Help a mama tie up loose ends! :)

[fisherofmengirly]

I can't find the mommy recommendations thread.

We are tying up the last of the items needed for baby's arrival, and I would love suggestions and recommendations:

*monitors; which did you choose and why?

*safety locks for cabinets. When did there become 27 options??

*baby gates for stairs and entry ways; the pop in place tension type don't seem to work for our dogs, so we doubt they'll work for a baby. What do you use?

*breastfeeding gear- what is really needed? I will be given a Medela pump from the hospital, and I have pads and two bras and two tanks... Am I good? We also have some platter nurser bottles and storage bags as well as tommy (something) that target gave for registering.

*sleep/white noise machine; I think these are awesome but my husband thinks they cause a reliance on the noise to sleep...

Any help is appreciated. The preggo thread seems all but a ghost town these days, so I hope some mamas will chime in.

Thanks so much!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Oh and while I'm at it- any freezer meals I can make in advance so my mom doesn't spend her whole visit cooking.

Thanks again!

 

[mia1181]

*monitors; which did you choose and why?
Some people go without a monitor if they have a small house or prefer a regular sound one but I think a video monitor is well worth the extra cost. Some babies are noisy in their sleep and there is nothing worse than waking a baby after trying to quietly sneak in to check on them. It's also nice to see them stirring before waking up so you get a nice warning. You can also see if they've rolled over, lost their pacifier, threw up and any other random thing that might happen without you being there. I went with the Summer brand because I used them for years without a problem when I was a nanny. I think they were the only brand at the time but now there are many other competitors that I didn't really research. One thing to think of is getting encrypted or secure digital so that neighbors can't pick up the signal and see in your house (creepy!) We decided the one with the "talk back" feature wasn't worth the extra cost but I've heard some people like to be able to communicate with toddlers when they get a little older (e.g. "Hey get back in bed!" or "Mommy will be there in a minute)

*safety locks for cabinets. When did there become 27 options??
You have months before the baby is mobile enough to require these so I'd recommend enjoying the freedom to access your cabinets while you can! Trust me you'll have plenty of warning before the baby starts pulling out drawers! I do love the magnetic ones though! They are pricey but so easy to just put the key on the door and open. All the other baby locks are too much work for me! But then again I only put them on the cabinets with chemicals. I just don't put anything dangerous in lower cabinets, thats actually a great place to store the baby's dishes and your tupperware. That way the toddler can help you serve him food or can entertain himself by pulling out tupperware while you cook!

*baby gates for stairs and entry ways; the pop in place tension type don't seem to work for our dogs, so we doubt they'll work for a baby. What do you use?
I like the ones that you step on to open or you can open with one hand. I don't bother with tension ones get one that you can install in the wall that way no risk in baby or dog knocking it down.

*breastfeeding gear- what is really needed? I will be given a Medela pump from the hospital, and I have pads and two bras and two tanks... Am I good? We also have some platter nurser bottles and storage bags as well as tommy (something) that target gave for registering.
I personally think you are good on nursing bras and tanks. You'll have a better idea of what you prefer to use after the baby. But you have a good start.

*sleep/white noise machine; I think these are awesome but my husband thinks they cause a reliance on the noise to sleep...
Research for yourself but I have read that the constant noise can damage the babies ears. I have used them as a nanny though and I don't think the kiddos were reliant on noise to sleep, but it made me feel less nervous about waking the baby up. We have a radio with an ipod dock set up in our nursery I haven't gotten around to downloading white noise mp3s from itunes and instead I just leave it on static from the AM radio without the antenna plugged in

Any help is appreciated. The preggo thread seems all but a ghost town these days, so I hope some mamas will chime in.

Thanks so much![/quote]

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Thanks, Mia!

I think our question with the monitors is that so many of the video options seem to have a monitor unit that's huge so it can't move with you throughout the house. That's what we need because while our house isn't huge, it is different stories and we would feel better having a way to check on baby without disturbing the little one. This is the one purchase we have struggled with for a while. They're expensive and we want to make a good choice.

I will look up the magnetic locks; we'll put them in over the summer because I don't want to wait til the baby is mobile; just a paranoid first time mama thing, I'm sure.

