TheHolisticParent.ORG Preparing for Baby

Preparing For Baby

Voice recorder

The best advice I got, interestingly after I had given birth, was to buy a voice recorder
and record the noises my baby made. She started making noises and actually trying to
communicate at 4 weeks old. We started recording her, and now it is immensely fun to
listen to what her little voice sounded like. Sometimes, I would listen to her and think it
was so cute that I would never forget it. But the truth is that you do. I totally loved this
idea.

Nursery

The nursery is very exciting. I know this. I really enjoyed decorating my children’s
nurseries both times. It was special. With my son, we really used all the nursery things
that we had. He slept in his crib every night. We used disposable diapers, and so we
used a diaper stacker. We had a special changing table and a whole set of cute
bedding. I thought this was how it was supposed to be. Then, I became pregnant for
the second time. I had the perfect bedding that I was so excited about. We painted her
room, got a new crib, and decorated. When she came, I thought things would be exactly
the same as with my son. Little did I know, they wouldn’t be. She decided right away,
she would be sleeping in our bed. Read our section on co-sleeping for our complete
story. This is when I started researching and learned a whole plethora of information. I
gained information on attachment parenting and co-sleeping. I began to seriously look
into cloth diapering. I realized all the stuff I got was all wrong for what I now believed in. I
realized all the miscellaneous stuff we had that we would not use. She hasn’t even
taken one nap in her crib. Basically, everything in her nursery, except for one clothes
drawer and some hangers in her closet, are things we do not use. If you want to create
a special nursery, hey go for it. Just think about what you truly need beforehand. You
could save yourself a lot of money. I also know that while it is expected by our modern
culture that you will create a nursery, a lot of families don’t. Many cultures find the
thought of a nursery kind of strange. If you don’t, your baby won’t hold it against you. All
your baby wants is you!

What Supplies You Really Need

My whole philosophy is to keep it simple. Going into any baby store can almost be
overwhelming! There’s so much stuff available to buy. How do you really know if you will
use it? I’ve found this happens a lot with baby showers. Even if you register, you still get
tons of stuff you don’t need or will never use. Some new moms may not even know
what to register for. I’m sure all families will have different needs, but to give a little
insight, I’ve created a list of what I couldn’t live without and what I never touched.

Crib- If you want your baby to sleep in a crib in another room, then by all means, you’ll
need one. But if you plan to co-sleep, this could actually be a very wasted item for you.
And cribs aren’t cheap. Sometimes, you do need a safe area to set a baby, especially
as they get older, for a moment here and there. I’ve had much better luck with a play
yard for that. The best part about the play yard is that it folds up and fits neatly into a bag
for travel.

Play yard- May or may not come in handy. Mine certainly does. I used it instead of a co-
sleeper at times or when we were vacationing and my baby couldn’t sleep in the same
bed. I’ve never had much luck getting either of my babies to play in it, but it is a safe
area if need be. They can nap in it, and it is very portable. Ours also has a changing
table station on it, which is the best invention. That way we can change diapers without
having to go all the way to her room. We hardly ever use the one in her room.

Bassinet- I always thought I would use a bassinet. I never did. I found that bassinets or
cradles have several disadvantages. You still have to either role way over and pick baby
up or get out of bed to pick baby up for night feedings. This is inconvenient. Baby also
can't sleep in the bassinet for very long. This means the baby will eventually end up in
bed with you or must transition to the crib. If you're baby is not yet sleeping through the
night before they are too big for the bassinet, you'll then have to go into the baby's room
to get the baby for night feedings. Nowadays, there are better options.

Co-Sleeper- One of those better options is a co-sleeper. I do not have one, but I have
thought about getting one even though my baby is a little older now or possibly having
one for our next baby. At first, my baby wanted to sleep right next to me. When she got a
bit older, we positioned her in the middle of the bed, and she didn't want to be
smushed right next to my side. Sometimes, she would kick or wake up and fall right
back to sleep, but had already woken me up. A co-sleeper is the same level as the bed
so you don't have to lift the baby up to feed baby, simply scoot baby over. It acts as a bit
of an extender for the bed and creates a safe place for baby to lay.

