I am 32 weeks and have nearly everything ready for the babies arrival - just a few questions about whether?

Question

i should buy the following items as well:

Baby towels (or just regular towels).

Thermometers for the babies room and a bath thermometer

Bottles and formula - in case breastfeeding doesnt work out

I have yet to buy a baby bath yet but am still thinking about whether to get one on a stand etc

Answer 1

every thing you mention my daughter has and she uses it all.her plans for breast feeding didn't work out so the bottles came in handy.

Answer 2

Some things are unnecessary, but nice to have - if you have the space... Baby towels are nice - they're softer, smaller, more lightweight, and have that head-hugging pocket thing. Regular towels work fine too - but its probably best to have "baby-only" towels - for cleanliness purposes - but again, not necessary. I wouldn't worry about a room thermometer - just dress baby in one additional light layer than you are comfortable wearing. They have some pretty good bath thermometers you can use - although you'll probably only need to use them a few times - and you'll start to know what the water is supposed to feel like. As far as bottles and formula... I'd say get a small set of bottled formula - the kind you pop on the disposable nipples. They're cheap, ready-made, and better not as much of a loss in case breastfeeding works out. After my baby shower, I ended up with 2 baby baths - and used one of them only a few times. The kitchen sink is good when lined with a towel, or the bathtub. It's really a toss up there...

Answer 3

I don't have a thermometer for my daughter's room. I can generally tell if she is too hot of cold by feeling her chest/belly. I don't think you'll need a thermometer, your baby will let you know if he/she is too hot or cold. I'm unsure as to whether or not you should buy a bath thermometer. I guess it depends on how your finances are. We never got one for our daughter, and we find it fairly easy to judge if the water is the right temperature with our hands.

I went and bought a whole heap of hooded baby towels when I was pregnant with my daughter, turns out I haven't used them yet! I was given regular size towels with my daughters name on them, and have been using them. So if I could do it over again, I wouldn't have wasted the money on the towels.

I definetely recommend a baby bath on a stand! It is an absolute lifesaver! It saves my back, and my daughter wriggles like crazy, so it helps me to get a better grip on her. Also, if you're going to get a bath on a stand, you should get a connection from the tap, so that you don't have to fill buckets of water into the baby bath. I also recommend buying a baby bath seat that suctions onto the bottom of the bath. It just gives a little bit of extra security in case you lose grip of your baby.

I would definetely buy bottles! Even if you are planning on breastfeeding, I would buy bottles and a breast pump. Very young babies eat a lot! If you didn't have the pump/bottles you would not be able to leave your baby for more than 2 hours at a time at first, or perhaps even less. Also, if you're breastfeeding, you can pump some milk, and get your partner to feed your baby during the night etc as well, so that you can get some extra rest. As for the formula, I would hold off on that for the moment. If you need it, go and get it when your baby is born! It's just a quick trip to the supermaket.

I hope this helps! I was so confused when it came to buying the things I would need for my daughter! Congrats on the pregnancy, and good luck with the labour/delivery!

Answer 4

The baby towels are nice in summer time, but when the air is cold, they aren't big enough to wrap around the baby. Even when he was tiny, I usually used two for my son. He is 11 months old now, and we only use them if there are no clean large towels.

I was given a bath thermometer, one of those that has a little box marked cold, warm, and hot and when you put it in the water, one box would light up. You were supposed to heat the water until the warm box lit up, but the first time I did that, my son screamed bloody murder until I lowered the temperature back to cold. I threw the thermometer away.

I don't know what you mean about a thermometer for the baby's room. You mean one to tell you the air temperature? I don't think that's necesary. If the temperature feels comfortable to you, it's probably comfortable to the baby. If you mean a thermometer to take his temperature, you may be given one at the hospital. I was, and my neice got one too.

Bottles, definately, but only do one can of formula. You may never use it, or if you do, the baby might need a soy formula or a different brand anyway. Also, the hospital usually gives out a sample of Similac or Enfamil. And besides, even if brestfeeding works well for you, you will need bottles to pump into in case you want to leave him with a baby sitter or something.

As for the bath, if I had it to do over, that is the first thing I'd pass up in the store. We bought one with a padded back, and a little sling for when the baby is tiny, and we only used it twice. The sling held him so far out of the tub that his bottom was barely in the water, so he got cold super fast. Without the sling, he sat down in the tub far enough, but he kept sliding down further and further on the slanted backrest. We just washed him in the kitchen or bathroom sink until he was big enough for the big bathtub.

If you do want to buy an infant bathtub, go with the kind that fit into the kitchen sink. Everyone I know who has had that kind have used it much, much more than people that had the other kind.

Good luck, and congratulations!

Answer 5

I liked baby towels for when they were tiny because it was easier to hold and wrap the baby in a towel that wasn't as large or thick.

Use your wrist as a bath thermometer; but it would be a good idea to get a regular thermometer to check your baby's temp should it get sick.

Don't buy formula yet. There are many different types and brands, and your pediatrician will have suggestions once the baby is born. Wouldn't hurt to get a few Platex nursers with liners. Pick up a binkie too, if you haven't already.

Personally I liked the baths that could be moved around, placed on a table or in the tub itself. If you have a lot of room, a stand is fine, but it's not necessary and not as practical.

Good luck!!