Thank you for your ideas!! Hope you're thoroughly enjoying your tiny kiddo!!

 

[megumic]

*monitors; which did you choose and why?

We went with just audio. I knew if I had the monitor to watch, I would constantly be checking and looking and trying to see if he was breathing. So for us, the audio one made sense. We got the Motorola and it has two parent units.

*safety locks for cabinets. When did there become 27 options??

Don't worry about this yet!

*baby gates for stairs and entry ways; the pop in place tension type don't seem to work for our dogs, so we doubt they'll work for a baby. What do you use?

Don't worry about this yet either! We have a munchkin tension gate and we really like it. Trick is to get it super tight.

*breastfeeding gear- what is really needed? I will be given a Medela pump from the hospital, and I have pads and two bras and two tanks... Am I good? We also have some platter nurser bottles and storage bags as well as tommy (something) that target gave for registering.

You will likely need more tanks and bras, but wait and see how it all goes and then when you're ready, go pick up some more. You won't know what size your boobs will be when your milk comes in, etc. so better to wait.

*sleep/white noise machine; I think these are awesome but my husband thinks they cause a reliance on the noise to sleep...

For infants I think it can be helpful b/c they like the white noise, but for older babies I agree that it can cause a sleep reliance. Plus you want baby to be able to sleep anywhere and with any noise, so I think unless you have a colicky baby or another reason to need the assistance of a white noise maker, then don't bother.

Good luck in your final weeks of preggo!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Thanks again!!

So, I guess I'm completely neurotic because I've also been trying to think of a gift to take to the women's center when we deliver. I know food is a big one, but since I don't know when our little one will be coming, and because I really don't like the idea of crappy food (though my mom is making sugar cookies for friends and fam with the baby's name on them.... She loves to bake! ), I just thought it might be fun to get several fun colors of nail polish and little blushes, things like that and have them in a basket for the nurses to choose from. Who doesn't like nail polish?? And it's not super expensive, is fun and shows appreciation.

So is it common to give an appreciation gift to the staff who deliver? I don't know, just seems like a good way to thank everyone for working so hard to deliver our kiddo safely.

I found an awesome brand of nail polish that's cheap but doesn't chip, and that spawned the idea...

 

[amc80]

We've got a Motorola video monitor and love it. Not sure what you mean about huge monitors, this one is pretty small, not much bigger than my iPhone.

Wait on baby proofing. Plenty of time to worry about that.

We have a gate that we use for dogs. I will have to look up the brand. You can open it with one hand and it's very sturdy.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

We have found the stores around hereostly carry large monitors like a portable tv size... Not able to be carried around the house with ease, rather than the handheld style with the audio only variety. Maybe the stores here are behind on the times.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Fisher, so excited for you! We have the Angelcare video monitor with the motion sensor. It has given me so much peace of mind to be able to hear him, see him, and know that an alarm will sound if he for some reason stopped breathing. I sleep much more soundly having that thing, and it is very small and portable. I am also one of those people who would be going into the room constantly if I couldn't see him on the video.

We do use a white noise machine. I bought it several years ago for myself because I like to have a fan or some noise while I'm sleeping since I'm a very light sleeper. It is not very loud, so I cannot imagine how it would hurt the babies ears, and it seems to relax him. I honestly don't worry too much about him being reliant on it, but that's just me.

I agree with the others that you can start looking at child safety locks and gates now if you want, but I really wouldn't worry about it just yet. You have plenty of time! Ev is 6 months, and we are just now getting a little more serious about deciding which ones to get, but he is nowhere near needing them yet.

 

[JGator]

Fisher, we have this monitor - very light/small/portable - http://www.amazon.com/VTech-Communications-Digital-Monitor-Parent/dp/B007NG5UEU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1365524323&sr=8-4&keywords=monitor+vtech We did not bother with video.

We have not baby proofed yet and our baby is 5 1/2 months old. So, no advice for you there.

I would get something for the nurses at a minimum since you will see them a lot. We gave Swiss chocolate. You might also get something for the lactation consultants at the hospital as they were a life saver for us.