Sleepsack- I didn’t have one of these with my son, and I was so excited to get one for
my daughter. Guess what, we used it twice. That’s it! She didn’t like to be swaddle or
have her arms pinned down. Maybe it could come in handy if you’re baby is sleeping in
a crib, but with her right next to me, she stayed plenty warm.

Babylegs- I love these. They do come in handy, especially in the winter! They also help
when baby is crawling around on hard floors. My son even loves them. I had to buy him
a few “boy” pairs for him to wear on his arms. Keeps them warm.
Baby carrier/Sling- Must have! I believe in babywearing so much. We wore our daughter
for the first three weeks of her life straight. It is proven to be tremendously good for the
baby and easier on the mom. My top picks are the Ergo baby carrier, Moby wrap, and
Maya wrap.

Disposable diapers- Skip them. Go for cloth. Helps the environment and saves you
over a thousand dollars of moolah. A win win.

Stroller- Even if you babywear, this does come in handy. With my second baby, I was
determined to wear her anywhere and everywhere. One time I was shopping at the mall
and decided she would be worn on me and not put in the stroller. Then I made some
purchases and realized I had to cart all of them and the diaper bag around. It was a bit
of a workout. So yeah, you may use your stroller if for none other than the diaper bag.

Breastpump- I use mine. A lot. I have some special circumstances in which one
benefited me tremendously. I do know that not everyone needs them. Some women
make it a year and beyond without ever needing to use one. Most women do want one
though even if they go out for an evening. The importance is to decide what you will
need to use it for. I can give my personal experience about a few pumps. I have tried the
Medela Pump In Style. I hated it and couldn’t get a drop of milk out. Yikes. Many women
love it fine though. I have also tried a Medela Lactina with absolutely no drops of milk
either! Not the pump for me. I liked Medela’s Classic breastpump, but it is no longer
being manufactured. It is a true hospital grade pump and that pump could get the milk
out! It has been replaced by Medela’s Symphony, which seems to be a bit more gentle
then the Classic. I currently use the Symphony. It works pretty well for me. Interestingly, I
can only get a good suction though if I use a hands free nursing bra. It won’t work well if
I just hold the flanges. Really important to know because I was at my wits end one day
and almost ruled this pump out until I discovered this little fact about myself. The
problem with the symphony is that it can be from $60 to $80 to rent a month. Or really
expensive to buy. The pump I originally bought and liked was the Playtex Embrace. I
could not find different flange sizes for it though, which many women need. It was
comfortable, but the motor didn’t last long at all. A few months really. The difference
between a true hospital grade breastpump and a personal use pump is mainly the
motor. Most pumps may say they are “hospital grade”, but they are actually not. If you
paid a few hundred dollars for your pump, it is probably a good pump, but it’s not
hospital grade. Hospital grade pumps cost several thousand dollars unless you find it
used. Buying one used is risky though because most are stolen, and their previous
usage is not known.

Baby Bather- I never used a special baby tub. I just bathed my babies in a regular
bathtub, which was easier. I used something called a baby bather though, which I
lovingly call the Suntan Chair. That’s what it looks like to me. The baby just sits in it
somewhat reclined. As they baby gets older, you can’t just let them sit in it unattended
because it can tip, but you shouldn’t be leaving your baby anyway, so it worked for us
until at least over a year for every bath. Very nice.

Boppy Pillow- I didn’t use this at all for breast feeding. We did use it for my daughter
when she was newly sitting up and playing on the floor, so she didn’t fall back and get
hurt. It didn’t always work and regular couch pillows would have served the same
purpose.

My Brest Friend- This is a nursing pillow I liked a whole lot more. I didn’t use it all that
much at home because I just used couch pillows, but when we went out or on trips, it
was a lifesaver. Not everywhere has a comfortable place to nurse. This thing saved my
back and helped with proper positioning.