Answer 6

I am 30 weeks and have bought pretty much everything for my baby also and I plan on breastfeeding but just in case I have a few bottles. I didn't buy formula because you never know what kind they will need or if it needs to be soy. I bought 2 baby bath towels because my towels I use are way to big. I found a bath tub at wal-mart that has a thermometer built in( the tub is blue with a yellow duck on the front) so that is the one I bought-good luck!

Answer 7

There are so many things you can buy now and so many that you will use once if at all.

Baby towels--still use for my 8 month old so I can cover her head...not necessary, but easier.
Thermometers--a must! Bath thermometer, I never have used. But the baby bath I bought (a must in my book) turned a different color if the water was too hot.
Bottles--good idea so your prepared. Most hospitals will give you samples of formula also.

As for the bath, I would get the plastic one piece one that you can use in the kitchen sink.
Good luck with your new little bundle!!

Answer 8

If you are short on cash... you do not necessarily need baby towels. Just use a soft bath towel.. but if you can afford a baby hooded towel, they are great. Most of the baby's body heat escapes from the head and it is important to cover the head and not let it get cold. The hooded towels let you do this with ease. Since babies need a bath everyday, you may want at least 2 of them. They are less than $5 each.

Themometers for the baby's room is totally unnecessary. As long as the room temp. is comfortable for you, then your baby will be comfortable. As babies get older, they tend to uncover themselves during the night. Just make sure you have sleeper pj's with feet in them.

Bath thermometers are not at all necessary. Just test the water with your elbow. If you can't feel the water (cold or hot) on your elbow then it is the perfect tempature.

Bottles and formula - Even if you are breastfeeding you still need to have a few bottles handy. There will be times that you have to pump your breast and there may be times when you cannot breast feed your baby. It is always a good idea to have a can of formula available in case of emergency. Just watch the exp. date. When choosing bottles, make sure you get the kind that gets the air out of the bottles. I used Playtex bottles with disposable liners. But sometimes when babies are breastfed and get used to your nipple, they will not take a bottle. If you give your baby a pacifier, you may want to get a bottle with the same type of nipple so the baby will take it. Ask your peditrician or the nurse in the hospital what type of formula you should buy in case you have to supplement. Depending on the dietary needs of your baby, the doctor will know the best. I had to use the kind of formula with iron with one of my girls. My other daughter had to be on Prosobee. This is something that should be recommended by a physician that has seen your baby.

Remember, if you are breast feeding, it is a good idea to have a breast pump. I went to a local medical equipment store and rented an electrical pump for a few months. They make the hand held ones, but I just did not have enough milk to make it work.

Baby bath - Get the kind that fits in your kitchen sink. They are sooooo handy. It is so dificult to bath a baby in a bathtub. Babies are very slippery and unless you actually get in the tub with a newborn, it is very hard to do. The ones that fit in the sink keeps the baby in an upright position and you can run just enough water to do the job. It lets you stand so you have better control when handling your baby. As the baby gets older and able to sit up alone, get a bathtub ring. It is a little ring that has 4 legs that suction to the bottom of your bathtub. If the baby gets wobbly, and all babies do when they sit in water, it keeps them sitting upright and they can lean on that while you wash their hair and wash them off. It also lets them splash around while feeling secure.

It sounds like you have really thought about everything with your new arrival.... I wish you the best of luck! I think you will be a great mom~

Answer 9

If you have baby towels from your shower fine, if not regular towels are just fine don't worry about it.

You really only need one thermometer to check for fever, don't bother with the bath thermometer, Check the water by submerging you hand up past your wrist, your wrist is a better indication of temperature than your hand. Swirl the water to check for hot spots, etc.

A few bottles and perhaps some powdered formula, but really a breast pump is terrific, you can use it even when you nipples are sore, etc.

The baby baths that fit over the sink are great. Wouldn't bother with one that has a seprate stand.

Congratulations!

Answer 10

Baby towells with the hood for the head are really nice and all the other things you mentioned are great except for the bath on a stand. The little tubs that fit in the sink work great. Babies dont really need most of what is out there to buy. They dont care and unless you are really well off, the money can probably be better spent elsewhere.

Answer 11

You can use regular towels, but wash them in baby detergent and give them an extra rinse with a cup of white vingar before using them on baby's sensitive skin.

Thermometers are unneccesary. You can test bath water on with your elbow. I always bathed my babies in the kitchen sink until they were big enough for the tub. It's easier on your back, and baby feels secure in the small space. You don't need any special baby tub , just line the sink with an extra towel for cushioning. Of course, it also forces you to keep up with the dishes!

You will feel if baby's room is too warm or cold. I do suggest having several newborn knit caps, though. Since the head loses the most heat, you'll need to keep it covered most of the time.

As for the bottles...well, if you are deeply committed to breastfeeding, do NOT have formula in the house. Makes it too easy to give up over the slightest rough spot. I do recommend a breast pump and bottles/bags for storing breast milk. It freezes well, you know. Comes in very handy when you want a few hours of "me" time in a couple months. Just remember that newborns nurse very often, and breast milk digests quickly, so you can expect to feed every two hours, or even more often at times. It's wonderfully convenient, though, as you never run out and baby does not have to wait (crying) until you mix and warm up formula.

Good luck to you!