We have this sound machine http://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Gentle-Giraffe-Machine-Soothing/dp/B002CN5E22/ref=pd_cp_ba_1 It comes in different animals. There are several sounds - including heartbeat, white noise, and some jungle-y songs. We use the heart beat and/or the white noise almost every night. And, K is definitely not dependent on it. I think it's a good sleep cue.

 

[lliang_chi]

Fisher, totally do not worry about cabinet locks or baby gates for the first 6-8 months. Get yourself on Amazon Mom, and you'll get 2 day shipping. By the time Mini-Fisher is getting into stuff you can pull the trigger on the childproof stuff. For cabinets I like the magnetic locks the best. No comment on baby gates, we don't have any stairs and our apt is tiny.

Monitors: we have a Phillips video monitor. We didn't get the talk back or the panning movement. But having the video monitor is kinda nice. In all honesty at night, I can't make out small detail things like pacis. Just see where in the crib he is, if he's lying back down for sleep etc. But it was useful for sleep training when we did it at 11 months.

Food: stuff that freeze well: pastas (baked ziti, lasagna, noodle casseroles), rice (rice casseroles, arroz con pollo and the like). Honestly I didn't have any thing pre-frozen because my apt is small and I just have my one freezer in my fridge (no chest freezer or extra fridge). But we had a meal drop off set up with local friends. People signed up for dates to bring food and we just reheated it.

Pump: you sound pretty set for your initial go. I would make more more suggestion, get a 2nd set of pump parts (tubes, flanges, bottles, adapter etc). Especially if you're going back to work, it's nice to have 2 sets so you can pack one while the other set is being hand washed/drying. Also, you don't need to wash your pump parts every time. Just put them in a ziploc bag and toss in the fridge. This goes for when you're home on leave and still pumping. Also check if your hospital rents pumps. I found the hospital pump the best. I had a Medela PiSA, which was good, but not as good as the Medela Symphony we rented from the hospital. Having the good pump in the beginning is key as your milk is coming in and if your baby has a hard time learning how to nurse (it took us 6 wks before we GOT it).

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Fisher, I'm so excited for you!

Add me to the video monitor group. I find it crucial, but I'm a worrywart. The first few months she slept in our room, so I only used it for naps. Now I use it all the time. I've always liked being able to see her. I can see if she's breathing. I can see if she still has per paci (like LC said). When she's making noises, I can see if she's still lying down or sitting up, which determined the likelihood of her falling back asleep. Plus, she wakes very quietly, so she'll often sit in her crib for awhile before making a peep. I like to know if she's up. I don't remember the brand of my video monitor, but the range is short, so I wouldn't recommend it, anyway.

Safety locks/baby gates. Like everybody says, you have lots of time. I'm on my third set of safety locks--none have worked well. The magnetic ones are supposed to be the best, but they're expensive. I just hate any lock I have to install with screws. For gates, we have a few. The ones we have at the top and bottom of the stairs are these: http://www.amazon.com/North-States-Supergate-Close-Metal/dp/B000PRUAFI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1365536376&sr=8-5&keywords=baby+gate

For breastfeeding, the only thing I would add to your supply is lanolin cream. Get the good stuff, no store brands. I also had gel pads, which were like heaven on my nipples when I had a crack. You may not need them, but I loved them. Oh, and the lactation consultant at the hospital will probably be happy to give you a bunch of flange sizes. I tried a few sizes before I found one that worked best for me and it was so much easier to test them with the lactation consultant than buy them.

White machine. I'm a big fan. We have one for the nursery, one for our bedroom and the portable sleep sheep which stays at daycare. You obviously don't need one, but I really do think it helped soothe our DD, especially in the first couple of months. One of ours has a battery option just in case we lost electricity (we've needed it).

I made a couple of casseroles, a lasagna and some meatballs to freeze. I'm not sure how close you are to restaurants, but I just had my husband get take-out if I was really tired and didn't want to cook. Still, having some home-cooked food in the freezer was nice.

 

[lliang_chi]

Yes, definitely ditto the Lanisoh lanolin cream. Get the brand name stuff. It's much better, smoother than CVS brand. I made my DH go out and buy the Lanisoh cream afterwards, which he balked at since it was 3x's the cost. I told him when he starts making milk, he can buy as much CVS brand as he wants.

