1- Nappies .. Thinking of getting a pack each of size 1 and size 2, for the hospital .. or should i buy the newborn one? What do you guys suggest?
2- Friend asked if I have prepared a baby first aid box, I havnt and freaked out .. now I need to find out what all I need to keep around for baby health.
Gripe Water? dettol? what else? do babies need Gripe water during the first few weeks of birth? what about prune juice etc ?
3- Baby massage .. i have read that babies should be massaged almost every day , they like it and its healthy for them .. should I use Johnsons baby oil kind of thing to massage? do we start massaging babies from the first week?
4- the nappies again, oh my god, they are so freaking expensive .. or am i looking at the wrong place? how do you guys manage costing on nappies?
Infant and/or child thermometers (both digital and ear or rectal)
Children’s and/or infants’ acetaminophen and ibuprofen, as recommended by your pediatrician, to relieve fever and mild pain
Antihistamines, as recommended by your pediatrician, for insect bites, hives, and allergic reactions
Topical calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream (.5%) for insect bites and rashes
Rubbing alcohol swabs to clean thermometers, tweezers, and scissors
Petroleum jelly to lubricate rectal thermometers
Antibiotic ointment for cuts and scrapes
Irrigating eye wash to rinse irritants from eyes
Saline nose drops to clear stuffy noses
Aloe gel for burns
Tweezers for removing splinters and ticks
A pair of sharp scissors
Child-safe sunscreen (See sun safety and sunscreen guidelines.)
Child-safe insect repellent
Nasal aspirator bulb (not a pointy-ended ear syringe)
An assortment of adhesive bandage strips in various sizes and shapes (for children’s sensitive skin, get the less-sticky kind)
Gauze rolls (1/2 to 2 inches wide)
Gauze pads (2 by 2 inches and 4 by 4 inches)
Adhesive tape
Sterile cotton balls
Cotton-tipped swabs
Non-latex gloves
Mild liquid soap (most antibacterial and deodorant soaps are too strong for babies’ sensitive skin)
An oral syringe or calibrated cup or spoon for administering medicines
A package of tongue depressors for checking sore throats
A hot water bottle and an ice pack
A small flashlight to check ears, nose, throat, and eyes
Blanket (space blanket)
Our baby was 7 pounds 6 oz and hospital started him on size 1 so we never used the newborn size!
Ummm all we had was thermometer, nail clipper, saline spray, bulb syringe and that’s all..never had to use anything else. We did buy the humidifier later though.
My mom started massaging him around second week and she used coconut oil..his pediatrician gave the infant massage instruction, for colicky baby, for gas etc and that was a life saver.
Yes it’s expensive..you can always look into cloth diapering..I know several moms around me who did it but I wasn’t up for it!
Best to be prepared with a baby you never know what you may need at what time. Babies need a lot of diapers during the initial period. Size 0 or 1 depends on babies weight so get a pack of each size and then get more from the hospital pharmacy. Diapers are expensive but not as expensive as formula if you plan on giving that exclusively and also if you’re paying for vaccinations yourself.
We massaged baby with johnsons baby oil. Gave a bath and then baby would sleep well.
I also started with size 1 baby was mashahallah , just bought two packs never stocked diapers bc size changes very quick after a month switched to size 2 hehehe it reminded me of grocery bill the max amount is always on baby stuff n yes newborn upto size 3 are more expensive comparative to larger size
In baby kit I had nail clipper small scissor baby lotion baby jelly, happy rash cream, colic drops my baby was very colicky gripe water without alcohol , baby calpol , digital thermometer., bulb syringe she had stuff nosy it helped me a lot
i used Johnson baby’s oil I used to massage daily baby at night before sleeping baby slept so peacefully phew n 30 mins before bath also
At the hospital they will HAVE diapers for the baby. Depending on how big the baby is, they will give you the appropriate size. They will also show you HOW to change the diapers and swaddle and all the good stuff. Once you know what size diaper your baby is comfortable in, then you can go buy some. The stores of the world don’t CLOSE FOREVER once your baby comes so don’t feel like you have to buy everything ahead of time.
First aid kit? Tish tosh, again, too much prep. Band aids, antibiotic cream, thermometer, nail clippers. That’s all you need. The rest you buy when you need. Under no circumstances give the child any medicines without checking with your ped.
We never massaged, just a lot of holding, snuggling, cuddling, kissing.
what aahmed said. the only thing with the newborn diaper is it has a notch for the umbilical cord. hospitals are usually generous with diapers. we were sent home with diapers, a thermometer, and the nasal bulb thingie, a bath brush and comb.
you’ll need a nail trimmer. some good moisturizer. i’ve never seen a newborn being massaged, it is hard to believe for me that babies that tiny need massages. they do love it when they are a little older but its not necessary afaik.
1)If you need to take diapers with you to the hospital incase you think they will not provide any,I’d say get a size NB and 1 to be on the safe side.Later on after the baby is here you would know what size to use and buy accordingly.But never stock up on diapers…!
2)BAbies do not need this many medicines.I am sure you must be aware of it,but never go ahead with giving them any medicines unless you have spoken to a doc first.The temperature they consider ‘fever’ for newborns and infants is a lil higher than what is considered fever for us adults or even older kids,so just a heads up.
