What To Buy When You Are Expecting

The part 2 to 9months to BabyD is taking too much time and so I guess I'll post the list of what all I brought before D was born.

It is not as if we are superstitious but we just didn't want to shop for the baby before the last trimester. We did go window shopping as and when I had the strength to but the only thing that we managed to buy in the first trimester was a receiving blanket that both Z and I had fallen in love with. It was orange and white knit with a white jersey type border. We couldn't find a matching cap with it but I had crochet cotton that matched and in the second trimester while I was on bed rest, I managed to crochet a cap for my baby. I did try to make matching booties but since I had never crocheted booties my entire life, I made something quite ajeeb out of it. (We later decided that we could use the single bootie that I made as a beret for a french doll that I could buy and dress up. That was never to be.)

Z came back in my last term and when I was given the green signal to go 'walking', we went shopping. By then we knew we were expecting a boy but what we didn't know was what size to buy. Anyway, we bought two white T-shirts, two sleep suits, a romper, a pair of booties, a pair of mittens and a cap. Before we could go shopping again, D was born.

The evening that BabyD was born, DaddyZ, Nanu, Nani and Aunnie Joey went shopping on my behalf with a list in hand of stuff I had asked them to bring. We now knew what size clothes to buy and so they came back with two more blankets (which I didn't think we needed but later found that they came handy. One to wrap, one for hospital trips and one for bas yunhi), three pair of really cute socks, three bodysuits, a gift box which had a shawl, romper, baby suit, cap, booties, mittens and a T-shirt ( gift boxes can sometimes be really great with all the stuff you need and they are money savers too but you have to make sure you like and need each and every item in it). We also bought a set which had a cap with matching booties and scratch mitts.

Most people don't think that scratch mitts are necessary because you keep a newborn all wrapped in a blanket but I have personally found that they really make a world of difference. Almost all newborns have long nails and they scratch themselves a lot. BabyD kept pulling his hand out of the blanket and kept scratching himself on his face. He looked quite funny when we put the mitts on him because his hands looked like paws! Another reason why mitts are useful is because babies tend to put their hands in their mouths. D was, literally speaking, born sucking his fist and keeping him wrapped up in a blanket meant that he collected lint on his hands and feet. Everytime he pulled his hand out to put his fist in his mouth we found that he had lint on them and tying them in mitts kept him from putting his fist in his mouth too. When buying mitts, I found that it was better to buy ones that came with lace that could be tied around the hands instead of the ones with elastic. BabyD was too smart for the elastic ones. Even at age 4 days, he could remove his mitts!

Along with clothes for him we also bought him a towel, a wash mitt, sleeping bag, a head support pillow, bedding and a baby carrybag. We had decided against buying a crib or a stroller that early and had decided that D would be sharing our bed and that we would be carrying him if we went out. Z and I wanted to go shopping for a crib together and since I was unable to even walk properly we decided to wait a month. One of our friends gifted BabyD a rocker and although I thought then that I couldn't use it right away, I was wrong. I am so thankful to them for bringing us such a thoughtful gift. It really made my life so easier. Even now that D is almost 4months old, I find that everytime D is sleepy I just have to put him in his rocker and he rocks himself to sleep.

The day we brought BabyD home, that night was the most difficult night of my life. D was hungry and we had only brought him two ready to feed bottles of formula. I was planning on BFing him and I didn't think we needed to buy bottles. Oh, how wrong I was! My advice to all women expecting a baby and shopping for their babies is that please, please don't make this mistake! Buy at the least 3 5ounce bottles, a thermos for hot water, ask your pediatrician what formula to give your baby and when you bring the baby home, bring the formula with him. Along with the bottles, you will also need a brush to wash bottles with, a steriliser or whatever you plan to use to sterilise the baby bottles and if you are planning on BFing your baby then you need a BF pump to express. The first few weeks the milk will be too less and although it gradually increases, it won't be enough. Expressing or pumping helps a lot and it is very handy if you plan on resting a while. Just pump and store to give to whoever is babysitting or keep it to feed at night.

That was about all that we bought. When I was packing my hospital bag, I had already bought baby powder, shampoo, lotion, oil, hair brush and nail clippers to keep him looking and smelling nice and clean.

Hmm... what did I forget? I'll update if I remember anything.:)