 

[sunnyd]

Hi Fisher!

Count me in for the video monitor! We have the Summer brand with talk back. I love having the video, since we can see when she starts fussing if we need to go up there. We didn't use it much until she started sleeping in her crib a couple of weeks ago, but it's really nice to have.

No baby proofing yet, I wouldn't worry about it. You have so much else to think about right now!

For breastfeeding, I had 4 nursing bras and 3 tanks. I always leaked through stuff and was constantly changing. Or baby would barf all over me, etc. Lanolin was an absolute must have. So were breast pads. For the beginning I got the heating/cooling gel pads but only used them a couple of times. Storage bags, I also had storage tubes by Medela that fit onto the pump part. That was nice to have at work while pumping. I think that's all I had...

We used a white noise bear from Target that plays womb sounds and some songs. The womb noises were great to get her simmered down at night for sleep. Then she weaned off it.

 

[Miscka]

I love our video monitor. It's a security cam so was only $75. It works thru our phones and comps, so no need to carry extra device around. Has night vision, ability to take pics, and panning and 2 way audio. You can also add others for more views or more babies.

 

[mia1181]

I love our video monitor. It's a security cam so was only $75. It works thru our phones and comps, so no need to carry extra device around. Has night vision, ability to take pics, and panning and 2 way audio. You can also add others for more views or more babies.

Wow now I feel like a loser for spending twice that for a monitor that is marketed for babies! I never thought an actual security camera would be cheaper. Can you leave it on all night though?

 

[Miscka]

Mia - I think as long as your phone is charged, etc. we actually never use the audio (except maybe to talk to DS) since our layout means we can always hear him anyway.

 

[NewShiny]

I'm so excited for you - I've followed your journey since the beginning!

*monitors; which did you choose and why?
We have a small summer infant video monitor. It is very portable fits in one hand easily. My little guy is 2.5 and we still use it every day. Here is the the updated version of the one we have: (Moderator please remove link if it isn't allowed - I'm on so many forums and rules are different on each one!)
http://www.target.com/p/summer-infant-best-view-digital-color-video-monitor/-/A-13299986

*safety locks for cabinets. When did there become 27 options??
I second the suggestion to not worry about this until it becomes an issue, somewhere around 1 year old. Baby products change with the seasons, who knows what's going to be available a year from now. That said, we just got the plastic kind that go around our cabinet handles. It really depends on what kind of cabinets you have, if they have handles, and what type they are. Also, a suggestion, when your little one does become mobile, leave a couple accessible with plastic containers etc. so he/she can get in at least one area without you having to worry while you are working in the kitchen. It will cut down on the meltdowns - trust me

*baby gates for stairs and entry ways; the pop in place tension type don't seem to work for our dogs, so we doubt they'll work for a baby. What do you use?
We don't have stairs in our house so I'm going to have to skip this one.

*breastfeeding gear- what is really needed? I will be given a Medela pump from the hospital, and I have pads and two bras and two tanks... Am I good? We also have some platter nurser bottles and storage bags as well as tommy (something) that target gave for registering.
I would wait until you establish breastfeeding. I got all of my supplies in advance, then ended up having to give up breastfeeding at 6 weeks becuase I was not producing enough milk. In retrospect I should have gotten myself to a lactation consultant much sooner, but after two bouts with mastitis I just couldn't do it any more. I hope this does NOT happen to you and you are able to breastfeed easily from the start; I'm just suggesting you wait on anything else you need in this department until you actually need it.

*sleep/white noise machine; I think these are awesome but my husband thinks they cause a reliance on the noise to sleep...
Another must have in my book. Our white noise machine (homedics from bed bath and beyond) has been used since day 1 and is still used daily. We used it as part of sleep training from day 1 and our guy was sleeping 5-6 hour stretches at night by 7 weeks. Just sayin'! I'll take the reliance on it to sleep any day over no sleep at all . . . we have an extra one for travel and I have the free white noise app on my phone as a backup.

