Location: When I dare to be powerful -- to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
Posts: 9,502
A vibby chair.
Cloth dipes (perhaps?) or a lg pack of sposies
12 one peice outfits (long legs, but short or long sleeves for which ever season she is in)
14 onsie undershirts
5 gowns
10 pr baby socks
5 baby hats
a sling
Car seat
5 recieving blankets (some people never use them, but I found them invaluable for the first few (swaddling) weeks with Logan and still use them as burb clothes etc)
2 good quilts or blankets (baby sized)
2 infant sized paci's (her nipples will need a break)
That is about all I use on a daily basis. A swing would be after 2 mos, bottles if she is bottling. I haven't touched one yet. Cribs and cradles are pretty usless unless they are determinded to put the little bean in them. We use ours about twice a week now and that is up from NEVER for the first month or so. lol... I would add in there a Nalgene or other type of good sturdy water bottle, because first time moms do not recognise (at least I didn't) that they need to DOUBLE their water intake while nursing. So having something like this would be a good thing.
I have a bunch of stuff I will send you FFS if you want. Just pay for the flat rate box and I have a sling, a couple gowns, and a few other little things if you would like to add that to your collection for her.
Val
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Val; Living the dream we have been working towards for over 5 years.
Mama to Alex, Cyan, and Logan. Wife to my very best friend.
My list would look a lot like Val's, minus the pacifiers (never had a kid who cared for them). I never used much. Seems like MIL got me a lot of stuff at garage sales that I mostly tripped over.
Maybe some nice baby soap and lotion? Weleda diaper cream?
Val's list is more complete than anything I've had for any of mine. But I also have a washer & dryer, hot weather, and a high tolerance for naked babies.
I'd add baby books that you agree with. The two ones I've been comfortable giving away are 1. Dr Sears Baby Book and 2. The Better Homes and Garden baby book- no, I don't know the exact title. Both can be found at second hand bookstores. I've held onto the Motherwear's Parenting from the Heart, b/c I'm still using it, but it would be a really good second book. If she's single, the Hipmama Survival Guide, by Ariel Gore. My copy disappears every time there's a single mom looking at my books.
For blankets- do you sew? 1 1/4 yards of 45 inch wide flannel makes the best, largest blankets. Especially, if you true the fabric ( pull out a thread and use it as a cutting line) and make 1/2 inch folded seams. Fold, press, fold again. Stitch it down. Make squares in the corner, rather than mitering. You'll have to trim the excess folded in, btw. It gets really thick, and washes hard.
If you knit, Elizabeth Zimmerman has the stretchiest, easiest kids cardigan. These grow with them, and you know they are staying warm no matter what.
Martha Stewart Baby magazines, again, second hand bookstores, or Ebay- the first one was pretty perfect. They quit selling it when they didn't have much left to say about babies. I pull out the "how to wash an infant" picture article for each kid. It looks pretty silly- open magazine, wet baby....I even stocked up on what was in the baby wash pictures- it was my introduction to dr bronner's soap. The first one had an article on food for moms, and foods for babies ( with pictures) and when to start what. and how to make it.
Oh yeah, dr b's soap, maybe some ice cube trays to freeze baby food in.
A list of resources- books, websites, second hand kids clothing stores, how to find moms, how to find--- I don't know. Every mom starts out alone and freaked out, even with resources...
Maybe some recipe cards or a printout wit fast, cheap recipes, preferably using kid foods?
Good Luck.
ari
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... a part of devotion and love is the self- discipline to grow a talent into a skill...
Thanks for the list Val. I think I'll take you up on the FFS offer. It seems that nearly everyone who knows she's preggo has bought stuffed animals for te baby.
She's due around Sep/Oct and doesn't know the gender.
Location: When I dare to be powerful -- to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
Posts: 9,502
Quote:
Originally Posted by schnookies
Thanks for the list Val. I think I'll take you up on the FFS offer. It seems that nearly everyone who knows she's preggo has bought stuffed animals for te baby.
She's due around Sep/Oct and doesn't know the gender.
I'd add LLL's Womanly Art of BF, and a jar of KristaRae's nipple cream. A copy of Birthing from Within, and a boppy, I couldn't live without my Boppy, especially with my big babies. My arm would get so tired!
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xo, Deanna
happy sahmama to Ethan (4/99), Bella (02/04), and Cailey (3/08)
and *so* proud of my man...
boppy for sure. I did use a bassinet (or moses basket) because I liked being able to take the sleeping baby w me everywhere without waking. I liked a wise woman sling-- it was very easy to use (it is a pouch ring sling), and then I also really used a mei tai heavily after abt 3m. I would get some nice prefolds to use as burp cloths, and then you could pick up a few covers, and show her how easy cloth is to use (even for backup). Don't forget things like nail clippers and a bulb syringe!! What is that thing that everyone is using these days to wrap their babies? miracle blanket, is that what it is called? Supposed to be much easier to swaddle? A decent hand pump, or a better pump if the mama is needing to go back to work (I can't remember your situation right now!). I also really liked a microwaveable rick sock for ME. Oh maybe those soothies breast pads that you can do warm or cold? Isn't that what they are called?
I liked bigger blankets, so with Liam I made them from flannel, double thickness. Oh! baby washcloths or cloth wipes. 4x4 is a good size for a washcloth or wipe. Luke's drawers makes some gorgeous wipes-- velour and knit usually and scrumptious. I did like having hooded towels too, but wouldnt call them a necessity really. A good diaper rash greme, nice baby lotion, apricot oil and baby soap or bath stuff (with Liam I liked the buttermilk bath, but have come to use more weeleda stuff lately, so I dunno I I would still).
I guess just think about each stage of the day
sleeping
eating
bath
car
transportation (stroller/sling, etc)
baby entertainment
mama needs
dressing
hygeine
and decide what she will need for each of them.
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Heather , mama to Liam, born 12-19-01, and Simon, born 04-17-05 wife to Mark, married 09-23-97
Ethan (4/99), 
Bella (02/04), and 
Cailey (3/08)
Bring her that horizon...
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