Camera and Video Recorder- I am picture crazy. I love pictures! I realize not everyone
documents as much as I do, but you may want to seriously think about getting one or
both. They even have video cameras now that actually take pictures. How cool is that? I
couldn’t live without these though.

High Chair- Yes, you will need one. They make them way too expensive though. A used
one will work just as well. We actually didn’t have room for one the way our kitchen is
shaped, so we purchased a smaller travel one. It’s cool because we can travel with it
and we do! But it is also smaller and takes up less space. We strap it onto a chair and
that way our daughter can sit there and participate as we eat dinner.

Toys- You really don’t need many. Babies are thrilled with things that are not actually
toys. Given that what you hand the baby is safe, it doesn’t always have to be a toy. Y
daughter’s favorite is paper. I watch her so she doesn’t eat it, but it entertains her way
longer than any toy. Since babies put everything into their mouths and you don’t need to
buy too many, you can splurge for some nice one that will last. We try to find wooden
and organic toys. Plastic toys are made so cheap and don’t last long, nor do I want
them in my baby’s mouth.

Clothes- You don’t need nearly as many as you’ll end up getting. Babies are messy, but
seriously, not that messy! I don’t feel inclined to change my daughter every single time
she gets a speck of something on her. I find disposable diapers leak more than our
cloth, so with cloth, our baby doesn’t get messy as often. Breastfed babies spit up less.
Use a bib to preserve clothing. Then you don’t have to buy as many outfits. Babies grow
so fast, buy as many clothes as you can second hand. Many things second hand still
have the tags on them. I know some of our clothes still had the tags on them too
because it is impossible to get through so many clothes!

Diaper Bag- Of course!

Johnny Jumper- These things are cool. They attach to the door frame and as baby gets
older, she can jump in it. Our baby loves it!! Keeps her safe and entertained for a while.
Swing- I must admit, we did use our swing. Our baby wouldn’t sleep when she was
really little unless she was swinging or being held. I was fine with that. We held her
most often, but when she was little, the swing really did come in handy. We didn’t need
any other play seats and things except for that.

Diaper Genie- After awhile, these things begin to reek! We had one with our son and
couldn’t wait to be rid of it. Cloth diapers are so much more convenient. We wash ours
every other day and we squirt of the poops into the toilet with a sprayer, so we don’t
have a need for that big stinky thing.

Changing Table Pad Covers- You need a stash of these because they make it much
more pleasant for baby to lay on, but they do get poop on them regularly. The make
small little square pads to go on the covers so you don’t have to change the whole
cover each time, but just the little square pad of material. You could even make your
own, they are so simple.

Rocking Chair- Or any big comfy chair that rocks. We really do use ours. Rocking a baby
to sleep is a feeling like no other. I like to nurse my baby to sleep, but sometimes we
nurse beforehand just so I get to rock her. I can still remember times when I was very
young that my mother rocked me. It is a really magical time. Rocking is not just for
babies either. If your chair is big enough, older kids like to rock too.

Diaper Sprayer- A must have if you use cloth diapers. Bum Genius makes one and it
attaches to your toilet. This thing is a life saver.

Hand Blender- We use a hand blender to make our own baby food. We found this to be
easier than a food processor because it is extremely easy to clean. You can also make
small batches at a time and then your baby can have the freshest food possible.

Bottles- You may or may not need these, but chances are you may at least want a few. I
like glass ones. I have to admit that I have had one that broke in a diaper bag though. I
used to really like the Born Free bottles. Now, almost all bottles are BPA free. Born Free
bottles are expensive, and they are still plastic. I really have an aversion to plastic. I
think, for the most part, it is toxic, and I try to avoid it whenever possible.