I was one of those moms who thought I had to have everything I would ever need for baby before he was born and quickly realised what a waste so much of it was. I hope this helps. If you have a car seat, a place for baby to sleep, and diapers and wipes, you are pretty much set

Prayers for an issue-free birth experience and I'm thinking of you!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Miscka,

Can you tell me more about your cam monitor?

****
We no longer have to discuss the white noise machine because we got one at a shower this week! I love it; it has a projector nightlight option with three choices as to what to project, sea sounds, heartbeat, rain, and three lullaby options. Very cool.

I added lanolin to my hospital bag- thanks, ladies!!

We definitely want to get all the baby-proofing we can done pre-baby so there's less to do later. Still researching baby gates--- it's kind of disappointing that so few stores carry more options rather than just holding online.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

And thank you, New Shiny!

We are full-term now and have been blessed with an issue free pregnancy (one trip to the hospital when I thought I was leaking fluid at 29 weeks, some swelling, other than that, great!!). We stay in awe of it all and are very excited to meet this wee one soon.

I've loved and appreciated the support of my friends here over the years and look forward to sharing the journey of mommy hood soon!

 

[Jennifer W]

I don't have any recommendations, but I just wanted to say how excited I am for you .

 

[Haven]

Such an exciting time for you, Fisher!

Our little man will be four months old on the 18th, so I'm a total novice here. But this is what we have:

*monitors; which did you choose and why?
We have the Motorola video monitor. Love it. It was really great for us the first two weeks after B came because I had a C-section and couldn't move around easily, so DH and I spoke to each other through it like a walkie-talkie. I love the video option and am very glad we have it.
I'm a bit anxious, so we also bought a Snuza Hero, which is a tiny monitor that clips to B's diaper and monitors his breathing. If he doesn't breathe for 15 seconds it vibrates to rouse him, and then an alarm goes off if he still doesn't breathe for another 20 seconds. I know this may seem crazy, but it helps with my anxiety.

*safety locks for cabinets. When did there become 27 options??
Haven't even thought about this yet!

*baby gates for stairs and entry ways; the pop in place tension type don't seem to work for our dogs, so we doubt they'll work for a baby. What do you use?
We have great gates for the dogs, but again we are not here yet for baby.

*breastfeeding gear- what is really needed? I will be given a Medela pump from the hospital, and I have pads and two bras and two tanks... Am I good? We also have some platter nurser bottles and storage bags as well as tommy (something) that target gave for registering.
I didn't need to buy any Lansinoh for myself because I asked each new nurse for more tubes in the hospital, so I came home with more than I needed. They also gave me great gel pad thingies that helped, too.
As for shirts, don't buy too many. I bought a bunch from Motherhood before I found my favorite nursing tops, Boob Brand, and now I don't wear any of the Motherhood ones. (The Motherhood nursing tops are garbage, IMO. They don't stand up to multiple washings.)

*sleep/white noise machine; I think these are awesome but my husband thinks they cause a reliance on the noise to sleep...
I know you just got one, but we love our Munchkin sound machine for B's room. We also have the Cloud B giraffe that we take on rides. And I downloaded a free white noise app for my phone, which has come in handy.

Can't help you with the food. We just ordered in when hungry. The one thing I did do was keep a stash of easy-to-eat snacks in a draw next to the rocker so I could grab snacks during MOTN feedings. I had craisins and Fiber One bars and some other yummy things in there.

Good luck to you! Having B has been the most amazing thing I've ever experienced.

 

[Skippy123]

I got a monitor but the boys were only steps away so I never used ours. The first night we brought Miles home (Evan was still in the hospital) and the monitor made sooooo much noise and he was loud enough I knew the monitor wouldn't work for us. They might be nice when your baby is older and you need to run to the garage. I know lots of moms like the video monitors.

We got a baby gate through Amazon. I would make a suggestion but it depends on the layout of your home. We have a pretty sturdy gate because it is nailed into our wall and the gate lifts. here is ours http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Extra-Decorative-Walk-Thru/dp/B000XT30G4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1366061224&sr=8-3&keywords=baby+gates


I would do the pulls from Target; I forgot the brand but you don't need to baby proof right away but I know lots of parents who say to, though. We did it once the boys were mobile.

