those giftcards you can buy heaps of stuff on special later.
That’s a great idea too! I’ll make a not else where about that. I’m allergic to fragrance in soaps and whatnot so I planned on buying hypoallergenic stuff anyway, but still a good idea.
Wow, your list overwhelmed me and I have 3 kids! My must-haves (besides the obvious necessities) are a Bumbo seat, a Boppy, and a Baby Bjorn. I used those things a lot. As for TTC, I am a big believer in massage. I had been on Depo for a long time and it can take a while to get out of your system. After having a great massage where the therapist worked on my abdominal area, I got pregnant right away. It was like she unblocked everything and got me ovulating again. Good luck!
No worries about being overwhelmed, I just meant that your list was very extensive :-). [name]Even[/name] though I have most of those things, when you see them all together it is a lot.
I’m not a mommy yet ( but will be in May!) I think I might print your list!!! you may want to look into getting a bottle (and nipple etc.) sterilizer too, unless you have a dishwasher with a sterilize cycle, in which case you could look at getting a basket to go in the dishwasher for the soothers and nipples and stuff. I have also heard mixed things about wipe warmers, some people say they LOVED theirs, and some say they were useless. I think I’m going to go with one, simply becuase I don’t want to deal with a very unhappy and cold baby in the middle of the night hopefully I will get one at my baby shower! As for the baby’s winter coat, have you heard of the bundle me covers? Where I am they are the only things recommended now adays because the baby is safer if the safety straps fit tight on them. It is basically a cover that fits right over the car seat and zips in the front, so it’s way easier and apparently safer for baby. Also where I am, although they still sell regular bumper pads (for the crib) new research has shown that they are contributing to infant deaths becuase they smother against them. They sell “breathable bumpers” which are kind of mesh (or something) so if the baby gets to them they are protected from the bars of the crib but they can still breath. Im learning all this as we go, and frankly the amount of stuff we need is terrifying! If I think of anything else I’ll let you know,
Oh, and with TTC, I agree with the others, do not stress and throw out the calander! I did stress and was so sad when it didn’t happen each month. I finally decided I needed a break and surprise! I got pregnant that month (biggest shock of my life!) but best decision I ever made.
lol amandachristine. You can print my list if you’d like, that’s actually very flattering. I want to be as prepared as I can. I have heard of the car seat covered, but was hesitant to put them on my list because I hadn’t heard much about them or knew anyone who had one. I’ll have to do some research into them and then add them if I like them. Either way, they’re sure to keep baby warm! After my husband is done here, we think we might be stationed in Alaska so if those things are very warm then I’ll definitely need one! I might also get the wipe warmers because, again, if we end up in Alaska I want something warm for baby in the night.
Also, am debating whether or not to even get a crib. I’ve been doing some research and found some interesting articles about babies sleeping in Pack and Play’s instead of in cribs. They articles make the argument that the pack and play doesn’t need bumpers and is made of mesh anyway, so there’s no danger there, they are easy to pack up in a little bag and take with you when you travel, and usually they come as more than one thing. The one we were looking at comes with a changing station and bassinet option.
Does anyone have any opinions on this? I’d love to get a real persons feed back rather than just an article on the internet.
I would get a crib eventually. Our kids slept in a travel crib for the first few months – nice because it’s small and easy to park next to the bed, easier to transport than a regular crib, easier to reach into than a Pack N Play. However, we found that once they got to be a certain weight (not that I can remember now what that was) they started waking a lot. As soon as we switched them to a crib with a real mattress they went back to their usual sleeping habits. I think they just got too heavy to be comfortable on a that thin little padding-over-board anymore. I was in a store a couple of days ago and noticed the Pack N Plays with the bassinet insert and they didn’t look like something I would want to use long term.
Also keep in mind that those bumper pads are totally unnecessary. You can put a baby in a crib without one at all and they get along fine – eventually they get old enough you have to take the bumper pad out anyway, because they figure out how to pull it off. Now one of our kids (out of three so far) was always rolling to the edge and getting a hand or foot stuck out through the side. So I think I’ll get a mesh bumper pad for this one to start out. Otherwise, you really don’t need it.
And unless you’re going to be traveling a lot, I personally think the Pack N Play gets to be more hassle than it’s worth. I’m thinking that stage between being too big for the bassinet insert, but not big enough to stand up, and having to reach over the side almost to the floor to get the baby in and out. What a pain!
You make a ton of good points. While we will be moving a good bit, it’ll usually be about 2 years between so that’s not as big a deal. I did find a pretty cheapish crib with some really good reviews from Safety First that can convert into a toddler day bed. I’ll put it back on my list and talk it all over with my husband.
I really appreciate you responding so much to my concerns! It’s wonderful to have actual mothers (other than my own) to help me figure things out. I’m just one of those kinds of people who like things planned as much as possible before I start doing something.
Dantea,
I am excited for you! Parenthood and a first pregnancy especially are such amazing adventures. I can tell you like to plan a lot too which will help you out as a mom, believe me!
I love the suggestion of saving money or stashing away gift cards and researching the things you will eventally want to have for the baby. I want to caution you about buying too much too soon. What if it takes quite a while to start your family and the crib you bought gets bad reveiws before you get to use it or a safer car seat comes on the market and you have already bought one??? Also, if you are going to be moving every two years why would you want to move around with stuff you don’t need yet? Also, I found that with our first baby so many friends and family were more generous than I had ever expected buying up almost everything on the registry. So you don’t need to buy much ahead of time, especially before you are pregnant. Also, check craigs list for some things too - but not safety itms like cribs and car seats - buy those new.