The most you would need for the first aid box would be nail clippers,saline drops and suction bulb (if they get have a congested nose),maybe a diaper rash cream,a digital thermometer (our pediatrician recommended rectal temp recordings so I remember taking it that way the very few times I had to…talk to your doctor before you go ahead with it,incase you have to).
They do not need sunscreens and antihistamines and steroid ointments etc etc…at that age.
3)Ammi massaged my daughter with Johnson’s oil the first few weeks she was here…I did not do it a lot myslef.
In winter months I just used to apply Aveeno baby lotion all over her after baths to avoid dry skin and itching.That is not considered a massage but that is it.
4)Yeah diapers are expensive.Not sure how it goes about there but I usually use coupons and buy at wholesale clubs.Saves me some $$.
1- Nappies, we used the newborn ones for the first month or so, then switched to size 1. You can get them in advance if you want, but it’s not like you won’t be going to the store. Babies rarely suddenly grow out of one size. You’ll notice one day it’s a little snug and decide to buy the next pack a size up. It’s rarely an urgent thing.
2- baby first aid box, I didn’t do it either. My doc discouraged gripe water unless it was absolutely necessary (lots of crying and such) bc he felt it was important for the baby’s system to adjust on its own. Have diaper rash cream. saline nose drops. Others have listed useful things.
3- Baby massage .. baby massage is great. Johnsons baby oil is fine, but usually so is olive oil.
4-costing on nappies? buy in bulk once you know what you need.
I dont plan to use any medication on the baby without consulting a doc .. just got confused when ladies around said Gripe water is ok to use and should have Calpol at hand .. though I dont feel comfy using calpol unless the doctors advised it ..
Whats saline water for? does anyone know where I will get it from in the UK?
Regards nappies, its mentioned in my Pregnancy record file that I must bring them along, hence why I am getting worried of getting the right size .. Initially i thought i will take a pack each of newborn and size 1 .. now I am thinking its best to take size 1 and if they need newborn size , they can use their own or we can get it at that time
Glad to know that baby oil works well with massaging .. in one of the prenatal classes I attended , they suggested that if a baby is born during winters, its helpful to give them a little massage on a daily basis as that keeps them healthy and keep the blood flow regulated .. hence why asking about when you all started with the massage ..
already got the nail clipper and the scissors .. dont think will be needing anything else for the time being .. got dettol as well to clear the changing mat after every use .. i think thats enough stuff
what aahmed and queer and SO2 said.
the only difference is that I massaged like crazy…and I did the “loi-ee” thing too where you use a small amount of kneaded dough dipped in oil and massage with it to remove hair.
ammi used to do that to all the kids just before bathing them so it’s kind of a ritual in our home for the first few months of life.
there is a lot to be said for massage…getting the blood circulating and great exercise for muscles that aren’t being used regularly at that age.
I had purchased newborn size diapers (swaddlers) but couldn’t use them cuz she was too big (9.5 lbs). So better to just wait until baby has arrived and purchase what is appropriate…
I did thael (oil?) maalish with all my babies (even the twins!) and they (and me!) loved it! I think the human touch helps baby relax and promotes the bonding process personally.
I did not buy diapers in advance, the nursery at the hospital sent us home with enough and then my husband just went out and bought the appropriate size. We did use the newborn size with our first born, and with the twins..well…even the preemie size was too big initially
As far as the first aid stuff…ignore that big old long list…the baby nail clippers/scissors, bulb syringe and saline nose drops, and a digital thermometer is really all you need at first.
I never used commercially made gripe water. When my babies got colicky or gassy, my mom would make me this homemade desi nuska…make your own by boiling some saunf and mint with a little water.give a few sips as needed
Nappies=Diapers? They are expensive and rarely come on sale (I’m in the US). I use Pampers but have used Huggies too, I prefer pampers even though they’re a little more pricey. I don’t know how amazon UK works but here you can become a member of amazon mom and get 20% off your order of diapers and 2 day shipping! You pay $70 a year for this but it’s worth it if you buy a lot of other things from amazon. My husband managed to score a deal and got the amazon prime/mom for $30. Saving %20 on diapers is awesome since you go through them so fast and I’m constantly buying more! Look for coupons in parenting magazines too, some issues have coupons for pampers in them But diapers is one thing that’s usually not on sale cause they know we HAVE to buy them anyway
Baby first aid kits can be bought in any baby store. You might wanna have baby gas relief drops, gripe water etc handy too! Those ready made are pretty good but you’ll need to add some stuff too.
I gave my baby massages from day one I used johnsons baby oil and would rub it on her, she loved it and it helped with shedding of her baby hair.
I never used newborn size diapers. My baby was a small baby but we went straight to using size 1. Even at the hospital they wouldn’t use the newborn ones. They’d just fold the diaper in the front a bit so that it would fit her. I wouldn’t but the newborn ones if I were you Baby will grow pretty fast and will be in size one in no time. My baby was born at 6lbs and was up to 8lbs at her first week visit.
But diapers is one thing that’s usually not on sale cause they know we HAVE to buy them anyway 
I used johnsons baby oil and would rub it on her, she loved it and it helped with shedding of her baby hair.