I think you have a good list for the bfing. You might want to see if you can get some mother's milk tea just in case; I didn't produce a lot of milk but it helped bring in a little more milk, oats, and a few other things help too. Don't worry about that yet but I am throwing it out there, our local Target carries that stuff. I liked Lansinoh and Medela cream. Lansinoh cream is thicker and Medela thinner so I would alternate depeneding on my needs. Also the Lansinoh breast pads were nice, since they had sticky's but I think I was yeasty so you will want ones without a plastic backing if that happens, not sure if you are prone to yeast but throwing that out there, as I was. You sound ready, yay, so excited for you!!!

You are set with the white noise, we had 2, so it worked great!

 

[Skippy123]

Fisher, if you haven't read this thread already I would read through it if you get a chance. [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/postpartum-care-thread.176194/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/postpartum-care-thread.176194/[/URL] I am so excited for you!!! Can't wait to meet baby Fisher!

 

[monarch64]

Fisher, I'm so glad you posted this thread and have received SO MUCH great advice!!! I really think you and your husband can kick back and relax these next few weeks til your baby is in your arms. You have everything covered, and whatever you don't have right now, you will have an excuse to get out of the house and take trips as a family to get stuff you don't have.

We didn't have everything wrapped up before ours was born last spring. I thought we had more time, but she came a little early (38.5 weeks) and well, we just made do. I have never looked back and lamented that we weren't prepared, seriously. I think, as a first time mom, we tend to get waylaid by all the details and forget to just stop and enjoy the precious last moments of our pregnancies.

Everything will be ok. Hugs!!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Here is some jaded advice from a two-time mom

*monitors; which did you choose and why?

Any brand, they are all the same and really you only use it for a few months. Then they get loud enough that you can hear them. In fact, I sort of think if you can't hear them without a monitor you don't need to go to them anyways ETA: I also wear ear plugs at night and have since Ryder was a few months old so I don't wake with every little snort and peep. But even with them I hear when they cry out before my husband even wakes up!

*safety locks for cabinets. When did there become 27 options??

Whatever seems easy to instal. They all work fine. We used the type that has two parts that screw into the cabinets. They have been there for 4 years!

*baby gates for stairs and entry ways; the pop in place tension type don't seem to work for our dogs, so we doubt they'll work for a baby. What do you use?

We have one at the top of the largest staircase that is screwed into the wall. We tried a couple brands to get one we liked. Go to a place that has them out and set up and pick one that you find easy to open and close. We also had one portable tension one for when we wanted to corall the kids. But you won't need this for about 6 months so buy it later!

*breastfeeding gear- what is really needed? I will be given a Medela pump from the hospital, and I have pads and two bras and two tanks... Am I good? We also have some platter nurser bottles and storage bags as well as tommy (something) that target gave for registering.

Hmmm... if you will be staying home all you need is boobs and that is all. I never had any other paraphenelia, except nursing bras. I guess its a different story if you will be going back to work when baby is little, and others can offer that advice. But I think nursing is easiest when you just nurse and don't pump and worry about a stash and all that type of thing (if your work situation allows enough time home to just BF and forget-it, I mean).

*sleep/white noise machine; I think these are awesome but my husband thinks they cause a reliance on the noise to sleep...

We use a fan
Meals : frozen ones for the oven are good

ETA: Do you have a place for baby to sleep in your room in the early weeks? Do you have a cushy and comfy nursing chair that you can even sleep in while nursing if need be? I spent many many many nights in my Lazy Boy rocker recliner, boppy and baby in lap, slightly reclined and snoozing while baby insisted on nursing for ... oh.... 3-4 hours constantly

 

[amc80]

Any brand, they are all the same and really you only use it for a few months.

...............

ETA: Do you have a place for baby to sleep in your room in the early weeks? Do you have a cushy and comfy nursing chair that you can even sleep in while nursing if need be? I spent many many many nights in my Lazy Boy rocker recliner, boppy and baby in lap, slightly reclined and snoozing while baby insisted on nursing for ... oh.... 3-4 hours constantly

Oh, we love our video monitor. I like being able to check on B without having to go upstairs and see what he's doing.

Total ditto on the recliner. I refuse to have another baby (or even be pregnant) until we have one.