Talk to moms not only about what they are glad they bought for their baby but also what they could have lived without. The season your little one is born in matters quite a lot. The bundle me car seat cozy is a great one! I live in [name]Boston[/name] and that was the only warmth needed for our little ones both born in the winter - in addition to a hooded fleece sweater. But the baby only can be carried around in that car seat carrier for about the first six months without giving you a shoulder injury. The kid may fit in the seat - but too heavy to toat around in it so you end up leaving the seat in the car and carrying the child. So, if your baby is born in [name]May[/name] you may never use that $50 cozy thing at all. A puffy jacket is not necessary until they are too heavy to carry around in the carrier car seat.
Here is another quick tip, unless you plan on having only one child, I suggest getting big ticket items in gender neutral colors and styles. So the cozy car seat cover - at $50 a pop you only want to buy one so go gray even though the pink on is adorable.
You make a lot of sense. I’ll let you know that I don’t plan on buying anything like cribs or car seats until after I actually get pregnant. Mostly, I bought a bouncy seat on impulse when buying for a friend, I got a diaper bag from someone at work…I’ve gotten most of the things I already have (mostly gender neutral onesies and those other 2 things) from consignment sales and donation. I wouldn’t buy anything big until after I get pregnant for just the reasons you listed.
I’m also a big fan of planning my childs birth month (to the best of my ability) and so I hope I have a fall baby. Of course I know I can’t plan that, so I won’t buy anything like jackets until I know for sure.
And, sadly, we don’t associate with my husbands family, and the only one of my family members that will buy me anything is my grandmother. So, again, sadly, I’ll be buying all this stuff myself. I’m definitely going to take the gift card suggestion!
I would say the ergo baby carrier is the best baby carrier out there, and the best thing to have so you can keep the baby close and do things around the house, etc. It also has a pocket, which is nice to keep money, or keys.
Also the nose freda is a nasal aspirator that is much better than the bulb syringes. And a GOOD ear thermometer… I can’t tell you how many cheap ones we’ve gone through, and when your child feels hot you really want an accurate reading!
[name]Just[/name] a quick note: You may not want to buy the carseat until fairly soon before you need it. Carseats expire after 6-8 years. The exact amount of time depends on the specific carseat brand, so you’d want to check its particular expiration date when you buy it. This is just something to keep in mind.
Mothers are going to have various opinions as to which baby items are useful and which are not. Much of this tends to be based on their personal experiences with their own children. For example, my 1st daughter hated the baby swing. If she had been my only child, I would have thought that the baby swing was a huge waste of money. My 2nd (and 3rd) daughters LOVED their baby swing. It became my most favorite baby device ever. I had drastically different experiences with each child. You won’t necessarily know what’s going to be useful until you baby is born.
Here’s an idea of how it worked for me: Only one of my daughters liked bouncy seats, one refused to all pacifiers (and bottles), and I found the Pack 'N Play to be incredibly useful … but for older babies. Not newborns like I had expected. I bought a crib, but my children all co-slept with me for the first several months. I bought a baby carrier for my oldest daughter and she hated it. She prefered the stroller. My 2nd daughter loved being worn in the Ergo carried and threw a fit if I even tried to put her in a stroller. My 3rd daughter didn’t care either way and was happy in either. I had one baby who would fall asleep in her carseat and being able to take it out and snap it into a stroller (while she stayed asleep) was a life-saver. I had another who hated the car and her carseat and everything about it. I never used onesies with my newborns. I liked putting them in gowns or footsie pajamas.
My list could go on and on. I just thought it might help to give you an idea of what you might expect! It was nice to have certain supplies on hand, but I was surprised by how much of it didn’t get used with certain babies.
Great List! We just had a little girl 9 weeks ago, so this is all very familiar! One thing I wanted to mention is a few things for you. If you plan on breastfeeding, Lansinoh cream and soothie gel packs saved my life. The soothies are expensive, I was able to get a few from the hospital. But seriously, without them I might not have been able to continue breastfeeding. Also, nightgowns or very comfy clothes in the event of a csection. I know that no one, especially first time moms think they will have a csection, but it happens, and better to be prepared beforehand.
Also a good idea to have clothes in newborn sizes and 3mo size. They grow so fast, and also if you have a large baby the NB sizes won’t fit. Our Daughter was 7lb 7oz. and she started growing out of some of them after a week.
I don’t recall if you had a humidifier/vaporizer on your list? But especially if you plan on a fall baby, you’ll need it.
Also it’s a good idea to do a baby registry at a store or two, even if you think you may purchase most items yourself. They usually give you tons of coupons and other goodies. And they provide a great list of things you may never have thought to purchase.
Thanks [name]Tristan[/name] for sharing your personal experiances! I know all babies aren’t the same, I work at a daycare and end up in the baby room a lot, but it’s nice to hear how your daughters reacted to various things. I don’t personally like the idea of a baby carriers because I don’t feel like I have to be touching the baby at all times and that I can put the baby down while I clean in a playpen, excersaucer etc…I might change my mind though, idk.
Also, Thanks for the advice tamtam! I already have a humidifier so I didn’t list that. I’ll be putting the cream and whatnot on my list, or at least looking into it first. I do know that c-section happen to first time mothers. I just recently had two friends give birth and they both had to have c-sections. I don’t want that, and hope I don’t need it, but know I might.
you may want to look into getting a bottle (and nipple etc.) sterilizer too, unless you have a dishwasher with a sterilize cycle, in which case you could look at getting a basket to go in the dishwasher for the soothers and nipples and stuff. I have also heard mixed things about wipe warmers, some people say they LOVED theirs, and some say they were useless. I think I’m going to go with one, simply becuase I don’t want to deal with a very unhappy and cold baby in the middle of the night