Organic- Yes! I make an effort to get anything organic that I can. If it is not organic, it has
toxic chemicals on it. They may be easy to ignore, but ignorance won’t save you from
their toxic effects. Babies are even more affected. Organic is always better.
Bamboo- This one makes me sad. I really like bamboo. A lot of bamboo things are
really cool. Bamboo clothes however aren’t. The processing the bamboo has to go
through to make the fabric soft fills the clothing with chemicals. Which is so unfortunate
because bamboo material is really great. It’s sustainable because it grows so fast. It’s
easy to grow and can make many things. Flooring or furniture is great, depending on
the company.

Wood- I like wood so much more than plastic. I like real wood though, not cheap
particle board. Real wood lasts longer and is sturdier than cheap plastic things. Some
types of wood are not sustainable. Plastic is just so horrific though. Just spend time
researching whatever it is that you want to buy and then always think about if you really
need it or not.

Well, this completes the list. I know there’s a ton of things I didn’t mention. You’ll
undoubtedly use things I didn’t think of. Just go by one rule and you should be good;
less is more.

Special Memories

I don’t have a ton of neat creative examples of special things you can do to prepare for
your baby. I do being in special traditions and creating memories. I encourage you to
find some special ritual that you can look back with fondness that was beneficial to you
during your pregnancy somehow. Whether that be drinking a cup of red raspberry leaf
tea in a comfortable place every morning while talking to your baby before the craziness
of the day begins or rubbing oil on your belly every night, find something that allows you
to really absorb your pregnancy and treasure it.

Bonding with Baby

Bonding with your baby before he or she comes is a delight. It is possible to have
trouble bonding with your baby when they come even though you’ll love your baby, so
why not start getting attached now.

Talk or sing to your baby. He will begin to learn your voice. Even our son would talk to
our daughter and tell her how excited he was and what he wanted to play with her once
she came. This helped us feel connected to our baby.

You could give your baby a nickname. Some families come up with really interesting
nicknames for their womb baby. We called ours Miss Muffet. I have no idea why, but that
is what she was. Good thing she turned out a girl because we really didn’t know. Could
have been a boy nicknamed Miss Muffet. This helped us to feel like we already knew
our baby.

I bought a Doppler when I was pregnant because I wanted to hear our baby’s
heartbeat. We recorded it and I put it as a ringtone on my cell phone. It was special to
hear that every time my phone rang, and I was so proud of it when people asked if that
was my baby.

I would play music for our baby. I didn’t play any classical though. I played stuff I
listened to, stuff with good guitars. It’s funny because now a good rock song can put our
baby to sleep while no other music can. She seems to be calmed by music, and I
wonder if it was because she heard it in the womb.

Ultrasounds are standard maternity care with an OB. Midwives, however, typically don’t
use them. You don’t need one, but it can help you bond with your baby. I do think they
are special, and I had one with both my pregnancies. I love the pictures. We even have
a video of my daughter. Ultrasounds are not proven to be completely safe though. At
this time, medical science does not knowingly admit any danger, but since their use is
relatively new, we do not yet know any long term effects. Do your research before
agreeing to one. I did my research. I decided that once my baby comes, there are going
to be a whole host of things to protect my baby from. Ultimately, I feel as if by adhering
to the principles of proper health, you can actually be healthy even if you are exposed to
something unhealthy. The body is meant to maintain homeostasis. Ultrasounds do
have a better track record than some medications and certainly x-rays. Ultimately, you
must decide for yourself if you are willing to take a risk. There can be some serious
problems ultrasounds are believed to be responsible for or play a role in, but there’s
just not conclusive evidence either way. Here’s an article to read for further information.
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/ultrasoundrodgers.asp

Empowering Parents to Make Holistic Choices For The Benefit of Their Children

Advertise
With Us
Click Here

Calling All
Birth Stories!
Click Here
To Submit
Yours!

Visit our
Book Review
Blog
Click Here

Download
our FREE
GIFT! The
best money
saving tool
ever.
CLICK HERE

The Holistic Parent.ORG